Preface

Sustainability can be defined as the “ability of an organization to favorably drive its actions towards concerns and welfare of people, planet and profits in a way that the company will be able to empower itself to meet its own and its customers’ current and future requirements successfully” (Gupta et al., 2013, p. 288). The operationalization of sustainability in practice tends to rely on the triple bottom line (Elkington, 1998), which encompasse environmental, social, and economic dimensions of corporate performance. Environmental sustainability refers to the use of energy and other resources, which create a footprint that companies leave behind as a result of their operations. Social sustainability exists if firms support the preservation and creation of skills and capabilities among current and future generations, promote health, and
foster equal and democratic treatment within and outside their boundaries (McKenzie, 2004). Economic sustainability implies that in conducting their operations, firms obtain cost reductions or positive financial results. Thus, according to a triple bottom line approach, sustainable performance depends on environmental, social, and economic performance.