The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda has further propelled the need for the private sector to engage with sustainable development. Corporate sustainability research seeks to specifically address this; however, extant literature highlights a paucity of research on how this occurs. In this study, we utilise an emerging process that has been identified to support managers in addressing sustainability—the corporate sustainability assessment (CSA). Utilising an in-depth case study and qualitative data collection, this study highlights how CSAs are a systematic and comprehensive approach to guide managers in how they can address sustainability. This study empirically examines three distinct but interconnected aspects of the CSA including the sustainability governance system, measurement of sustainability performance and sustainability reporting. With scant empirical studies on both CSAs and multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in emerging markets, this study provides unique insights into two key traits of MNEs to understand the interplay between home- and host-country contexts and the industrial sector the MNE is operating within.
Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are increasingly expected to integrate sustainability into their core business activities, moving beyond philanthropy or public advocacy. In particular, the financial sector is expected to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as it plays a critical role in promoting sustainable development through its key roles as risk managers, insurers, investors and lenders. It has been acknowledged that the sector has the power to direct investments towards sustainable activities, encourage sustainable business practices, and promote sustainable development more broadly. However, for MNEs, including insurance companies, examining sustainability practices across subsidiaries operating in expanded geographic contexts becomes complex. Implementing corporate sustainability strategies is challenging, particularly when their globally-developed strategy intersects with local operations. However, limited attention has been given to the sustainability practices adopted by the financial sector at the subsidiary or local levels. This study aims to fill this gap by examining how multinational insurance companies operating in emerging markets manage their sustainability practices, particularly in aligning their global sustainability strategy with local operations. Utilising a corporate sustainability assessment process framework and focusing on the case study context of Allianz in Malaysia, this study provides a comprehensive picture not only of the sustainability practices that have been implemented but also of the important role that global and local operations play in translating global strategies to achieve sustainability into meaningful and contextualised local agendas for sustainability.
Literature on garment reuse focussing on consumer behaviour and end-of-life products is scarce. Our study addresses this gap by exploring significant predictors of end-of-life garment reuse by Australian consumers. Subsequently, this study extends the theory of planned behaviour (perceived behavioural control, attitude, and subjective norms) by general recycling behaviour, self-identity, quality consciousness, eco-literacy, and self-efficacy as predictors of reuse intention and behaviour. Structural equation modelling is conducted to analyse data from a sample of 428 questionnaire responses retrieved between 16 and 22 March 2022 from Australian consumers. Our findings support the notion that the fundamental predictors of the theory of planned behaviour, along with self-efficacy, and eco-literacy, are significant predictors in understanding sustainable behaviour such as reuse. However, no significant relationships were observed between self-identity, general recycling behaviour and quality consciousness. We made theoretical contributions to literature by addressing a gap in reuse, focusing on consumer behaviour and end-of-life garments. Extending on the theoretical implications, our study contends that engaging in reuse practices must be in collaboration with the entire supply chain. This study also provides a cultural context for reuse intention and behaviour amongst Australian consumers. In a broader context, the findings from this study could reduce the number of garments sent to landfills and promote the utilisation of garments beyond one lifecycle.
This book explores the new product development process of firms developing frugal innovation for the base-of-the-pyramid (BOP) markets in developing countries. Frugal innovations are products characterised by an affordable price-point, durability, usability and core functionalities that are highly adapted to BOP consumers' needs. Frugal products have the potential to drive the development progress and living standards of low-income consumers. With an innovation framework developed from worldwide frugal case studies, this book provides detailed insights through two in-depth start-up firms in Indonesia that have successfully launched frugal products for the low-income market. These two start-ups have addressed two major development challenges for not just Indonesia, but also the global BOP market – traditional methods of cooking and access to clean drinking water. A detailed roadmap is developed from insights into the processes and management decisions of these two start-ups and combined with previous studies on frugal products. Providing a detailed roadmap across the different phases and stages of the new product development process when developing frugal products, this book will be insightful to not only innovators but also investors and government agencies supporting their activities.
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