This thesis is a journey through the main studies on corporate sustainability with the intention of highlighting that every aspect of this wide-ranging discipline should not be overlooked by any firm that truly believes in sustainability and wants to pursue it with rigor and method. It all starts with an analysis of the main theories, studying their use, within the literature on sustainable business models (SBMs). In fact, the first essay involved conducting a systematic literature review that highlighted the complementary nature of the theories: articles on SBMs use several theories together to explain different elements of a business model. Firms should not neglect their business structure but rather be able to make it flexible to respond quickly to the pressures that arise along their path of development and growth. Subsequently, with the second essay, the analysis focused on the identification of critical points emerging in the process of integrating sustainability and business strategy. Through an in-depth case study, three main complexities emerged: the trade-off between business and sustainability, the monitoring of sustainability KPIs, and organisational and cultural issues. These complexities were addressed by the firm under analysis through the definition of a specific sustainability plan in which space was given to ESG initiatives that otherwise do not seem to find a proper place in other company documents. Finally, the third essay comprising this doctoral thesis analysed the strategic role of sustainability planning. By conducting twelve interviews with Italian firms, it was possible to define the steps that a firm implements to plan for sustainability, so attention was paid not so much to the content of the actions included but rather to the technical and formal process undertaken by the firms. This is an aspect that was still lacking in the literature on sustainability planning and is certainly worth further investigation with other innovative studies on the subject.
This thesis is a journey through the main studies on corporate sustainability with the intention of highlighting that every aspect of this wide-ranging discipline should not be overlooked by any firm that truly believes in sustainability and wants to pursue it with rigor and method. It all starts with an analysis of the main theories, studying their use, within the literature on sustainable business models (SBMs). In fact, the first essay involved conducting a systematic literature review that highlighted the complementary nature of the theories: articles on SBMs use several theories together to explain different elements of a business model. Firms should not neglect their business structure but rather be able to make it flexible to respond quickly to the pressures that arise along their path of development and growth. Subsequently, with the second essay, the analysis focused on the identification of critical points emerging in the process of integrating sustainability and business strategy. Through an in-depth case study, three main complexities emerged: the trade-off between business and sustainability, the monitoring of sustainability KPIs, and organisational and cultural issues. These complexities were addressed by the firm under analysis through the definition of a specific sustainability plan in which space was given to ESG initiatives that otherwise do not seem to find a proper place in other company documents. Finally, the third essay comprising this doctoral thesis analysed the strategic role of sustainability planning. By conducting twelve interviews with Italian firms, it was possible to define the steps that a firm implements to plan for sustainability, so attention was paid not so much to the content of the actions included but rather to the technical and formal process undertaken by the firms. This is an aspect that was still lacking in the literature on sustainability planning and is certainly worth further investigation with other innovative studies on the subject.
A journey through corporate sustainability research and practice: from sustainable business models theories to the integration of sustainability in business strategy and planning / Silvia Valcozzena , 2025 Mar 27. 37. ciclo, Anno Accademico 2023/2024.
A journey through corporate sustainability research and practice: from sustainable business models theories to the integration of sustainability in business strategy and planning
VALCOZZENA, SILVIA
2025-03-27
Abstract
This thesis is a journey through the main studies on corporate sustainability with the intention of highlighting that every aspect of this wide-ranging discipline should not be overlooked by any firm that truly believes in sustainability and wants to pursue it with rigor and method. It all starts with an analysis of the main theories, studying their use, within the literature on sustainable business models (SBMs). In fact, the first essay involved conducting a systematic literature review that highlighted the complementary nature of the theories: articles on SBMs use several theories together to explain different elements of a business model. Firms should not neglect their business structure but rather be able to make it flexible to respond quickly to the pressures that arise along their path of development and growth. Subsequently, with the second essay, the analysis focused on the identification of critical points emerging in the process of integrating sustainability and business strategy. Through an in-depth case study, three main complexities emerged: the trade-off between business and sustainability, the monitoring of sustainability KPIs, and organisational and cultural issues. These complexities were addressed by the firm under analysis through the definition of a specific sustainability plan in which space was given to ESG initiatives that otherwise do not seem to find a proper place in other company documents. Finally, the third essay comprising this doctoral thesis analysed the strategic role of sustainability planning. By conducting twelve interviews with Italian firms, it was possible to define the steps that a firm implements to plan for sustainability, so attention was paid not so much to the content of the actions included but rather to the technical and formal process undertaken by the firms. This is an aspect that was still lacking in the literature on sustainability planning and is certainly worth further investigation with other innovative studies on the subject.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
