Track 11. Sustainability in international business

Sustainability is integral to global economic development and to firms’ international business engagement (i.e., operations, behaviour and interaction with stakeholders). International firms are key societal actors and called on to consider and contribute to the sustainable development challenge in their decisions and actions. Multinational enterprises in particular have taken up the challenge, though progress has been slow. This may be partly due to the managerial difficulties of balancing shareholder needs and stakeholder interests, and limited resources to address the promise-performance gap. The track welcomes papers that explore firms’ engagement in sustainability through: reducing carbon footprints; better use of resources throughout the value chains; adopting circular economy techniques; implementing latest digital technologies; achieving United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals; or working with national and international policies. This track invites empirical, conceptual, and theoretical research that addresses these issues and increases understanding on how international business shapes and is shaped by sustainability. Contributions that guide scholars to navigate sustainability research to gain actionable knowledge for managers are also welcome.

Keywords: Environmental sustainability; Sustainability development goals (SDGs); Sustainable global value chains (GVCs); Green development; Natural environment; Pollution; Environmental harm; Energy; Economic inequality; Social welfare; Business ethics; Circular economy; Digital sustainability; Corporate social responsibility (CSR)