Παράγοντες βιωσιμότητας της σύγχρονης επιχείρησης

Καμίνη, Δέσποινα Σ.; Caminis, Despoina S.

Sustainability factors in modern corporations

Doctoral Thesis

Author

Καμίνη, Δέσποινα Σ.

Caminis, Despoina S.

Date

2023-11-24

Advisor

Πέκκα - Οικονόμου, Βικτωρία

Keywords

Βιωσιμότητα ; Επιχειρησιακή βιωσιμότητα ; Επίδοση βιωσιμότητας ; Εταιρική διακυβέρνηση ; Οργανωσιακή βιωσιμότητα ; Επιχειρησιακή υπευθυνότητα ; Στρατηγική προσέγγιση ; Ηθική διαχείριση

Abstract

Sustainability recognizes the deliberate and evolutionary change that increases or maintains the system's characteristics and constitutes a long-term goal to meet population needs. The Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have incorporated progress toward achieving sustainability. It is a challenge for Businesses that, as dynamic systems, can demonstrate their ability to evolve, change and sustain themselves while simultaneously pursuing social, environmental, and economic dimensions. Considering the systemic approach and the scientific engagement of dynamic systems, this thesis aims at the dynamic and holistic study of human-centred sustainability in modern business. Extensive research and study of the latest literature led to the clarification of the concept of sustainability, the usefulness of knowledge and its perspectives, the understanding of its value in the business environment and the further holistic investigation of the critical factors that influence its short-term and long-term Performance. Current research focuses on one-dimensional or two-dimensional views of the three-fold pillars of sustainability and its effect on business sustainability. Therefore, the thesis contributes to investigating the simultaneous effect of the three dimensions of the sustainability pillar concerning the Performance of Business sustainability. More specifically, the research contributes to investigating a holistic perspective concerning the effect of the triple pillar's inter-dependent and co-shaping dimensions and their correlations with the intra-business factors linked to sustainability issues and their Performance. In particular, the relational model examines the correlation of corporate governance, organizational sustainability, and corporate responsibility factors and establishes the correlation measures for the strength and the direction of the relationship between variables. Questionnaire-based research analyses a sample of 167 medium and large enterprises, according to their turnover and the number of their employees. Survey data collection centers on the Executive Directors who can respond to the research requirements due to their status. vi In particular, the research explores 62 research hypotheses (RH), surging from which five research objectives (RO) according to the development of the conceptual framework and the suggestion of the relational model. The initial research for grouping and describing all variables uses the application of Exploratory Factor Analysis with the Principal Axis Factoring statistical method. The research also checks the absence of extreme multicollinearity. We use descriptive statistics and canonical correlation analysis to analyze the statistical data. The present research considers the economic and social disturbances that inevitably brought successive changes in the business organization and management field during the Covid-19 pandemic health crisis. Therefore, following the systemic approach, the appropriate conditions were created in a natural environment of change and development to extract research conclusions concerning the response and treatment of the relationship between business and sustainability. The findings of the multivariable analysis have demonstrated potential for improvement in business sustainability performance but also weaknesses in balancing the relationship-dynamic triple pillar, which appeared strongly during the global COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Characteristic of the findings is the short-term sustainability situation focused on the pillar of financial performance for the materiality of intra-business issues concerning the business's survival.