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In recent years, various studies have highlighted the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) for our society. For example, AI solutions can help reduce pollution, waste, or carbon footprints. On the other hand, there are also risks associated with the use of AI, such as increasing inequality in society or high resource consumption for computing power. This paper explores the question how corporate culture influences the use of artificial intelligence in terms of sustainable development. This type of use includes a normative element and is referred to in the paper as sustainable artificial intelligence (SAI). Based on a bibliometric literature analysis, we identify features of a sustainability-oriented corporate culture. We offer six propositions examining the influence of specific manifestations on the handling of AI in the sense of SAI. Thus, if companies want to ensure that SAI is realized, corporate culture appears as an important indicator and influencing factor at the same time.
Information systems (IS) play a central role in promoting corporate sustainability and pro-environmental behavior. This study explores the use of mobile apps for fostering sustainability-oriented corporate culture. It accentuates issues relating to sustainability-oriented corporate culture (RQ1), app meta-requirements as a strategic approach to addressing these issues (RQ2), as well as design and implementation principles (RQ3). Referring to the literature on sustainability apps, gamification, and nudging, our qualitative research design combines an analysis of four corporate apps intending to promote sustainable behavior and expert interviews (Grounded Theory). The proposed framework supports the planning, realization, and monitoring of this targeted app use. Single cultural dimensions inform seven issues in culture development. Five meta-requirements address this multi-dimensionality, challenges provided by new digital working environments, and principles of Green IT. Four design principles support, extend, and integrate current knowledge on app features, nudging, and gamification. Five variables determine the app intervention and maturity level. We conclude that this targeted app use should intend to foster the sustainability orientation within all dimensions of corporate culture instead of being limited to promoting sustainable behavior.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to distinguish different types of sustainable digital entrepreneurs (SDEs) and explore their approaches toward enhancing organizational resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
Investigation of entrepreneur characteristics using Grounded Theory methodology; 12 semi-structured telephone interviews with (owner-)managers of digital-resilient small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups in Germany; adaptation of a sustainability-digitalization-matrix for initial clustering; investigation of reoccurring patterns (within and between clusters) through variable-oriented content analysis; application of the capability-based conceptualization of organizational resilience for synthesis and extension.
Findings
First, the authors present a new typology of SDEs, including descriptions of the four main types (Process-Oriented System Thinker, Unconventional Strategist, Dynamic Visionary and Success-Oriented Opportunist). Second, the authors propose a conceptual framework with six success factors of organizational resilience. The framework accentuates the influence of SDEs on organizational culture and the macro-environment.
Practical implications
Digital sustainability and resilience are emerging management principles. The insights gained will allow (future) entrepreneurs to perform a self-assessment and replicate approaches toward enhancing SME resilience; for example, governing the co-creation of an organizational culture with a strong integrative view on sustainability and digitalization.
Originality/value
SMEs are characterized by high vulnerability and a reactive response to the disruptions caused by sustainability crises and digitalization. Blending sustainable and digital entrepreneurship at a micro-level, the authors identified the success factors underpinning organizational resilience that are associated with the characteristics of four types of SDEs.
Sustainable Digital Entrepreneurship : Examining IT4Sustainability as Business Development Path
(2022)
There is an increasing interest within the field of Information Systems as well as political agendas to identify the potential of digital technologies to promote sustainable development. Nonetheless, sustainable entrepreneurship and digital entrepreneurship are widely treated separately within the literature, suggesting that there is little understanding of how entrepreneurs could employ digital technologies to promote sustainable development. Based on an empirical, qualitative research approach, relying on Grounded Theory methodology, this paper identifies characteristics of sustainable digital entrepreneurs. An investigation of the manifestations of the sustainable digital orientation reveals a rather diffuse understanding of the relation and potential synergy effects. In response to this gap, the paper presents examples on how sustainable digital entrepreneurs employ digital and disruptive technologies to tackle sustainability challenges (IT4Sustainability development path), including information and communication technology, such as digital platforms, artificial intelligence, or drone technology. The presented approaches range from second-mover approaches associated with low digital maturity limited to the business level to the development of new business models facilitating the sustainable transition of whole sectors. These insights are summarized in an IT4Sustainability maturity model, which presents different starting points for entrepreneurs. Relevant theoretical, practical, and policy implications are discussed, especially concerning the education on IT4Sustainability, including Corporate Digital Responsibility.
Transport operations are climate sensitive. Despite this, scientific literature and corporate practice present little evidence on how corporate actors use climate adaptation measures to prepare their transport operations for climate change. This paper explores two research questions: How can the acceptance among corporate decision-makers towards climate adaptation measures for their transport operations be explained? Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Diffusion of Innovations we develop a theoretical framework for dealing with climate adaptation measures for transport operations (step 1). We support the use of this framework through a literature review (1989–2020) (step 2) and semi-structured interviews with German companies that have implemented best practice measures (step 3). The results show that the handling of climate adaptation measures for transport operations can be described in three acceptance phases: acceptance of attitude, action, and use. We conclude that these phases determine the approaches required for promoting climate change adaptation.
Der vorliegende Beitrag fokussiert die Bedeutung Nachhaltigkeitsorientierter Unternehmenskultur für den Einsatz von künstlicher Intelligenz im Marketing. Spezifischer skizzieren wir die Einflussmöglichkeiten auf den Einsatz nachhaltiger künstlicher Intelligenz zur Förderung des Sustainable Development Goals 12 (Nachhaltige/r Produktion & Konsum). In einem diskursiven Ansatz führt dieser Beitrag Erkenntnisse aus der Literatur zur nachhaltigkeitsorientierten Unternehmenskultur, nachhaltigen künstlicher Intelligenz und dem Nachhaltigkeitsmarketing zusammen und bildet diese mithilfe des St. Galler Managementmodells ab.
In the race against climate change, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a fundamental role. To clarify the contribution of corporate culture to SMEs' emission reduction, three perspectives can be useful: corporate culture as driver and barrier, current and planned corporate culture development actions, and the corporate culture profile as an outcome. As the first application of the extended Belief-Action-Outcome framework, this single case study exemplifies the role of corporate culture in an SME from the steel construction and manufacturing sector in Germany. The investigated SME has achieved emission reduction while increasing its revenue and is an early adopter of sustainable and digital development. The rich insights from an employee survey, semi-structured interviews, observation, and document analysis allowed us to outline an informed approach toward corporate culture development that emphasizes vision development of the desired corporate culture and the role of information systems for promoting emission reduction.
Organizational culture, environmental sustainability, and digitalization have an impact on the business development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME). Dimensions associated with organizational culture (e.g., attitudes, norms, assumptions) give a sense of identity and determine behavior. The latter include general approaches concerning the organizational impact on the natural environment (environmental sustainability) or the adoption of digital technologies (digitalization), which can cause profound transformations of the business model. These three concepts have been investigated separately and scarce attention has been paid to their relationship. To enable SMEs to successfully manage this complex relationship, our study cumulates existing knowledge, offering the first integrative view on organizational culture, level of environmental sustainability, and level of digitalization and their interactions. Through a systematic literature review protocol supplemented where possible by meta-analysis we selected 80 significant papers out of 811 peer-reviewed papers analyzed. We developed a network map to display the relations between the three concepts. Quantitative path analysis was used on three bidirectional main paths. For qualitative analysis we developed a novel extension to the Belief-Action-Outcome (BAO) framework, presented for the first time in the paper. Our findings reveal thirteen key dimensions and identify ten links between the key constructs. Strategic orientation, internal capabilities, management, and attitudes are the most investigated cultural dimensions. Furthermore, we integrated interchangeably used terms (e.g. Green IT and Green IS) introducing the novel concept of green digitalization tools. The meta-analysis revealed trends in applied research methods, geographical locations of research, top journals, and a growing interest in the relationship. Finally, we identify gaps in existing research and challenges for future research.