Sustainable Strategy Management and Business Development

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the need for sustainability has accelerated for a number of reasons, such as the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Corporations not only have to demonstrate that their financial performance is satisfactory to their shareholders but they also have to demonstrate that they are moving in the direction of a future that is sustainable. They must now convey their environmental, social, and governance performance.

The primary function of strategic management is to establish objectives and implement guidelines that enhance the competitiveness of an organization and generate value for every stakeholder involved. In order to maintain appeal to consumers, employees, and investors, it is imperative that sustainability is prioritized.

Sustainability is not simply an option for organizations’ strategic management; it is a 'must-have' for organizations to compete in today's marketplace. Developing a strategy for sustainability entails an organization's willingness to implement the necessary adjustments in order to demonstrate compliance and positive action. It generates buy-in from every stakeholder and achieves the predetermined or regulatory objectives.

A truly strategic approach to sustainability requires organizations to place these potential risks and objectives at the center of their decision-making and overall strategic plan. This is in contradiction to typical corporate social responsibility (CSR) proposals, in which decisions about sustainability are frequently made separately from those regarding primary corporate strategy. Combining sustainable development and strategic management is a novel approach for many businesses, and some managers may require convincing of the fact that sustainability merits such weight in decision-making.

Vision and leadership are required to elevate sustainability from a tactical concern to a strategic one. It necessitates forward thinking and strategy, as opposed to a reactive tactic. The enduring character of sustainability's benefits necessitates perseverance. An organization will not be able to see short-term profit from the incorporation of sustainable methods of operation. Even if the long- and medium-term effects are favorable, this may generate opposition from some stakeholders. To align sustainability with strategic management, organizations must have an unwavering belief in the long-term significance of sustainability.

Researchers and academics are invited to share their thoughts and experiences in this Special Issue on the phenomenon of sustainable strategy management and business development. The scope of this Special Issue includes management, marketing, and financial policies, with analytical approaches towards the business, tourism, healthcare, sport, and agriculture sectors. Our aim is for scientific findings to guide us in the direction of identifying solutions to sustainable strategic management, marketing, and economic/financial issues.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Sustainable management, marketing and consumer behavior in business, tourism, healthcare, and the sport and agriculture sector; sustainable economics, corporate finance, capital structure in business, tourism, healthcare, and the sport and agriculture sector; theoretical/critical review on the study of strategic sustainability in business, tourism, healthcare, and the sport and agriculture sector; branding and corporate communication fostering sustainability; climate change, government regulations, and macro marketing strategies fostering sustainable development; economics of sustainable products and services; climate change, financial markets, and sustainable financing; and financial and investment strategies to address sustainable climatic and other contemporary challenges.

We welcome submissions on any topic related to the aforementioned thematic sections. No strict topic restrictions exist, and no scientific finding is too small or too large to contribute to the evolving concepts and inferences on sustainable strategy management and business development. Your findings are always fundamental.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Konstantinos Koronios
Dr. Andreas Papadopoulos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.