Evaluation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Wellbeing, and Innovation Practices in Achieving Sustainable Value Creation

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to evaluate the impacts of corporate social responsibility (CSR), wellbeing, and innovation practices on achieving sustainable value creation.  In the face of numerous challenges, such as climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss, hunger, poverty, inequality, racism, modern slavery, shareholderism, recent pandemics, and financial instability, it has become crucial for corporations to integrate innovative CSR agendas into their traditional business models, with sustainable value creation at the forefront of the new business era. Both shareholders and non-shareholder stakeholders consider not only financial performance but also social and environmental performance when making business investment decisions. Consequently, sustainable business agendas represent a good opportunity for firms to boost trust in business and create value on a wide scale. However, a sustainable business must be financially worthy so that it can have a positive impact on corporate profitability, accelerating the long-term progress of corporations and the overall sustainable financial stability.

Sustainable firms are generally recognized as playing a crucial role in achieving sustainable long-term high values for stakeholders. Therefore, they can promote responsible investments and integrate environmental and social elements into their innovative investment strategies. Corporate boardrooms and senior leadership teams can use CSR mechanisms and innovation to support investment projects and activities that aim to achieve SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, recordable, and timed) long-term sustainable financial, social, and environmental targets. Accordingly, there is a need for further research on CSR initiatives, and innovative sustainable value creation modules that achieve these SMART targets. In this Special Issue, we seek to contribute to the existing literature on CSR initiatives for stakeholders' wellbeing and the creation of sustainable values on a large scale. Our objective is to provide deeper insights into the roles played by CSR elements (wellbeing of people, environmental protection, social contribution, and economic stability) and innovation models in enhancing corporate sustainable value creation.

This Special Issue of Sustainability will encompass a collection of empirical and theoretical research articles spanning various themes related to CSR, wellbeing, innovation, and sustainable value creation practices. We invite submissions that address topics including, but not limited to:

• CSR and sustainable business management;
• CSR agenda and stakeholders’ wellbeing;
• Corporate socially responsible investments and innovation;
• ESG/CSR practices and value creation;
• Companies' contribution to the 17 UN SDGs and the current status of corporate practices;
• The role of formal and informal institutions in shaping sustainable development;
• The role of regulations and policy enforcement in shaping the future of corporate sustainable value creation;
• ESG/CSR practices, incentives, and benefits in developed and developing economies;
• Capital market reactions to corporate sustainable value creation practices;
• Utilizing data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to assess environmental impact and identify areas for improvement;
• Embracing the principles of the circular economy as a central direction for achieving corporate green innovation, where resources are used efficiently, waste is minimized, and products and services are designed for durability and recyclability.

Papers selected for this Special Issue will undergo a rigorous peer-review process with the aim of rapid and wide dissemination of research results.

Dr. Akrum Helfaya
Dr. Tantawy Moussa
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

• CSR
• wellbeing
• innovation
• sustainability