Sustainable Development Goals in Strategy and Practice: Businesses in Colombia and Egypt

Ye Liu, Mahsa Samsami, Hakim Meshreki, Fernando Pereira and Thomas Schøtt
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Ye Liu: Department of Public Administration, School of Politics and Law, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Mahsa Samsami: Faculty of Economics and Business, International PhD School, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Hakim Meshreki: Department of Management, School of Business, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt
Thomas Schøtt: Department of Management, School of Business, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-15

Abstract: Businesses may adopt strategies and practices that support sustainable development goals. Such strategies include considering social and environmental impacts as well as prioritizing socio-environmental benefits at a higher level than profits. Supportive practices comprise enhancing social benefits and limiting environmental harm. What SDG-related strategies and practices are businesses pursuing? Are businesses implementing practices and strategies? Do the practices and strategies differ across societies? A survey of representative samples of 399 businesses in Colombia and 413 businesses in Egypt was conducted in 2021, by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. The owner-managers reported that they frequently had strategies that considered social and environmental impacts of business operations, and they prioritized socio-environmental considerations over financial goals. In Columbia, there were more frequent practices that enhanced social benefits and limited environmental harm than in Egypt. In addition, strategies were implemented in practices supporting the SDGs more in Colombia than in Egypt. Our findings contribute to understanding business strategies that consider SDGs and their implementation in practices that are embedded in society.

Keywords: sustainable development goals; business; strategy; practice; Colombia; Egypt (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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