An ecosystemic framework for business sustainability

Jiazhe Sun, Shunan Wu and Kaizhong Yang

Business Horizons, 2018, vol. 61, issue 1, 59-72

Abstract: This article introduces an ecosystemic framework to foster innovation for business sustainability. We emphasize the idea of systemic thinking in which the business operates as a system similar to a living organism. In this framework, businesses impact the environment in which they operate in a fluid, dynamic, and interdependent way. This approach contrasts with the linear approach commonly used in business and other disciplines, which tries to explain what might cause an action or reaction but ignores any feedback effect between the subsequent action and its cause. This article offers practical solutions and guidance for business leaders to incorporate complexity science into creating sustainable businesses.

Keywords: Business sustainability; Systems theory; Ecosystemic theory; Complexity science; Adaptive management; Corporate sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:bushor:v:61:y:2018:i:1:p:59-72

DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2017.09.006

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