B Impact Assessment as a Sustainable Tool: Analysis of the Certification Model

Vítor Silva, Vanda Lima, José Carlos Sá, Luís Fonseca and Gilberto Santos
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Vítor Silva: School of Engineering, ISEP, Polytechnic of Porto, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal
Vanda Lima: CIICESI, Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão, Politécnico do Porto, 4610-156 Felgueiras, Portugal
José Carlos Sá: School of Engineering, ISEP, Polytechnic of Porto, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal
Luís Fonseca: School of Engineering, ISEP, Polytechnic of Porto, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal
Gilberto Santos: Design School, Polytechnic Institute Cavado Ave, 4750-810 Barcelos, Portugal

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-19

Abstract: Currently, certification is an essential tool for a company’s sustainability and a seal of trust for the stakeholders. The B Corporation (B Corp) certification system is in line with the leading indicators of sustainable development and social responsibility published by the general assembly of the United Nations, namely: environment, community, workers, customers, and governance. Nevertheless, it is essential that academic research should empirically assess the B Corp model’s reliability for its validation and legitimization. In this study, we address the results of the B Impact Assessment of 2262 companies certified by B Corp from the beginning of 2017 to March 2021. The main objective is to analyze the B Impact Assessment, verifying the robustness and consistency of the model to measure and improve the economic, social, and environmental impact of companies. We analyzed the construct’s validity through a confirmatory factorial analysis using AMOS statistical software. The results allowed us to identify some weaknesses and limitations of the B Impact Assessment. This certification system reflects an unadjusted model where the main assessment indicators have problems with regard to the measurement scale. The governance and customer indicators are the most vulnerable. The findings also allow us to state that there are apparently no minimum values established for each of the parameters evaluated, which may cause imbalances in the sustainable development process of B Corp companies. This research contributes to enhancing B Impact Assessment as a sustainability tool, highlighting areas for improvement concerning the indicators’ measurement scales and the assessment process, including the monitoring of evaluators.

Keywords: B Impact Assessment; certified B Corp; sustainability; confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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