Sustainability and the business disciplines: an integrative analysis of the intersections and connections to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

G. Tomas M. Hult, Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez and Jeannette A. Mena

Chapter 3 in The Elgar Companion to International Business and the Sustainable Development Goals, 2026, pp 40-72 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter develops a comprehensive framework examining the intersections between sustainability and 13 core business functions within multinational corporations (MNCs). The framework provides practical and theoretical insights by analyzing how sustainability integrates with areas such as International Business (IB), Marketing Strategy, Operations Management (OM), and Human Resources (HR). For managers, the framework offers operational guidance for developing holistic business strategies that leverage sustainability to enhance long-term performance and international market position. For researchers, the chapter presents 39 research questions (three per business discipline) linking sustainability practices to specific SDG targets, providing clear pathways for future quantitative and qualitative research. The framework identifies connections between sustainability initiatives, business disciplines, and specific targets within 11 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17). This alignment helps companies navigate and contribute to global sustainable development while emphasizing the synergistic benefits of integrating sustainability across multiple business functions. The chapter demonstrates how sustainability integration across business disciplines shapes both corporate identity and societal impact, providing a state-of-the-art approach to sustainability implementation in international business.

Keywords: Business disciplines; SDG integration; Sustainability management; Corporate strategy; Multinational corporations; Business functions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035348473
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.elgaronline.com/doi/10.4337/9781035348480.00010 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:24028_3

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.e-elgar.com

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Darrel McCalla ().