Abstract

Events such as the credit and banking crisis alongside general global corporate social responsibility and sustainability concerns have led to questions as to the legitimacy and purpose of business in society. Many are now calling for a new approach, one that eschews the profit orientated exploitative business practices of the past for a new model of ‘responsible management’. Indeed, many business organisations are already moving beyond social and environmental compliance and fundamentally rethinking the role their business should play in light of broader societal changes (Barkemeyer, Holt, Preuss, & Tsang, 2011). In addition to this business leaders themselves are increasingly aware of the need to embrace the principles of sustainable development (Elkington, 1997; Porter & Kramer, 2006). There is then a recognition that far from a niche area of business, sustainability and sustainable development are considered global megatrends in the 21st century which result in profound implications for corporations interactions with society and the natural environment (KPMG, 2012). Despite the evolution of knowledge on responsible management, there is still the important question of how sustainable development is operationalised in a business context.