The integration of the united nations' sustainable development goals into the core business strategy of french companies | |
| Author | Gibart, Manon |
| Call Number | AIT RSPR no.SM-20-25 |
| Subject(s) | Sustainable Development Goals Corporate social responsibility series |
| Note | A research submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. They aim to commit governments, international organizations, businesses and civil society to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The SDGs’ specificity is to engage the private sector in their global objectives towards the transformation of their business models into new ones, sustainable, respectful of the society and the environment. In France, companies have started to integrate these 17 goals, but mainly used them to define and design Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies. However, new trends and rise of awareness are emerging, leading some companies to use the SDGs as a real tool and lever of development. These companies are building truly sustainable business models, which means rethinking the production processes, the supply chain, the operations, etc. This research aims at studying these pioneer companies, and try to explain why they chose to establish sustainable strategies, to understand the role of the SDGs in this decision and in the implementation process, and the results and difficulties encountered. This study has shown that the SDGs are a very useful framework on which companies relied on to build their sustainable strategies. It has also highlighted several shortcomings in their structure and in their capacity to orient companies towards sustainable business models, such as being too ambitious, too broad. Nevertheless, the SDGs provide some encouraging future perspective and are key drivers in the research of solutions and alternatives to our traditional business models. Companies that have implemented the SDGs in their core business strategy reap many benefits, such as positive internal dynamic, new cooperation opportunities, good image on the recruitment market etc. Findings show that the market and the customers are slowly changing, and the mutation towards more responsible and sustainable business is initiated. |
| Year | 2020 |
| Type | Research Study Project Report (RSPR) |
| School | School of Management (SOM) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Master of Business Administration (MBA) (Publication code=SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Ransom, Lakeesha K. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Vimolwan Yukongdi;Zimmermann, Willi |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | EDHEC Business School, France;Asian Institute of Technology |
| Degree | Research Studies Project Report (M. BA.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2020 |