Corporate sustainability management: A proposed multi-criteria model to support balanced decision-making
Abstract
Companies have been challenged to attend to multiple objectives and to achieve appropriate decisions facing dichotomies mentioned in literature, such as shareholder versus stakeholder; financial versus non-financial; single versus multiple measures. Since the translation of the sustainable development concept to business by the triple bottom line (TBL), there have been attempts to implement operational approaches. This study proposes a model that helps corporate decision-making considering the TBL framework and a stakeholder view. Multi-criteria decision aid methods are used to generate a sustainability balanced single measure and performance indices. We apply the model to a Brazilian electricity corporation, where the indices are calculated from existing GRI indicators, and the use of the model within the company's strategic plan annual review is demonstrated. The findings suggest that the model has the potential to support informed decisions and the integration of corporate sustainability performance measurement and reporting activities with traditional management control systems.
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So far, proposals have not provided a single balanced measure that captures the complexity of the TBL and integrates it into management control systems (MCSs).
“So far, though, proposals have not provided a single balanced measure that captures the complexity of the TBL and integrates it into management control systems (MCSs) [2].”
From Sustainability Reporting and Performance Measurement Systems: How do Small- and Medium-Sized Benefit Corporations Manage Integration? (2018) · cites this paper as [2]
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- Authors
- Garcia, S., Cintra, Y., Torres, R. D. C. S. R., & Lima, F. G.
- Affiliations
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Corresponding author
- Cintra, Yara
- Venue
- Journal of Cleaner Production
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-11
- Volume
- 136
- Pages
- 181-196
- ISSN
- 0959-6526 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2285740214
- Cited by
- 162
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 5
- FWCI
- 44.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Cleaner Production (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- State of São Paulo (FAPESP)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Multi-Criteria Decision Making
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management Information Systems › Accounting and Organizational Management
- Keywords
- sustainability management, triple bottom line, multicriteria decision aid, stakeholder perspectives, sustainability performance measurement, GRI indicators, management control systems, strategic planning
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