Intraorganizational design of voluntary sustainability initiatives

This research seeks to improve the understanding about an efficient design phase of a voluntary sustainability initiative. In that context voluntary sustainability initiatives refer to strategic programs which require participating companies in the supply network to improve the social and ecological performance of their operations beyond legal requirements. This research focuses on company-driven initiatives that have gained the support of advocacy nongovernmental organizations, supply chain partners and further stakeholders. Within that group of initiatives we focus on those schemes that provide an external monitoring of the operations of the participating companies.
An increasing number of companies establish voluntary sustainability initiatives in collaboration with multiple stakeholders and supply chain partners. These organizations source an increasing share of their products from suppliers in developing or emerging countries like China where ecological and social requirements may be more relaxed than in Europe or North America. Some organizations have established discussions on voluntary sustainability initiatives in order to ensure that their supply chains comply with a certain minimum of ecological and / or social standards worldwide. Suppliers, competitors, advocacy nongovernmental associations, and governmental agencies now increasingly consider participating in these initiatives.

Managers are frequently puzzled whether and how they should establish a voluntary sustainability initiative. In that context this research aims to support their decision-making.