SUPPORTING BUSINESS VIABILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY‑BASED ADAPTATION

Abstract

Adaptation to sustainability can serve as a driver for innovation in general and business model innovation in particular. Innovation is pivotal in guaranteeing business model viability and business survival. Indeed, being incapable of innovating business models in response to the feedback of the competitive and social arenas in which organizations operate – such as concerning the requests for more sustainable products and processes – can signal business failure in the long run. According to recent studies, sustainability has the potential to lead businesses toward accomplishing economic, social, and environmental goals, simultaneously enhancing their resource utilization and, therefore, their competitiveness by achieving sustainability-based competitive advantages. Deepening such a role of sustainability can be considered pivotal for academics and professionals due to today’s global sustainability efforts (see Agenda 2030 and the related sustainable development goals). By looking at the prevailing contributions on this topic, this chapter explores how the sustainability-driven adaptability of organizations can support innovation and competitiveness by proposing a framework for sustainability-based business model innovation and competitive advantages.