Francesca Montagnini

Corporate sustainability in action

Recent developments in management have highlighted the need for research on corporate sustainability strategies at the value chain level and in particular in the context of franchising. Although franchising is a widespread phenomenon, there is little empirical evidence of how companies approach the issue. By employing a multi-method research approach, this study explores the importance that franchisors assign to sustainability and the way they deal with it. Our findings show that franchisors adopt three main different sustainability strategies, with an increasing relevance of social sustainability as an enabler of environmental sustainability. The study sheds some light also on the interplay between the franchisor–franchisee relationship features and the companys approach toward sustainability. Preliminary propositions are presented as a starting point for further research in this area.

Sustainability in the supply chain: the retailers perspective

Supply chain sustainability, although being an extremely up-to-date issue, does not seem to have been fully examined yet, particularly from the retailers’ point of view.. In this sense, retailers are acquiring a critical position in the value chain as actors in charge of integrating the sustainable activities of the different entities along the supply chain. In literature, several are the approaches to the analysis of the sustainability issue: determinants, motivations, operational methods, implications on the company’s image and on purchase behaviours. However, few are the contributions which aim at investigating this issue from the supply chain management perspective, with particular reference to retail companies. Considering such aspects, this paper aims at understanding the interpretation of sustainability according to retail operators and how it affects business actions, focusing both on the influence of sustainability on the adopted business formula and on the supply chain dimension. On a methodological level, an exploratory research was carried out on a sample of retailers, completed by three case studies concerning three leading retailing companies.

Emerging segments in ethical consumption: young adults and cosmetics

Young adult consumers represent one of the most promising market segments when considering ethical and sustainable consumerism. They embody the next generation of consumers and will potentially support the spread of ethical stances in the future. The present study explores young adults’ orientation towards sustainable and ethical consumption, focusing on a particular product category, i.e. natural, organic and ethical cosmetics. Through the analysis of 14 focus group discussions, the study is aimed at (1) better understanding the perceptions about product features, price levels, distribution, and communication activities of this product category, and (2) exploring the role of natural, organic and ethical cosmetics in the process of identity formation for young adults. Findings suggest that the consumption of ethical products has several implications for the process of identity formation, in particular the analysis highlights two alternative orientations towards ethical and sustainable cosmetics. These differences in sensitivity towards ethical and sustainable issues reflect a divergent perception of product ethicality, providing some crucial insights into cutting-edge issues that need to be addressed both by theory and practice.