Samuel Petros Sebhatu

Values‐based service quality for sustainable business

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to present a model for values-based sustainable servicebusiness grounded in the concept of values-based service quality. Design/methodology/approach – Base ...

ISO 14001 as a driving force for sustainable development and value creation

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine whether the process of organisational change inimplementing the environmental quality standard ISO 14001 can act as a driving force for sustainabledeve ...

Corporate Social Responsibility for Charity or for Service Business

Following this introduction, this paper presents two conceptual and theoretical analyses – (i) CSR and its relation to profit and charity (ii) CSR as part of a service business model. The paper then illustrates these concepts using a comparative study of four service firms, with particular emphasis on their different CSR activities and how these affect the mission of each company. All four of the service companies are global actors with strong Service Brands (Edvardsson, Enquist and Hay, 2006) and a leading position in using CSR as a driving force for doing business: IKEA, Starbucks, H&M and the Body Shop. The paper then draws together the conceptual analysis and the case studies in a discussion of how CSR can be a proactive driver in the service business. Because of the limit space for a QMOD paper the focus is on the conceptual and theoretical analysis part and the empirical part and discussion/conclusion has to be further developed.

Transcendence for business logics in value networks for sustainable service business

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of transcendence as business logic and to advance value co-creation and value network thinking. The authors are looking for business logic to have wider understanding of sustainable business. Understanding how value is “networked” and “co-created” by what the authors will call “transcendent business logic” in specific contextual settings is deemed essential in securing sustainable business, which social and environmental perspectives and governance issues are embedded. The authors lay the foundation for enriching the transcendence for business logics for a sustainable business based on sustainability, stakeholder-unifying perspective and value creation network theories. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a qualitative approach, using multiple case studies to undertake an analysis of the role of transcendence for business logics. Four case studies of private companies and parallel case studies of retail, health care and pu...