Sustainability as source of competitive advantages in mature sectors

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how sustainability can become a source of competitive advantage for mature manufacturing sectors where technologies are standardized, and innovation is mainly generated across the value chain and not by individual companies. Design/methodology/approach From the methodological point of view, this research estimates the sustainability status of ceramic production in the Sassuolo district (Italy), using the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) model, and changing the observation point for the analysis, from the enterprise (micro level) to the entire sector (meso level). Findings This paper provides an analysis of the environmental, economic and social impacts of the four main types of ceramic tiles manufactured in Italy, both in aggregate terms for the entire sector and per square meter of product. Practical implications The methodological approach used in this research is easy to replicate both for companies when designing their sustainability strategies and for public decision makers when assessing the sustainability performance of a sector or supply chain. Social implications For the first time, a socio-economic impact assessment is proposed for the ceramic sector, conducted in parallel with the environmental impact assessment through stakeholder mapping and prioritization. Originality/value This paper conceptualizes the theme of relations and interdependencies between ceramic producers organized in industrial districts and the territories in which they operate in order to determine empirically the sustainability performance of Italian ceramic sector, using the LCSA model with a territorial extension that presupposes an innovative contribution to current literature and practice.

Circular economy business models: The state of research and avenues ahead

“…Perey, Benn, Agarwal, and Edwards (2018) explored the question of how organizations change their business models to respond to sustainability issues and resolve the tension of waste as a burden and/or resource, focusing on the reconceptualization of its role as a source of value. Sustainability as a source of competitive advantage; the case of mature manufacturing sectors where technologies are standardized, and innovation is mainly generated across the value chain rather than by individual companies (Blundo et al, 2019). Opportunities and challenges of managing a CE business model; managerial competencies and capabilities such as balancing the linear and circular systems required to initiate and scale up a successful CE business model (Hopkinson et al, 2018).…”

Sustainability Transition in Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing with the Triple-Layered Business Model Canvas

“…In order to include the social dimension in the new business model, the semi-structured interview technique [61] was applied to identify the company's main stakeholders. To this end, twenty-one apical positions were selected from the board of directors and top and middle management to conduct an interview following the interpretive method described by Settembre Blundo et al [62].…”

Application of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment in the Construction Sector: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Two studies explicitly mentioned project costs as indicator. The remaining studies mentioned other indicators (Figure 17, Table 1 3 ) that were used for Life Cycle Cost analysis in the LCSA: foreign purchasing (imports), business profit and gross domestic product (GDP) [4]; purchase costs associated with materials and fuel use and vehicle/equipment rental over the life cycle [94]; production costs, utilization costs and externalities [104]; total discounted cost of constructing, operating and maintaining the equipment and the total discounted benefit of selling recycled products [105]; the costs of energy consumed in concrete preparation, fuel consumed in transportation and raw material costs [106] and a combined approach with the social dimension [85].…”