Sustainable Development in the Service Industry: Managerial Learning and Management Improvement of Chinese Retailers

Abstract

Research in sustainability has focused on the productive industry and other polluting sectors, leaving aside the sustainable development of the service industry such as retail. Increasingly, retail companies are facing substantial sustainability problems such as pressure from resource limitations, fierce competition, the variability of customer needs, and the development of technology. Adopting best practices through managerial learning is the key to achieving sustainable development for retailers. However, there is a lack of discussion of the micro mechanism of sustainable development in the existing sustainable research field. From the perspective of internal sustainable development, taking Chinese retailers as the sample, this study explores the effect of the managerial learning mechanism on sustainable development on the basis of empirical research. First, this study measures the management efficiency of Chinese retailers, which is the micro basis of sustainable development. Second, the effects of two types of managerial learning mechanisms (government-driven and professional organization driven) on management efficiency are tested. The results show that management efficiency contributes to the growth of the total factor productivity in Chinese retailers, and firms should attach importance to the improvement of management efficiency. Specifically, retailers can strengthen management efficiency by establishing managerial learning platforms with professional institutions, and thus prevent the substitution role of absorptive capacity.

Realizing a Circular Concrete Industry in Denmark through an Integrated Product, Service and System Perspective

“…As such, a 'system' focus calls for new forms of organization and collaboration, as well as expansion of networks within and across different stakeholder groups. Zhang and Mei [68] studied how managerial learning could contribute to sustainable development and suggested creating collaborative learning platforms could have a positive effect on the long-term development of organizations. Further studies can examine how collaborative learning platforms can contribute to accomplishing long-term CE strategies of enterprises.…”

Sustainability and Branding in Retail: A Model of Chain of Effects

“…Sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in commercial management [1,5]. In fact, a greater number of companies are incorporating sustainability principles in their values and policies, and the retail sector is no exception [2,3].…”

“…Current consumption trends show an increasing interest in sustainable models [2][3][4], in products obtained from environmentally friendly production processes, in brands recognised for adopting fair practices in the management of their workers and in companies that support local communities or society in general. In short, in products and services offered by socially responsible companies that are committed to sustainability as a management reference [1,5].…”

“…These business models are even more important in situations where companies face problems such as pressure from limitations in resources, fierce competition, diverse customer needs and the development of technology [5]. In the case of retail companies, trade dynamics are changing: the rapid expansion of ecommerce and online retailing [6] has encouraged omnichannel models and has forced many companies to consider logistical aspects (i.e., last mile logistics) in the value proposition.…”

Design of Verbal Models for Forming an Optimal Strategy for Sustainable Development of Service Enterprises in the Conditions of a Crisis

“…In [7], research has been conducted into the sustainability of retail trade. It is highlighted that, increasingly, retailers are facing major sustainability challenges, such as pressure from resource constraints, fierce competition, changing customer needs and evolving technology.…”