IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2018i1p36-d192273.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring Organizational Sustainability of Industry 4.0 under the Triple Bottom Line: The Case of a Manufacturing Company

Author

Listed:
  • Alessio Maria Braccini

    (Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, via del Paradiso 47, 01100 Viterbo (VT), Italy)

  • Emanuele Gabriel Margherita

    (Department of Economics, Engineering, Society and Business, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, via del Paradiso 47, 01100 Viterbo (VT), Italy)

Abstract

There is an increasing interest in sustainability practices for organizations. Organizations act sustainably when they support the three dimensions \of the triple bottom line. Industry 4.0 (I40) promises to afford organizations to act sustainably. However, few empirical pieces of research targeted the impact of I40 on the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Our investigation considered the adoption of I40 in a manufacturing company which we analyzed as a single case study. We describe the level of I40 adoption and the process through which the unit has adopted them. Our case confirms that I40 applications support the triple bottom line through the improvement of productivity and product quality (economic), continuous energy consumption monitoring (environmental), and safer work environment and less intense work-load and job enrichment (social). We contribute to the literature by identifying two trajectories of interaction among the three dimensions of the triple bottom line in the shift from a traditional manufacturing company to a knowledge-intense organization. In the trajectories found, the three dimensions of sustainability influence and reinforce each other.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessio Maria Braccini & Emanuele Gabriel Margherita, 2018. "Exploring Organizational Sustainability of Industry 4.0 under the Triple Bottom Line: The Case of a Manufacturing Company," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2018:i:1:p:36-:d:192273
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/1/36/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/1/36/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marcos Roberto Kuhl & João Carlos Da Cunha & Marlete Beatriz Maçaneiro & Sieglinde Kindl Cunha, 2016. "Relationship Between Innovation And Sustainable Performance," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(06), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Steve Evans & Doroteya Vladimirova & Maria Holgado & Kirsten Van Fossen & Miying Yang & Elisabete A. Silva & Claire Y. Barlow, 2017. "Business Model Innovation for Sustainability: Towards a Unified Perspective for Creation of Sustainable Business Models," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 597-608, July.
    3. Daniel Kiel & Julian M. Müller & Christian Arnold & Kai-Ingo Voigt, 2017. "Sustainable Industrial Value Creation: Benefits And Challenges Of Industry 4.0," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(08), pages 1-34, December.
    4. Lehtonen, Markku, 2004. "The environmental-social interface of sustainable development: capabilities, social capital, institutions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 199-214, June.
    5. Pratima Bansal, 2005. "Evolving sustainably: a longitudinal study of corporate sustainable development," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 197-218, March.
    6. Norman, Wayne & MacDonald, Chris, 2004. "Getting to the Bottom of “Triple Bottom Lineâ€," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(2), pages 243-262, April.
    7. Ante Glavas & Jenny Mish, 2015. "Resources and Capabilities of Triple Bottom Line Firms: Going Over Old or Breaking New Ground?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 623-642, March.
    8. Alessandro Ruggieri & Alessio Maria Braccini & Stefano Poponi & Enrico Maria Mosconi, 2016. "A Meta-Model of Inter-Organisational Cooperation for the Transition to a Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-17, November.
    9. Beate Littig & Erich Griessler, 2005. "Social sustainability: a catchword between political pragmatism and social theory," International Journal of Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 8(1/2), pages 65-79.
    10. Thomas Dyllick & Kai Hockerts, 2002. "Beyond the business case for corporate sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(2), pages 130-141, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kayikci, Yasanur & Kazancoglu, Yigit & Gozacan-Chase, Nazlican & Lafci, Cisem & Batista, Luciano, 2022. "Assessing smart circular supply chain readiness and maturity level of small and medium-sized enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 375-392.
    2. Jhuma Sadhukhan, 2022. "Net-Zero Action Recommendations for Scope 3 Emission Mitigation Using Life Cycle Assessment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-20, July.
    3. Guillermo Fuertes & Jorge Zamorano & Miguel Alfaro & Manuel Vargas & Jorge Sabattin & Claudia Duran & Rodrigo Ternero & Ricardo Rivera, 2022. "Opportunities of the Technological Trends Linked to Industry 4.0 for Achieve Sustainable Manufacturing Objectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-36, September.
    4. Stephany Isabel Vallarta-Serrano & Edgar Santoyo-Castelazo & Edgar Santoyo & Esther O. García-Mandujano & Holkan Vázquez-Sánchez, 2023. "Integrated Sustainability Assessment Framework of Industry 4.0 from an Energy Systems Thinking Perspective: Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-30, July.
    5. Abdullah Kaid Al‐Swidi & Joseph F. Hair & Mohammed A. Al‐Hakimi, 2023. "Sustainable development‐oriented regulatory and competitive pressures to shift toward a circular economy: The role of environmental orientation and Industry 4.0 technologies," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(7), pages 4782-4797, November.
    6. Marco Vacchi & Cristina Siligardi & Erika Iveth Cedillo-González & Anna Maria Ferrari & Davide Settembre-Blundo, 2021. "Industry 4.0 and Smart Data as Enablers of the Circular Economy in Manufacturing: Product Re-Engineering with Circular Eco-Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-20, September.
    7. Piccarozzi, Michela & Silvestri, Cecilia & Aquilani, Barbara & Silvestri, Luca, 2022. "Is this a new story of the ‘Two Giants’? A systematic literature review of the relationship between industry 4.0, sustainability and its pillars," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    8. Leandra Bezerra dos Santos & Fagner José Coutinho de Melo & Djalma Silva Guimaraes Junior & Eryka Fernanda Miranda Sobral & Denise Dumke de Medeiros, 2023. "Application of ISM to Identify the Contextual Relationships between the Sustainable Solutions Based on the Principles and Pillars of Industry 4.0: A Sustainability 4.0 Model for Law Offices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-20, October.
    9. Domenica Lavorato & Palmira Piedepalumbo, 2023. "How Smart Technologies Affect the Decision-Making and Control System of Food and Beverage Companies—A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-21, February.
    10. Livio Cricelli & Serena Strazzullo, 2021. "The Economic Aspect of Digital Sustainability: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-15, July.
    11. Mohamed Abubakr & Adel T. Abbas & Italo Tomaz & Mahmoud S. Soliman & Monis Luqman & Hussien Hegab, 2020. "Sustainable and Smart Manufacturing: An Integrated Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-19, March.
    12. Calabrese, Armando & Costa, Roberta & Tiburzi, Luigi & Brem, Alexander, 2023. "Merging two revolutions: A human-artificial intelligence method to study how sustainability and Industry 4.0 are intertwined," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    13. Krzysztof Ejsmont & Bartlomiej Gladysz & Aldona Kluczek, 2020. "Impact of Industry 4.0 on Sustainability—Bibliometric Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-29, July.
    14. Hsing-Chun Hung & Yuh-Wen Chen, 2023. "Striving to Achieve United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of Taiwanese SMEs by Adopting Industry 4.0," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, January.
    15. José Salvador da Motta Reis & Maximilian Espuny & Thaís Vieira Nunhes & Nilo Antonio de Souza Sampaio & Raine Isaksson & Fernando Celso de Campos & Otávio José de Oliveira, 2021. "Striding towards Sustainability: A Framework to Overcome Challenges and Explore Opportunities through Industry 4.0," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-28, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Daniel Kiel & Julian M. Müller & Christian Arnold & Kai-Ingo Voigt, 2017. "Sustainable Industrial Value Creation: Benefits And Challenges Of Industry 4.0," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(08), pages 1-34, December.
    2. Jeremy Galbreath, 2018. "Do Boards of Directors Influence Corporate Sustainable Development? An Attention‐Based Analysis," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 742-756, September.
    3. Hendrik S. Birkel & Johannes W. Veile & Julian M. Müller & Evi Hartmann & Kai-Ingo Voigt, 2019. "Development of a Risk Framework for Industry 4.0 in the Context of Sustainability for Established Manufacturers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-27, January.
    4. Sooksan Kantabutra & Nuttasorn Ketprapakorn, 2021. "Toward an Organizational Theory of Resilience: An Interim Struggle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-28, November.
    5. Julian Marius Müller & Daniel Kiel & Kai-Ingo Voigt, 2018. "What Drives the Implementation of Industry 4.0? The Role of Opportunities and Challenges in the Context of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-24, January.
    6. Sarah Birrell Ivory & Simon Bentley Brooks, 2018. "Managing Corporate Sustainability with a Paradoxical Lens: Lessons from Strategic Agility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 347-361, March.
    7. Barbara Brenner, 2018. "Transformative Sustainable Business Models in the Light of the Digital Imperative—A Global Business Economics Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-25, November.
    8. Sascha Kraus & Janina Burtscher & Christine Vallaster & Martin Angerer, 2018. "Sustainable Entrepreneurship Orientation: A Reflection on Status-Quo Research on Factors Facilitating Responsible Managerial Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-21, February.
    9. Max M. Weber, 2023. "The Relationship between Resilience and Sustainability in the Organizational Context—A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-26, November.
    10. Rambaud, Alexandre & Richard, Jacques, 2015. "The “Triple Depreciation Line” instead of the “Triple Bottom Line”: Towards a genuine integrated reporting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 92-116.
    11. Simone Carmine & Valentina De Marchi, 2023. "Reviewing Paradox Theory in Corporate Sustainability Toward a Systems Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 184(1), pages 139-158, April.
    12. Fabien Martinez, 2014. "Corporate strategy and the environment: towards a four-dimensional compatibility model for fostering green management decisions," Post-Print hal-02887618, HAL.
    13. Jubril Olakitan Atanda & Ayşe Öztürk, 2020. "Social criteria of sustainable development in relation to green building assessment tools," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 61-87, January.
    14. Nurisyal Muhamad & Sofiah Md Auzair & Amizawati Mohd Amir & Md Daud Ismail, 2016. "Measuring Sustainability Performance Measurement System," EuroEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 3(12), pages 182-199, JUNE.
    15. Aleksandra Pieloch-Babiarz & Anna Misztal & Magdalena Kowalska, 2021. "An impact of macroeconomic stabilization on the sustainable development of manufacturing enterprises: the case of Central and Eastern European Countries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 8669-8698, June.
    16. Robin Hogrefe & Sabine Bohnet-Joschko, 2023. "The Social Dimension of Corporate Sustainability: Review of an Evolving Research Field," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-22, February.
    17. Antje Bierwisch & Lucas Huter & Juliana Pattermann & Oliver Som, 2021. "Taking Eco-Innovation to the Road—A Design-Based Workshop Concept for the Development of Eco-Innovative Business Models," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-25, August.
    18. Ozgur Isil & Michael T. Hernke, 2017. "The Triple Bottom Line: A Critical Review from a Transdisciplinary Perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(8), pages 1235-1251, December.
    19. Evita Milana & Frank Ulrich, 2022. "Do open innovation practices in firms promote sustainability?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 1718-1732, December.
    20. Anselm Schneider, 2015. "Reflexivity in Sustainability Accounting and Management: Transcending the Economic Focus of Corporate Sustainability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 525-536, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2018:i:1:p:36-:d:192273. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.