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Responsible digitalization through digital technologies and green practices

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  • Pier Giacomo Cardinali
  • Pietro De Giovanni

Abstract

Although digital technologies grant documented operational and economic benefits, they can activate unwanted consequences for the environment and society. This research investigates these issues by exploring how firms can create a portfolio of technologies to perform corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals and then achieving responsible digitalization. The latter is defined as the firms' capacity of adopting digital technologies without underperforming in terms of CSR. Accordingly, we investigate the relationships between digital technologies and CSR to discover the firms' capacity to achieve responsible digitalization targets. Furthermore, we explore how the use of some green practices allows firms to increase the chances of achieving responsible digitalization goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Pier Giacomo Cardinali & Pietro De Giovanni, 2022. "Responsible digitalization through digital technologies and green practices," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(4), pages 984-995, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:corsem:v:29:y:2022:i:4:p:984-995
    DOI: 10.1002/csr.2249
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    9. Miguel Perez-Valls & T. Bartosz Kalinowski & Pawel Glodek & Belen Payan-Sanchez & Adrian Solomon, 2024. "Digital Capabilities as Mediators: Fostering Managerial and Sustainable Capabilities among Digital Users and Providers," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 26(Special 1), pages 1270-1270, November.
    10. Mine Aksoy & Mustafa K. Yılmaz & Esra Cengiz Tırpan & Mehtap Özşahin & Erman Coşkun & Özgür Uysal, 2025. "Exploring the Non-Linear Impacts of Digital Maturity on Corporate Sustainability: New Evidence from Türkiye," Journal of Research in Economics, Politics & Finance, Ersan ERSOY, vol. 10(SI), pages 107-131.
    11. Xiaofei Wang & Shaowen Zhan & Longlong Liu & Peng Zhang, 2025. "Research on the Green and Low-Carbon Development Path of Digital Intelligence Empowering Enterprises in Manufacturing Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-23, March.
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    13. Cui, Mengxi & Zhang, Xiangjian & Cai, Cen, 2025. "Corporate social responsibility, digital economy, and corporate energy utilization efficiency-based on moderating effect and heterogeneity analysis," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    14. Nie, Jun & Jian, Xin & Xu, Juanjuan & Xu, Nuo & Jiang, Tangyang & Yu, Yang, 2024. "The effect of corporate social responsibility practices on digital transformation in China: A resource-based view," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 1-15.
    15. Chaohong Na & Xue Chen & Xiaojun Li & Yuting Li & Xiaolan Wang, 2022. "Digital Transformation of Value Chains and CSR Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-24, August.
    16. Zi Hui Yin & Wei Ping Zeng, 2024. "Path to sustainable development: Can industrial intelligence and technological innovation balance economic growth and environmental quality in China?," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(5), pages 4486-4504, October.
    17. Huang Mei-jiao, 2025. "How Green Mindful Leadership Drives Employee Green Creativity: The Role of Employee Resilience, Green Identity, and Workplace Digitalization," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(3), pages 21582440251, August.
    18. Broccardo, Laura & Zicari, Adrián & Jabeen, Fauzia & Bhatti, Zeeshan A., 2023. "How digitalization supports a sustainable business model: A literature review," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    19. Päivi Luoma & Romana Rauter & Esko Penttinen & Anne Toppinen, 2023. "The value of data for environmental sustainability as perceived by the customers of a tissue‐paper supplier," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(6), pages 3110-3123, November.
    20. Khani, Ali & Shahriari, Mohsen & Rexhepi, Gadaf, 2025. "Investigating the responsibilities of digital organizations in facing sustainability challenges: Developing an empirical framework and measurement model for corporate digital responsibility," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    21. Ding, Xiangan & Appolloni, Andrea & Shahzad, Mohsin & Liu, Yue & Han, Shaojie, 2025. "Digital transformation and total factor productivity in manufacturing firms: Evidence of corporate public responsibilities in China," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    22. Biswas, Debajyoti & Jalali, Hamed & Ansaripoor, Amir H. & De Giovanni, Pietro, 2023. "Traceability vs. sustainability in supply chains: The implications of blockchain," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(1), pages 128-147.
    23. Chen, Yiran & Cao, Shaopeng, 2025. "How customer digital orientation drives supplier green and low-carbon efforts: The roles of supplier dependence and common ownership," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    24. Fizza Ishaq & Xiangsheng Dou & Muhammad Qasim & Ansar Abbass, 2025. "Navigating Green Innovation and Key Determinants of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Pakistan," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(3), pages 11979-12010, September.
    25. Ali Nawaz Khan & Khalid Mehmood & Ahsan Ali, 2024. "Maximizing CSR impact: Leveraging artificial intelligence and process optimization for sustainability performance management," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(5), pages 4849-4861, September.

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