Sustainability Management: A Systems Approach

Consumer demand for sustainable business practices has never been greater. Sustainability Management uses a systems thinking approach to illustrate the interdependencies among ecosystems, societies, organizations, and individuals. Authors Ana Cristina Siqueira, Cristina Neesham, Nancy E. Landrum, and Patricia Kanashiro explain why sustainability presents risks and opportunities for businesses, how sustainability can be a source of competitive advantage, and the business impact on the environment and society. This timely new text examines some of today’s most pressing issues including social justice, racial equity, human rights, and climate crisis. Case Studies tied to UN Sustainable Development Goals spotlight innovative sustainable strategies from companies around the world.

Ana Cristina O. Siqueira (PhD, University of Cambridge) is Professor of Management, and Director of the Center for Socially Responsible Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Cotsakos College of Business, William Paterson University. Her articles have appeared in premier publications such as Journal of Business Ethics, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, and Journal of Business Venturing. She received Social Entrepreneurship Special Interest Group Awards for Excellence in Practice and Service in 2022 and for Excellence in Scholarship in 2024 from the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. She also received a 2024 Publication of the Year Award by B Academics, a global community working to advance research on socially and environmentally responsible businesses. She is an Editorial Board Member at Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice and Associated Editor at the Journal of Business Venturing Insights.

Patricia Kanashiro (PhD, George Washington University) is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Southern California and leads sustainability management practice at one of the largest consulting firms in the world. Previously, she was a tenured Associate Professor at Loyola University Maryland and served in sustainability roles at ABN AMRO Bank, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), and the United Nations - International Labor Organization (ILO). Dr. Kanashiro has co-authored sustainability books, including Business Ethics - Best Practices for Designing and Managing Ethical Organizations (3rd edition, SAGE Publications), Personal Sustainability Practices and Handbook of Multi-Level Climate Actions. Her research was published in the Academy of Management Learning Education and Financial Times Top 50 Journals including Journal of Business Ethics. Dr. Kanashiro has been interviewed or quoted by the Financial Times, Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, and Fox News. She received an Outstanding Service Award from the Organization and the National Environment (ONE) division of the Academy of Management. She was awarded a two-year Fulbright scholarship to pursue graduate studies in the U.S. and remains committed to promoting her Latinx heritage through board volunteering. She is a sansei (third generation from Japan), grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and now lives in Bethesda, MD with her husband Elliot, boys Daniel and Rafa, and dog Caju. 

Nancy E. Landrum (PhD, New Mexico State University) is Professor of Sustainable Business Transformation at Munich Business School in Germany and a Visiting Professor of Sustainability Management at Les Roches Global Hospitality Education in Switzerland. Her work is in sustainability management, biomimicry, strong sustainability, ecological economics, and the circular economy. Dr. Landrum is co-author of Sustainable Business: An Executive’s Primer, co-founder of the Sustainable Business Network of Central Arkansas, Principal at Sustainable Business Design Consulting, and founder of the Sustainability Training Institute. Her research has appeared in Business Strategy and the Environment, Organization & Environment, International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, and other top peer-reviewed journals. She received awards for sustainability research, teaching, and service, including Eco-Hero in the state of Arkansas. She was a Fulbright Specialist in Malaysia, a Fulbright Scholar in Portugal, and has been a visiting scholar in Finland, China, England, Netherlands, and Germany. Her consulting work has included a broad range of businesses from a Fortune 100 company to a nonprofit organization in Uganda Africa. She has been quoted in the Washington Post, New York Times, Bloomberg’s Businessweek, Financial Times, and The Hill. 

Cristina Neesham (PhD, University of Melbourne) is Professor of Business Ethics and Sustainability, and Associate Dean Ethics-Responsibility- Sustainability (ERS), at the Newcastle University Business School, Newcastle University, United Kingdom. Cristina’s research has been published in Business Ethics Quarterly, Accounting Auditing & Accountability Journal, Business & Society, Journal of Business Ethics, Organization Theory, International Journal of Human Resource Management, and International Journal of Project Management, among others. Her work focuses on theories of value in sustainable business models, and on applying digital technology ethics and responsible innovation to address global sustainability problems. Her teaching and curriculum development promotes education for sustainability principles. Cristina is co-Editor-in-Chief of the Springer Handbook of Philosophy of Management and the Philosophy of Management journal, and Associate Editor of Business Ethics, Environment & Responsibility.