Embedding Sustainability into Strategy: Assessing the OR Society Contribution

Abstract

This paper sets out an overview of the key contributions that have addressed issues in strategy and sustainability particularly from an OR Society perspective. The paper provides clarity on emerging perspectives to define sustainability in terms of the economic and social/environmental/governance (SEG) challenge. OR society contributions to sustainability are reviewed against the OR/MS literature in general and operations and supply chain research. OR contributions are found to predominately focus on the use and application of modelling in environmental management issues and not the social dimension of sustainability. This review identifies that this is not necessary the case in OR society titles (i.e. equal mix between environmental and social) but contributions are minimal. A turning point is emerging, post-financial crisis with more prominence attended to the governance dimension. Although papers in OR society titles have a slight lag compared with OR/MS in general, and supply and operations management literature. It is argued that the OR society can play a significant role in addressing the sustainability challenge. Further work should focus on a more extensive literature review and a survey of OR society members on the utility and applicability of OR to address the sustainability challenge.

Keywords: sustainability, governance, strategy, corporate responsibility, OR, OR research and practice