Sustainability in value creation systems: a systematic literature review and development of an integrative framework

Abstract

Sustainability is an impactful driver of recent business operations and is gaining increasing visibility in practice and academic discussions. The increasing interest in sustainability among organizations is driven by the growing expectations of stakeholders for environmentally and socially responsible business practices. Regulatory changes often necessitate adjustments to existing business models and value chains, leading to new compliance requirements and reporting obligations. Additionally, integrating sustainability has the potential to open new opportunities for innovation and the development of new products and customer segments, providing new economic opportunities to create value. However, the research on the influence of sustainability on value creation systems is fragmented and lacks an integrative approach to the impact on value systems. To address this gap, this study conducts a systematic literature review. The goal is to synthesize the current state and identify established and emerging research areas. The analysis incorporates a total of 44 peer-reviewed articles published between 2009 and 2024 in the Scopus database through a keyword search. The thematic synthesis shows that companies that strategically embed sustainability into their value creation systems can realize long-term benefits for the environment, society, and the economy. This systematic literature review contributes two main pieces of knowledge to the academic discourse on sustainability in value creation systems. Firstly, it highlights existing knowledge and key discussion lines that shape the discourse. Secondly, it develops an integrative framework that presents complex relationships between the triple bottom line (TBL), dynamic capabilities, and sustainability implementation in value creation systems.

Keywords: Innovation, Future Research Agenda, Sustainability, Systematic Literature Review, Value Creation Systems

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007600