Romana Rauter, University of Graz

Abel Diaz Gonzalez, Maastricht University

Florian Lüdeke-Freund, ESCP Business School

Maya Hoveskog, Halmstad University

Nikolay A. Dentchev, University of National and World Economy

John Elkington, Volans

Contemporary business–society relationships face unprecedented strain due to corporate political influence, externalization of ecological and social costs, rapid technological change, and interconnected ecological and geopolitical crises. Current management approaches prove inadequate for advancing sustainable and equitable outcomes, requiring new analytical frameworks that examine how value is created, captured, and distributed among diverse stakeholders, and how power, risk, and responsibility are allocated across organizational and institutional boundaries.

The business models for sustainability perspective offers a promising lens for understanding these systemic dynamics by directing attention to the organizational arrangements and mechanisms through which sustainable value is created and distributed, power is exercised, and responsibilities are allocated. This special issue seeks theoretical and empirical contributions that explore how BMfS negotiate and reshape business–society relationships, including their potential to create more equitable outcomes and their capacity to reproduce inequalities or shift risks to vulnerable populations.

Appel publié par Business & Society. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• What insights do business models for sustainability (BMfS) offer into the dynamics of business–society relationships in the contemporary context?
• In what ways do existing BMfS facilitate the (re)negotiation of value creation and capture mechanisms and processes, as well as the distribution of power, risk, and responsibility?
• Under what conditions do BMfS reproduce inequality, shift risks to vulnerable actors, create new dependencies, or reinforce private control over societal problems?
• Which critical perspectives can help in studying the 'dark sides' of BMfS and corresponding business–society relationships?
• How do BMfS operate differently across sectors, regions, and institutional environments, particularly in non-Western contexts?
• Which theories, including inter- and multidisciplinary approaches, are and can be used to study BMfS as facilitators of business–society relationships?
• What methodological approaches and innovations can aid in the study of the value creation and capture logics that enable, constrain, or actively reshape the terms on which business–society relationships depend?

Timeline

• November 15, 2026: Abstract submission deadline for Virtual Paper Development Workshop
• December 1, 2026: Virtual Paper Development Workshop
• January 1, 2027: Virtual Paper Development Workshop
• May 1, 2027: Full paper submission window opens
• June 30, 2027: Full paper submission deadline
• September 1, 2027: Editorial decisions for first review phase
• January 31, 2028: Second submission deadline
• April 1, 2028: Editorial decisions for second review phase
• August 31, 2028: Third submission deadline
• October 1, 2028: Editorial decisions for third review phase
• December 30, 2028: Final submission deadline

Associate editors

• Lea Stadtler, Grenoble Ecole de Management

Nuttawuth Muenjohn, Murdoch University

Chris Rowley, University of Oxford

Nirma Jayawardena, Bradford University

Amy Huang, Murdoch University

This special issue explores how global ESG pressures interact with local institutions and governance structures in Asia-Pacific economies. Most ESG frameworks are grounded in Western perspectives and often overlook the unique institutional features of APAC regions, including developmental states, government-linked companies, family-owned businesses, and concentrated ownership. The issue seeks research examining how firms interpret, adopt, and adapt global ESG standards within their specific institutional contexts.

The special issue welcomes diverse methodological approaches including qualitative, quantitative, comparative case studies, multi-country analyses, mixed-methods research, and policy-oriented studies. Submissions should address themes such as global ESG pressures and local translation, adaptation of reporting frameworks, investor and supply-chain influences, state-business relations, ownership structures, and corporate responses to sustainability challenges specific to Asia-Pacific contexts.

Appel publié par Asia Pacific Business Review. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• How do firms in Asia-Pacific economies interpret and translate global ESG norms within their local institutional environments?
• To what extent do national institutional systems shape organisational responses to global ESG pressures?
• How do firms reconcile global sustainability expectations with local regulatory and cultural contexts?
• How are global ESG reporting frameworks (e.g., GRI, TCFD, ISSB) adapted by firms operating in different Asia-Pacific institutional contexts?
• What factors influence the depth and credibility of ESG disclosures among APAC firms?
• Do firms in emerging APAC economies adopt global ESG standards symbolically or substantively?
• How do foreign investors and multinational buyers influence ESG adoption among local firms in Asia-Pacific economies?
• To what extent do global supply-chain sustainability requirements reshape environmental and labour practices among APAC suppliers?
• How do firms balance external stakeholder pressures with domestic institutional constraints?
• How do state-business relationships influence corporate sustainability strategies in Asia-Pacific economies?
• To what extent do institutional arrangements shape ESG governance and corporate accountability?
• How do variations in institutional development affect ESG outcomes across APAC economies?
• How do developmental states in Asia shape corporate ESG practices?
• What role do industrial policies and state-led sustainability initiatives play in promoting ESG adoption among firms?
• Do state-led sustainability policies generate genuine environmental and social outcomes or primarily symbolic compliance?
• How do different ownership structures influence ESG adoption and sustainability performance in Asia-Pacific firms?
• To what extent does ownership concentration shape long-term sustainability strategies?
• How do governance mechanisms influence ESG accountability in APAC corporations?
• How do ESG practices differ between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and privately owned firms in Asia-Pacific economies?
• To what extent do political objectives influence ESG disclosure and sustainability performance in SOEs?
• How does government ownership affect corporate accountability for environmental and social impacts?
• How do family-controlled firms approach ESG practices compared with non-family firms in Asia-Pacific economies?
• Do family ownership structures promote long-term sustainability orientation or entrench resistance to ESG reforms?
• How do diversified business groups integrate sustainability across multiple affiliated firms?
• How do ESG practices influence labour conditions and decent work outcomes in Asia-Pacific firms?
• To what extent do corporate sustainability initiatives improve employee wellbeing and job quality?
• How do multinational supply chains shape labour standards in developing APAC economies?
• How do corporate environmental strategies influence regional sustainability outcomes in Asia-Pacific economies?
• What role do firms play in advancing low-carbon transitions in emerging Asian markets?
• How do industrial clusters and regional ecosystems shape corporate environmental performance?
• How do firms strategically integrate ESG considerations into their core business models?
• What organisational capabilities enable firms to move beyond compliance-driven ESG strategies?
• How do firms in Asia-Pacific markets build sustainability capabilities under institutional constraints?

Timeline

• February 26, 2027: Manuscript deadline