Identification of Fields of Action for the Realization of a Sustainable Corporate Management

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for companies in the manufacturing industry. In order to become more sustainable, all relevant activities within a company, beginning with its higher-level corporate management, must be realigned. Among all business units, the department of research and development (R&D) in particular can make a significant contribution to sustainability within a company, as product development plays a key role in determining the use of resources in future products. The importance of sustainable products and the implementation of sustainability aspects in the product development process has already been recognized in research. However, the influence of R&D on sustainable corporate management has not yet been sufficiently explored. To fill this research gap, this paper presents a research framework to identify challenges of sustainable corporate management. Furthermore, potentials and success factors of R&D are derived, which can contribute to sustainable corporate management.