Sustainable Business in the Era of Digital Transformation: Strategic and Entrepreneurial Perspectives

Sustainable development is a complex issue and despite many studies and publications in recent years, it remains poorly recognised on best practices in core business areas. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development depends on research and innovation. Therefore, the transition to sustainable development requires investment in technology, new business models, and social and environmental innovations that contribute to shaping new business and promoting sustainable business practices.

This book seeks to understand how sustainability affects core business areas, with a focus on strategic and entrepreneurial activities. Given these considerations, the main purpose of this book is twofold: (1) to contribute to a better understanding of important and current trends in the field of sustainable transformation in core business areas; and (2) to provide a comprehensive overview of quantitative and qualitative studies in the field. The book ultimately seeks to shed light on how companies are implementing sustainable transformation in the core areas of product and marketing, entrepreneurship, and innovation, which is supported by appropriate project management strategies.

The book provides researchers and upper-level students in economics, business, and other social sciences with an overview of interdisciplinary theoretical and conceptual perspectives and frameworks for successful business transformation. It will be of particular value to those researching sustainable development and strategic management.

Mariusz Soltysik, Associate Professor, Krakow University of Economics. Participant of the Techmatstrateg Strategic Research and Development Program. Contractor in projects financed by the National Science Center and the National Center for Research and Development, including the Leader programme. Contractor in the Horizon 2020 program. Research interests: strategic management, project management, and innovation in the enterprise.

Magdalena Wojnarowska, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Technology and Ecology of Products at the Krakow University of Economics (KUE). Completed postgraduate studies: Head of Scientific Research and Development Works. An expert in the selection of projects to be co-financed from EU funds in the field of environmental protection. Representative of UEK at KT 270 for Environmental Management of the Polish Committee for Standardization. KUE representative in the Life Science Cluster. Manager and contractor of research projects financed by the following institutions: Minister of Science and Higher Education, National Science Centre, National Center for Research and Development and European H2020.

Maria Urbaniec, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Krakow University of Economics (Poland). She completed her PhD in Economics at the International Graduate School Zittau of the Technische Universitat Dresden (Germany). She is a member of international scientific societies such as the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB). In 2021, she was elected vice-president of the Polish Economic Society. She has authored over 150 scientific papers in academic journals and monographs. Her research interests include sustainable entrepreneurship, eco-innovation, sustainable development, the labour market, and the digital economy.

Vesna Zabkar, Professor of Marketing at the School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana (SEB LU) and a former Vice-Dean of Research and Doctoral Studies at SEB LU. She was a visiting scholar at Northwestern University (Fulbright Grant) and is a visiting professor at the University of Vienna (Chair of International Marketing). Her research interests focus on sustainability, marketing accountability, and international marketing. Her work has been published in the Journal of Business Ethics, British Journal of Management, Journal of Business Research, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of International Marketing, European Management Review, Journal of Service Management, and other outlets.

Marek Ćwiklicki, Prof. Dr Habil., Prof. at the Cracow University of Economics. He is Habilitated Doctor of Economics and holds a PhD in Economics in the field of Management Science, both obtained from the Cracow University of Economics in Poland. As Head of the Department of Public Management, he researches, writes, and lectures on organisation theory, business research methodology, and public management. He is also a Member of the Advisory Board of the Research Competence Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility at the FOM University of Applied Sciences in Germany (FOM KompetenzCentrum für Corporate Social Responsibility).

Erica Varese, obtained a Ph.D. in ＂Cultura e impresa - Strategie di impresa in tempi di globalizzazione＂ (Culture and enterprise - Entrepreneurial strategies in the age of globalization) in 2005. She is currently Associate Professor in Commodity Science at the Department of Management, University of Torino, Italy, where she teaches undergraduate, graduate and master courses in Italian and English. Her area of research is commodity science. She has published articles in many refereed journals, contributions in chapters and books, and presented papers at conferences on a global basis. She is member of the International Society of Commodity Science and Technology (IGWT), of the Accademia Italiana di Scienze Merceologiche (Italian Academy of Commodity Science), and Full Academicianof the Accademia di Agricoltura di Torino (Agricultural Academy of Torino).