Responsible Leadership for Sustainability in Uncertain Times: Social, Economic and Environmental Challenges for Sustainable Organizations

This book contains compilation of emerging discourses on responsible leadership for sustainability in uncertain times. Uncertainty is looming large at global level due to COVID, climatic disruptions and persisting social discriminations, especially since the pandemic, which have disrupted economies at both local and global levels. Technology was a boon to mitigate hardships emerging from such disruptions. The book documents the leadership roles, welfare issues, best practices and innovations that help organizations to sustain in a VUCA world. Economic, social and environmental concerns and their mitigation as documented in this book will be relevant for future planning and execution for sustainable existence.

A blend of research by practitioners and academicians, capturing organizational experiences through case studies makes it attractive for a wide range of readership. Business leaders will find this book extremely helpful to understand the nuances and insights for responsible leadership and innovative strategies for stakeholder management and engagement for sustained businesses. Practitioners would get insights into responsible leadership for improving existing sustainable practices and speed up the transition which is necessitated due to disruptions. Prospective entrepreneurs may find that book helpful for creating responsible organizations which are sustainable due to responsible management of resources, employees and environment. Students and researchers can learn from the cases and documentation on responsible leadership, social and environmental concerns and sustainability in this book.

Tanuja Sharma is a Professor (HRM) and Lead - Centre for Ethics, Responsible Organization and ESG Initiatives (CERO@MDI Gurgaon). She is actively involved with teaching, training, consulting and research in MDI Gurgaon. She studies Buddhist text (Nalanda Tradition) and has organized CEO/CXO dialogues on compassionate organization (2016) and has chaired conference panels on discussion on ethics and compassion. She is a distinguished senior advisor, Center for Responsible Management (CRM), Jindal Global Business School and vice-president WICCI, National Business council for Sustainability, India. Her academic presence includes, member BoS for curriculum in Ambedkar University, Delhi and member, RAC-apex committee, Shiv Nadar University. She has been present in many reputed forums like SHRM India, CII, member GOI performance cell, empaneled member UPSC and BoG, CSRL-an enterprise based on social innovation, super 30, for supporting marginalized students for higher education through capacity and capability building. She has published in international and national journals. She has contributed a chapter on mapping performance management in India in the seminal book on the subject of performance management systems--A global perspective by Rutledge (2008). In addition to a book on OB co-authored for Oxford press, Malaysia, she has contributed two chapters in book on CSR mandate and New economic models (under consideration) by Springer. Her PhD from FMS, University of Delhi on the subject of performance management for attaining quality received MERCER Award, Asia (2005). In addition, she has received best paper in track award in ICBED New York, US (2013), most highly cited paper by Emerald group of publishing (2017) and Best mentored case award by WCA (Westenra academy of management, (2021).

Rupamanjari Sinha Ray is an academician, researcher and a consultant who has been associated with higher education since 1998 after she completed her Masters in Economics from Jadavpur University. She was awarded PhD as UGC-NET scholar of the same university. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in Economics Area at MDI Gurgaon. She has been engaged in management teaching and training for fifteen years. Her research areas and publications are mainly based on development and environmental economics, mainly on sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, environmental regulation and policy and MSMEs. To her credit she has co-authored a book on CSR practices in India. She has published papers in the national and international journals of repute. She is a life member of Indian Economic Association and a member of Trans-disciplinary research cluster (TRC) on Frugal Innovation of JNU. She was involved in consulting projects with Hindustan Copper Limited, Vodafone, Fifteenth Finance Commission and currently working on evaluation projects of Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Nayan Mitra has over 20 years of diverse professional experience in academics, social and corporate sectors; academic council member and science board member in International Academic forums. She has edited books such as ’Corporate Social Responsibility in India: Cases and Development after the Legal Mandate’ (2017); ’Mandated Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from India’ (2019) and ’Corporate Social Responsibility in Rising Economies: Fundamentals, Approaches and Case Studies’ with co-editor, Dr. Rene Schmidpeter and many scientific publications in the subject in peer-reviewed international/ national journals/ books. Dr. Mitra was a recipient of the prestigious Author Award at the India CSR Leadership Summit three years in a row: 2017, 2018 and 2019, and adjudged as one of the 25 most impactful CSR Leaders in India 2019 and many other international awards for her contribution to CSR and recognized as an Exceptional Woman of Excellence at the Women Economic Forum, 2019.