Model for Sustainable Business Performance Measures for Supply Chain Integration

Many companies have made a commitment to sustainable business and compile annual sustainability reports. As they attempt to measure their performance in social and environmental efforts, each company develops their own measurement system, as standardized models currently do not exist. A standard model for sustainable business performance measurement will ease the way for companies to begin recording and reporting their sustainable goals. It should encourage many firms to enter the sustainable business arena. In search of best practices in CSR reporting, along with similarity in process, this research methodology compares CSR reports for three high-profile companies from different industries. The reports are compared and analyzed for consistencies and differences. Consistencies are analyzed to determine if they constitute best practices. Differences are analyzed to ascertain if they relate to the differences in industries. The data from the analysis are used to build a foundation model, one that can be built upon to create a standard model that crosses industries. The foundation model construct identifies a process, combines best practices, fills in gaps, and strives to reflect the true effect of sustainable business efforts. It is a very basic model construct, but lays the foundation for future research to build upon.