Abstract
Corporate interest in the topic of sustainability has increased in prominence. Most of the research on sustainability has a business-to-consumer focus, with limited research emphasizing sustainability in the context of business-to-business marketing. The paper examines research on sustainability, published in the journal Industrial Marketing Management, where thirty-eight articles have appeared in the past twenty-seven years, the majority on supply-chain research. Research on sustainability in business-to-business markets is sparse, and some of the fundamental research questions in this area have gone unaddressed. This paper addresses three interrelated research issues associated with sustainability in business-to-business markets. First, what research is available to researchers and practitioners? Second, what framework can be used to examine sustainability research in business-to-business markets? Third, what subareas of sustainability research need focus and deeper examination, and what are the associated research questions? Overall, the findings from this paper suggest the need for additional research in the area because of its substantial implications for theory, research, and practice.
1. Introduction
In the past two decades, sustainability has become an essential aspect of a firm's strategy. Most large global firms have a statement of social purpose, and many firms have signed the UN Global Compact and support its Sustainable Development Goals (Young & Reeves, 1987). Davos 2020 has added the pressure to disclose progress on environmental, social, and governance metrics, as well as climate response (Young & Reeves, 2020). Research and practice in this area largely focus on business-to-consumer markets, with limited attention to business-to-business markets. For example, extensive research exists on consumer demand for sustainable products, but research on such demand among business customers is very limited.
5. Discussion
Sustainability offerings are becoming more important for businessto-business firms. This paper addresses three interrelated research issues. The first entails the basic question of what research is available to researchers and practitioners. Therefore, this study examines prior research in the area and finds that the research is inadequate and not commensurate with the importance of the topic.
The second research question considers the framework for examining sustainability research in business-to-business markets. As there are no existing frameworks, one is presented. The framework has three areas—antecedents, strategy, and outcomes. The subareas of antecedents are science and environment; policy, regulatory, and legal framework; social aspects; economic aspects; and customer demand.
