In today’s world, a sustainable approach to corporate governance can be a source of competitive advantage and a long-term success factor for any firm. Sustainable governance requires that the board of directors considers economic, social and environmental expectations in an integrated way, no matter what ownership structure and formal rules of corporate governance apply to the company: this mitigates the traditional differences between insider and outsider systems of corporate governance. Previous studies failed to consider the contribution of sustainability in the process of corporate governance convergence. Therefore, the aim of this article is to fill the gap in the existing literature by means of a qualitative analysis, supporting the international debate about convergence of corporate governance systems. The article describes the evolution of outsider and insider systems in the light of the increasing importance of sustainability in the board’s decision-making and firm’s operation to satisfy the needs of all the company’s stakeholders. According to this, a qualitative content analysis developed with a directed approach completes the theoretical discussion, demonstrating that sustainability can bring de facto convergence between outsider and insider corporate governance systems. The article aims to be a theoretical starting point for future research, the findings of which could also have practical implications: the study encourages the policy makers to translate the sustainable business best practices into laws and recommendations, strengthening the mutual influence between formal and substantial convergence.

The transition from a linear to a circular economy (CE) is at the center of the debate among institutions, enterprises, practitioners, and scholars. Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with their high presence in the business environment, play a pivotal role in the successful implementation of CE principles. Therefore, this paper aims to understand the state of the CE among Italian SMEs, considering both their different sizes and sectors. This study investigates CE knowledge and application, strategic relevance, benefits from and barriers to the transition towards circular business models, and the use of CE-related performance indicators in management control and external reporting. Through an online survey carried out in cooperation with the Italian Confederation of Craft Trades and Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CNA), we collected primary data from 623 respondents. Findings revealed the existence of cultural, technological, market and financial barriers, which have hampered the adoption of circular practices among Italian SMEs. Poor understanding of CE potential, combined with difficulty in raising public and private funds to finance the transition from linear to circular, are the greatest problems. To overcome such issues, we recommend serious intervention by public institutions, trade and consumer associations, and the higher education system to develop a climate more favorable to the CE.

Nowadays, corporate success depends on the ability to integrate social and environmental concerns into business operations and strategies. Transparency is also fundamental to an effective interaction with a variety of stakeholders, especially for companies operating in global markets. The Internet can significantly contribute to the widespread dissemination of complete and timely information on a company’s activities and performance. Combining theoretical and empirical research, this article focuses on web-based integrated CSR reporting and presents an empirical investigation whose results emphasise the necessity to improve online communication on sustainability matters, including in CSR-oriented companies.

Globalisation has drastically changed the competitive dynamics worldwide. Companies have continuously expanded their size, also through merger agreements. However, companies should maintain a positive interaction with all their stakeholders, which is favoured by the integration of financial, social and environmental concerns in business strategies and operations. Transparency on corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays a key role in a company’s long-term success.

For a long time, boardroom decision-making focused almost exclusively on economic expectations of major shareholders. During the last thirty years, this approach to corporate governance progressively changed and now responsible companies strive to meet all relevant stakeholders’ expectations, and this requires acknowledging the close links among economic, social and environmental performance for the creation of shared value and lasting prosperity. More and more, in the ‘oversize economy’, robust corporate governance is based on the awareness that long-term value creation for shareholders cannot exist without a multi-stakeholder management approach. On the contrary, multistakeholder satisfaction generates positive effects on the relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and financiers.

Health and safety in the workplace should be an integral part of any sustainable organization, regardless of its size, sector and geographical sphere of operations. To ensure and maintain a healthy and safe work environment, companies should constantly identify and prevent all factors that could provoke work-related injuries and diseases. In particular, in today’s rapidly changing context, companies should carefully consider not only the traditional risks to the employees’ health and safety, but also the emerging ones associated with the ecological transition, the increasing digitalization of business processes, and the impact of climate change on working conditions. Adopting a theoretical approach, this study aims at explaining the relationship between occupational health and safety and corporate sustainable success.