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Prof. Sooksan Kantabutra
Mahidol University

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0 Corporate Sustainability
0 Sustainability
0 Sustainable Business
0 Sustainable Development
0 Sustainable Enterprise

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Sustainability
Corporate Sustainability
Sufficiency Economy
Sustainable Enterprise
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Short Biography

Sooksan Kantabutra is a faculty member at the College of Management, Mahidol University (CMMU), Bangkok, Thailand. Since 2002, he has been extensively published in leading international journals in the areas of sustainable leadership, organizational culture, organizational vision and corporate sustainability. At CMMU, he is the founding director of the Center for Research on Sustainable Leadership.

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Journal article
Published: 06 July 2021 in Sustainability
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Since little is theoretically and empirically known about the characteristics of organizational visions that support corporate sustainability, the present study attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What are the characteristics of an organizational vision that promotes sustainability performance? (2) How does such a vision lead to corporate sustainability? The present study examines a Sustainability Vision theory by simulating a retail store environment that comprises Sustainability Vision, Vision Communication, Empowerment of Staff, Motivation of Staff, and Staff Satisfaction variables. A model expressing the relationships among these variables was quantitatively tested by using data from a sample of retail stores in the Bangkok Metropolitan area. Results revealed that visions characterized by brevity, clarity, future orientation, stability, challenges, abstractness and an ability to inspire, and which contain imageries about improving sales, leadership, and customer and staff satisfaction indirectly and directly predict improved store sustainability prospects via Staff Satisfaction. The vision realization variables of Vision Communication, Empowerment of Staff and Motivation of Staff also enhance the vision effects. The present study is among the first few reported studies which identifies vision characteristics supportive of corporate sustainability. It also contributes to the theoretical literature by endorsing the Sustainability Vision theory and offering some directions for further theoretical development. In terms of its contribution to policy and practice, the present study offers some important managerial implications for retail store managers as to how they should espouse a vision that improves the prospect of store sustainability performance.

ACS Style

Nijsiree Vongariyajit; Sooksan Kantabutra. A Test of the Sustainability Vision Theory: Is It Practical? Sustainability 2021, 13, 7534 .

AMA Style

Nijsiree Vongariyajit, Sooksan Kantabutra. A Test of the Sustainability Vision Theory: Is It Practical? Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7534.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nijsiree Vongariyajit; Sooksan Kantabutra. 2021. "A Test of the Sustainability Vision Theory: Is It Practical?" Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7534.

Journal article
Published: 05 February 2021 in Sustainability
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Although it i and well recognized that organizational culture is important for ensuring corporate sustainability, most existing models on an organizational culture do not have a sustain-ability-oriented organizational culture. While a few models about sustainability organizational culture are available, they focus on a particular aspect of the sustainability organizational culture (e.g., strategy, practice). To fill in the gap in the literature, the present study aims at developing a sustainability organizational culture model. It identifies components of a sustainability organizational culture, develops an Integrated Sustainability Organizational Culture model, and explores the model by adopting the case study approach, mixed data collection methods, and the working analytical framework. As an empirical contribution, findings indicate that, through a widely shared organizational culture, the sustainability organizational vision and values drive emotionally committed organizational members to perform corporate sustainability practices that lead to enhanced Triple Bottom Line outputs, satisfied stakeholders, and brand equity. As a theoretical contribution, the empirically endorsed Integrated Sustainability Organizational Culture model provides directions for further theoretical development. Managerial implications are discussed.

ACS Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Exploring Relationships among Sustainability Organizational Culture Components at an Asian Industrial Conglomerate. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1733 .

AMA Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Exploring Relationships among Sustainability Organizational Culture Components at an Asian Industrial Conglomerate. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):1733.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. 2021. "Exploring Relationships among Sustainability Organizational Culture Components at an Asian Industrial Conglomerate." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 1733.

Journal article
Published: 05 November 2020 in Sustainability
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Given that corporate leaders seek to ensure the long-term sustainability of their organization, this study explores how a business adopting a Thai Sufficiency Economy philosophy improves its sustainability performance. Adopting the Sufficiency Thinking model as the research framework, this study uses a qualitative research approach with a set of different data collection techniques to explore a sample Small–Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) called Plan Creation. Collected data are identified as themes, according to the Sufficiency Thinking model. Our findings reveal that there is a close fit between the collected data and the Sufficiency Thinking model. Virtuous attributes, individual and shared knowledge and the decision-making framework of Sufficiency Mindset are observed through the sustainable leadership actions, leading to, among other things, social and environmental innovation. Implications for practicing managers and directions for future research are also discussed.

ACS Style

Sooksan Kantabutra; Prattana Punnakitikashem. Exploring the Process Toward Corporate Sustainability at a Thai SME. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9204 .

AMA Style

Sooksan Kantabutra, Prattana Punnakitikashem. Exploring the Process Toward Corporate Sustainability at a Thai SME. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (21):9204.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sooksan Kantabutra; Prattana Punnakitikashem. 2020. "Exploring the Process Toward Corporate Sustainability at a Thai SME." Sustainability 12, no. 21: 9204.

Review
Published: 05 February 2020 in Sustainability
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While vision is considered as the starting point for any transformation process toward sustainability, little is known about how such a vision looks. To fill in a fundamental gap in the corporate sustainability literature, the present study advances a theory of organizational vision into a coherent theory of sustainability vision. It adopts the theory-building approaches of covering-law, enlightenment, and process by comparing and contrasting a diverse set of relevant plausible, logical, empirical, and/or epistemological conjectures so that highlighting occurs to form the substance of the refined theory. The resulting theory of sustainability vision asserts that effective sustainability visions are characterized by the seven attributes of brevity, clarity, future orientation, stability, challenge, abstractness, desirability or ability to inspire and one imagery of stakeholder satisfaction. Relevant propositions and a model are introduced for future research, followed by practical implications.

ACS Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Toward an Organizational Theory of Sustainability Vision. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1125 .

AMA Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Toward an Organizational Theory of Sustainability Vision. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (3):1125.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. 2020. "Toward an Organizational Theory of Sustainability Vision." Sustainability 12, no. 3: 1125.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2019 in Sustainability
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The present study aims at exploring processual relationships between corporate sustainability predictors and sustainability performance, as informed by the Thai philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, and accordingly proposes a theory of corporate sustainability to fill in the fundamental gap in the literature. Based on a framework derived from the literature, multi-data collection methods and the framework approach to qualitative data analysis are adopted to explore the relationships at a sustainable enterprise in Thailand. Findings reveal six processual relationships leading to improving corporate sustainability performance directly and indirectly. Grounded upon seven established theories, the existing empirical literature and the findings of the present study, a coherent theory of corporate sustainability is developed to inform future theory building and guide future corporate sustainability research. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.

ACS Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Achieving Corporate Sustainability: Toward a Practical Theory. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4155 .

AMA Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Achieving Corporate Sustainability: Toward a Practical Theory. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (15):4155.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. 2019. "Achieving Corporate Sustainability: Toward a Practical Theory." Sustainability 11, no. 15: 4155.

Journal article
Published: 10 July 2019 in Sustainability
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The present study develops a sustainable social enterprise model and examines relationships between corporate sustainability practices and sustainability performance outputs in a social healthcare enterprise in Thailand. Findings reveal four predictors of corporate sustainability, including Leadership, Stakeholder Focus, Resilience Development, and Sharing practices. All of them have direct and/or indirect positive effects on corporate sustainability performance outputs as measured by brand equity, socioeconomic performance and environmental performance. The study also proposes a coherent theory of Sufficiency Economy in business, build upon key theories from relevant fields. Lastly, the present study provides future research directions and managerial implications based upon the model.

ACS Style

Nuttasorn Ketprapakorn; Sooksan Kantabutra. Sustainable Social Enterprise Model: Relationships and Consequences. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3772 .

AMA Style

Nuttasorn Ketprapakorn, Sooksan Kantabutra. Sustainable Social Enterprise Model: Relationships and Consequences. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (14):3772.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nuttasorn Ketprapakorn; Sooksan Kantabutra. 2019. "Sustainable Social Enterprise Model: Relationships and Consequences." Sustainability 11, no. 14: 3772.

Journal article
Published: 07 May 2019 in Sustainability
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The present study derives culture development practices among “sustainable” small and medium enterprises (SMEs)that adopt the Thai philosophy of the sufficiency economy. It adopts multiple data collection methods including non-participant observations made during visits to five “sustainable” enterprises, and references internal and published documents among other information about the case enterprises, including annual reports, previous studies about the companies and news reports. In-depth interview sessions were held with top management team members and employees, including CEOs or MDs, and division/functional heads. The “grounded theory” is adopted as an approach to analyze the data. The analysis reveals six emerging organizational culture development practices: identifying virtues, social and environmental responsibility and innovation as core values; leaders acting as models according to these values; growing their own managers to continue their corporate cultures; designing communication channels to emphasize the core values among employees; using the core values as criteria to recruit new employees; avoiding employee layoff to preserve the core values even in times of financial crisis. Limitations and future research directions to develop a behavioral theory of sustainability culture in organizational settings, as well as managerial implications are discussed.

ACS Style

Nuttasorn Ketprapakorn; Sooksan Kantabutra. Culture Development for Sustainable SMEs: Toward a Behavioral Theory. Sustainability 2019, 11, 2629 .

AMA Style

Nuttasorn Ketprapakorn, Sooksan Kantabutra. Culture Development for Sustainable SMEs: Toward a Behavioral Theory. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (9):2629.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nuttasorn Ketprapakorn; Sooksan Kantabutra. 2019. "Culture Development for Sustainable SMEs: Toward a Behavioral Theory." Sustainability 11, no. 9: 2629.

Journal article
Published: 16 October 2012 in Global Business and Organizational Excellence
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Researchers constructed a framework for analyzing the leadership practices at True Corporation, a Thai telecommunications firm, by grouping Avery and Bergsteiner's 23 Honeybee leadership practices into six categories: long‐term perspective, investing in people, organizational culture, innovation, social responsibility, and ethical behavior. Emphasizing long‐term growth and sustainability, these core themes contrast sharply with the prevailing Locust business model of short‐term maximization of profitability. An analysis of the Honeybee practices as manifested at True Corporation, a telecommunications firm based in Thailand, shows that despite the challenges of operating in an emerging economy, they can contribute to effective, sustainable leadership and dominance in a competitive market. Other enterprises that wish to promote ongoing organizational success can adopt Avery and Bergsteiner's Honeybee elements to examine their leadership practices and adjust them to become more sustainable.

ACS Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Sweet success beyond the triple bottom line: Honeybee practices lead to sustainable leadership at Thailand's True Corp. Global Business and Organizational Excellence 2012, 32, 22 -39.

AMA Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Sweet success beyond the triple bottom line: Honeybee practices lead to sustainable leadership at Thailand's True Corp. Global Business and Organizational Excellence. 2012; 32 (1):22-39.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. 2012. "Sweet success beyond the triple bottom line: Honeybee practices lead to sustainable leadership at Thailand's True Corp." Global Business and Organizational Excellence 32, no. 1: 22-39.

Journal article
Published: 07 June 2012 in Global Business and Organizational Excellence
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Enterprises in less developed economies that wish to sustain success have a choice of business models to follow. This case study investigates the extent to which a Thai corporation engages in management practices matching the 19 sustainable leadership criteria attributed to Rhineland organizations and distills those practices into six categories: a focus on long‐term perspective, staff development, organizational culture, innovation, social responsibility, and ethical behavior. In sharp contrast to the prevailing Anglo/US business model of short‐term maximization of profitability, these practices offered the company a solid framework for evaluating its corporate sustainability.

ACS Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Putting Rhineland principles into practice in Thailand: Sustainable leadership at Bathroom Design Company. Global Business and Organizational Excellence 2012, 31, 6 -19.

AMA Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Putting Rhineland principles into practice in Thailand: Sustainable leadership at Bathroom Design Company. Global Business and Organizational Excellence. 2012; 31 (5):6-19.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. 2012. "Putting Rhineland principles into practice in Thailand: Sustainable leadership at Bathroom Design Company." Global Business and Organizational Excellence 31, no. 5: 6-19.

Journal article
Published: 21 December 2011 in Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR)
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Much of the leadership literature indicates that organizations adopting the Organic leadership paradigm tend to respond to the environmental change more effectively than those adopting other leadership paradigms, therefore more sustainable. However, few published studies, if any, have specifically investigated the assumed relationship between Organic leadership and sustainability performance. Derived from the literature, a model expressing the relationships between Organic leadership characteristics and sustainability performance outcomes is proposed. The broad proposition is the more organizations adopting the Organic leadership characteristics, the better the sustainability performance outcomes. In this paper, characteristics of Organic leadership such as shared vision and values, self-leading, self-managing, mutual sense-making are independent variables, while sustainability performance outcomes such as financial results, long-term shareholder value, customer satisfaction, brand and reputation are dependent variables. Relevant hypotheses and directions for testing them are also discussed.

ACS Style

Sooksan Kantabutra; Suparak Suriyankietkaew. Examining Relationships Between Organic Leadership And Corporate Sustainability: A Proposed Model. Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR) 2011, 28, 67 -80.

AMA Style

Sooksan Kantabutra, Suparak Suriyankietkaew. Examining Relationships Between Organic Leadership And Corporate Sustainability: A Proposed Model. Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR). 2011; 28 (1):67-80.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sooksan Kantabutra; Suparak Suriyankietkaew. 2011. "Examining Relationships Between Organic Leadership And Corporate Sustainability: A Proposed Model." Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR) 28, no. 1: 67-80.

Research article
Published: 31 January 2011 in Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
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Relationships between perceived vision-based leadership, and consumer and staff satisfaction are examined in retail stores in Thailand. Store visions characterized by brevity, clarity, future orientation, stability, challenge, abstractness and ability to inspire and containing reference to sales, consumer, employee and store leadership directly predict enhanced store manager leadership as perceived by staff. Such visions also indirectly predict improved staff satisfaction, while staff’s perceived leadership improves staff satisfaction directly. There is no direct effect from staff satisfaction on consumer satisfaction as normally expected elsewhere. Practical implications and future research directions have been discussed.

ACS Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Examining store manager effects in consumer and staff satisfaction: Evidence from Thailand. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 2011, 18, 46 -57.

AMA Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Examining store manager effects in consumer and staff satisfaction: Evidence from Thailand. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 2011; 18 (1):46-57.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. 2011. "Examining store manager effects in consumer and staff satisfaction: Evidence from Thailand." Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 18, no. 1: 46-57.

Journal article
Published: 11 January 2011 in International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
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Purpose – Rhineland leadership practices contrast sharply with the prevailing Anglo/US business model of short-term maximization of profitability, and are said to lead to greater corporate sustainability, at least in highly developed economies. However, the applicability of Rhineland leadership to less developed economies has not yet been demonstrated. This paper sets out to compare the business practices of a social enterprise that delivers healthcare services in Thailand and Avery's 19 sustainable leadership practices derived from Rhineland enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting a case study approach, multi-data collection methods included non-participant observations made during visits to the enterprise, and reference to internal and published documentation and information. Semi-structured interview sessions were held with many stakeholders, including top management, staff, patients and a former consultant. Findings – In the Thai healthcare organization studied, evidence was found for compliance with 15 of Avery's 19 sustainable leadership elements, but to varying degrees. The elements were grouped into six core sets of practices: adopting a long-term perspective, staff development, organizational culture, innovation, social responsibility, and ethical behavior. One element was found to be not applicable, and no evidence was found for conformity with Rhineland principles on the remaining three sustainable practices. The paper concludes that Avery's 19 Rhineland practices provide a useful framework for evaluating the corporate sustainability of this Thai enterprise. Practical implications – Healthcare enterprises in Thailand and possibly in other Asian countries that wish to sustain their organizational success could adopt Avery's 19 Sustainable Leadership Grid elements to examine their leadership practices, and adjust them to become more sustainable. Originality/value – The relevance of Rhineland sustainable leadership principles to enterprises in less developed economies remains to be investigated. This study attempts to uncover this unknown.

ACS Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Sustainable leadership in a Thai healthcare services provider. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance 2011, 24, 67 -80.

AMA Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. Sustainable leadership in a Thai healthcare services provider. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance. 2011; 24 (1):67-80.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sooksan Kantabutra. 2011. "Sustainable leadership in a Thai healthcare services provider." International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance 24, no. 1: 67-80.