In this digital era, it is not possible to create long-term value for organizations without considering ethical, social, environmental, cultural, and economic aspects. Corporate sustainability recognizes that organizational growth and profts are essential, but it is not merely this. Organizations focusing on
new business models should pursue sustainable development, especially the
three combined pillars of corporate sustainability: social, environmental, and
economic aspects.
Finally, corporate sustainability is becoming a hot topic because of the ongoing changes in global governance. Since the global fnancial crisis of 2008, there has been a growing tendency in most Western countries, as well as emerging economies, toward less interdependencies and more engagement of governments to control international transactions of frms by adopting barriers to trade, or investment control, or even dismantlement of multilateral mechanisms of trade governance (as WTO). Some authors call such an ongoing process as de-globalization. Remarkably, this process is happening when the
economy is entering the phase of digitalization, which, in our understanding,
requires more interdependencies among countries and more effcient cooperative systems to cope with the implications of the digital era. Digitalization versus de-globalization seems to be a paradox that calls for broader discussions involving universities, corporations, nongovernmental organizations, and state
representatives to build a more comprehensive framework of this new era.
Motivated by this ongoing global debate, encompassing most intellectual
spheres, we organized this book. In particular, it attempts to (i) present evidence and analyze the implications of the digital era to society and business, and the challenges of sustainable and proftable survival; (ii) identify potential social, demographic, technological, and managerial future trends; (iii) understand the need for profound transformations in individuals, the culture of organizations, and the environment to adapt to the accelerated changes and manage future-oriented organizations