Motorization in urban areas contributes several problems such as congestion, accidents, gas emissions, noises, and infrastructure breakage. Meanwhile, most of the developing countries cannot overcome such growth activities, as well as in Jakarta. By December 2013, Vice Governor of Jakarta proposes fuel subsidy removal policy as one of sustainable transport policy. This study is intended to understand and investigate how fuel subsidy removal policy scenarios (25%, 50%, and 100%) in Jakarta affects travelers’ behavior and analyze such policy to support sustainable transport by using qualitative research methodology. Interviews and questionnaires survey is conducted to workers in Jakarta, which includes ranking scale question for traveler response options. The result shows that half of the respondents are not affected and will only respond to fuel price increasing at IDR 31,400 for gasoline price and IDR 26,300 for ADO (Auto Diesel Oil). Moreover, there is a tendency of respondent's to the response by changing their travel mode choices into more fuel efficient private vehicle.

Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to explore the organizational and institutional issues for innovation to co-create value by focusing on the influence of public policy and the implementation mechanism, which contributes to a more sustainable public transport system development. The objective is to explore sustainable public transit innovation and development in the Chinese context and answer the research questions: how sustainability public policy is influencing innovation and what is the role of service innovation in integrating local sustainable public transport development with or without conflict between central and local interests.

Methodology/approach: The paper is of explorative nature. It presents different theoretical concepts - (i) Sustainability and sustainable public transit, (ii) Service innovation, and (iii) value creation/co-creation. The paper illustrates these concepts in an in-depth case study of Changzhou Bus Rapid Transit system in China. Critical case study method is employed in this paper to understand the role of policy for integrating sustainability and innovation. The decision-making process of the local transport authorities in Changzhou is assessed and analyzed against the theoretical framework, which explores the joint working practices in public policy sector and its influence in service innovation and sustainable public transit development. 

Findings: The study outlines the Chinese policy context in terms of responsibilities, powers and resources available to local transport authorizes, and articulates the tools of government that applied to affect a more sustainable public transit system with the goals of improving environment and meet stakeholder demands. Policies are important in the case of China. Policy integration in urban public transit development enhances the public transport services, drives service innovation and influences the environmental and social patterns.  

Research limitations/implications: The single case-study design of the present research does not enable empirical generalizations to be made. Future research in this area should focus on generalizing the present findings by studying the development and integration of sustainability policy in other empirical settings, could be of different BRT systems in China, and re-conceptualization.

Contribution/value: The paper makes an original contribution to the study of sustainable and innovative urban public transit service by explicitly linking the integration of suitability policy and its effect to service innovation and value co-creation based on social and environmental perspectives. The study expands the scope of understanding complex problems and challenges of policy implementation, as well as the potential conflict with the local urban public transit development. It also is contributes to the ongoing discussion in the service research concerning the influence of sustainability towards service innovation and public policy implementation process.

Following this introduction, this paper presents two conceptual and theoretical analyses – (i) CSR and its relation to profit and charity (ii) CSR as part of a service business model. The paper then illustrates these concepts using a comparative study of four service firms, with particular emphasis on their different CSR activities and how these affect the mission of each company. All four of the service companies are global actors with strong Service Brands (Edvardsson, Enquist and Hay, 2006) and a leading position in using CSR as a driving force for doing business: IKEA, Starbucks, H&M and the Body Shop. The paper then draws together the conceptual analysis and the case studies in a discussion of how CSR can be a proactive driver in the service business. Because of the limit space for a QMOD paper the focus is on the conceptual and theoretical analysis part and the empirical part and discussion/conclusion has to be further developed.

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to present a model for values-based sustainable servicebusiness grounded in the concept of values-based service quality.

Design/methodology/approach – Based on a literature review and interpretations of fivenarratives from a values-driven company, IKEA, the paper proposes a model of values-based servicequality for sustainable service business.

Findings – The study distinguishes four dimensions of values-based service quality and fivedimensions of sustainability. These are all incorporated in the proposed model.

Originality/value – This is a fundamental study of the role of values-based service quality increating sustainable service business based on value-in-use for customers and the desirable values ofcorporate culture with which products and services are associated.

Introduction

Transformative and integrated transport system for living city regions are given a due slant for the societal and ecological perspective in a response for the many demands especially equality and democratization (Peñalosa, 2014), engagement and environment (Newman et al., 2009). Transformative service includes sustainability for providing a rich opportunity for significant and insightful study that repercussions social, collective and individual well-being (Östrom et. al., 2014 and Anderson et al., 2012). Service ecosystems need shared institutions (rules) to function effectively and coordinate activities among actors (Lusch and Vargo, 2014). These institutions, beside, have to cooperate in service ecosystems based on shared values and shared meanings (Edvardsson and Enquist, 2009). Public Transport as a dynamic and transformative values based service eco-system is about the role of governmental agencies and other stakeholders in the network (Enquist and Johnson, 2013) as part of moving from incremental progress towards transformational action for shaping an inclusive and sustainable business (Williams, 2014) for resilient living cities.

The main theoretical and empirical challenges are how to understand public transport as dynamic and transformative values based service eco-system for living city regions to develop and implement a feasible and proactive tool for changing the mindset. This paper is of an explorative comparative study based on the public transport value networks in four city regions – Stockholm, London, Paris, and Singapore.

Empirical and Theoretical Framework

 In this study, we see public transport as a transformative way, which is used as a tool for proactive developing of city regions for living cities (Kallidaikurichi and Yuen, 2010). These cities are in transition for a transformative change (Grin et. al. 2010): dynamic city networks, which learn and innovate (Campell, 2012), resilient infrastructure cities (Newman, 2010) including seven elements of a vision for more resilient transport (Newman et al, 2009) and cities as a world of mobile lives (Elliott and Urry, 2010). This is from transformative service perspective, which is conceptualizes the relationship between service entities and consumer wellbeing to serve as a catalyst for future research focusing on the transformative impact on services on consumers (Anderson et al., 2013). There, we also address Jan Gehl’s thoughts on “cities for people” in which public transport, cycling and walking are keys for a sustainable and vibrant city. He indicates that “The compact city – with development grouped around public transport, walking and cycling - is built around public transport, walking and cycling - is the only environmentally sustainable form of city. However, for population densities to increase and widespread walking and cycling, a city must increase quantity and quality of well-planned beautiful urban spaces that are human in scale, sustainable, healthy, safe and lively certainly alive (Gehl, 2010, p. IX). In this paper, we see public transport as a service eco-system (Lusch and Vargo, 2014) used as a tool for proactive developing of city regions for living cities (Kallidaikurichi and Yuen, 2010).

Today, Public Transport (PT) is built upon transformative way of thinking something more than operand resources (Lush and Vargo, 2014) too, which was used to be implied in a production oriented way (ibid.). We illustrate this understanding with a statement from Boris Johnson, Mayor of London. 

We can think of small cities that are lovely to live in – tranquil and green and blessed with efficient public transport. And then we can think of big cities that are global economic powerhouses – teeming with the noise, energy and ambition of million people. I want London to have the best of both worlds.

 In our study, these city regions, today, have big challenges to transform for a resilient and living city. Here are some examples of the four city regions from our current research:

Stockholm: Shifting the focus from vehicles to human beings: The big challenge for the region is space incrusted with congestion problems in a rapid growing population; Capacity problems in railway infrastructure; Lack of dedicated roads for busses. Public transport in Stockholm County should be easily accessible, reliable and environmentally friendly. The City´s Vision for 2030 describes what it will be like to live in, work in and visit Stockholm.

London: From 2011 to 2021 London’s population will have risen by a million. Need of an even better transport links to move people across the city to their jobs and homes. Future prosperity depends on a transport system that can support that huge population growth.

Paris: Like many European cities, has a strong transit system and a walkable central area, but over recent decades it has given over more and more space to the car. Now in a bid to reclaim its public spaces it is implementing a series of policies to reduce the number of cars in the city. The master plan for 2030 focus on developing an attractive metropolis at the same time as handling societal, environmental and economic challenges for the region.

Singapore: Changing commuter expectations and norms: Public tells that they will connected to more places and get them faster and more comfortable. Increasingly people are also voicing concerns about the impact of the transport system on the environment, whether it is noise pollution or carbon emissions, or impact on greenery and recreational place.

In this article Public Transit Service is seen as an Eco-system for transforming a larger and even more complex Eco-system: a whole city region. However, it has to face the challenges emerged during this process, which we call it “Transformative challenges”. Transformative challenges are embedded in the vision of these city religions and are concentrated on Social, environmental, mobility and resilience challenges of each city region.

Resilient Cities need to last and respond on crisis for change and build upon consensus around cooperation and partnership (Newman et al., 2009) The opposite is city build upon fear which make decisions based on short-term responses and the only driving force is competition (ibid.) The challenge is to breaking the norm of using cars in the city (Hajer et al, 2012; Gärling et al, 2013) and to find an alternative discourse for a resilient living city.

Lusch and Vargo (2014) give a lecture of strategic thinking of an eco-system from the lens of SD-logic zooming in and zooming out for seeing the bigger picture (micro, meso, macro) and designing for density and relationship (ibid. p.180 ff.). Lush and Vargo address this in a conceptual way but it doesn´t say so much what that mean in a real context. Lusch and Vargo (2014) focus on operant resources that are capable to acting with other resources (ibid. p. 181).

Developing a resilient and living city has a counter effect on sustainable development. The emergence of greening, especially “climate change” is one of the lead way developments in transport sector, which provides the input to deal with the transformation process of integrating sustainability into new infrastructural changes. Public Transport as a dynamic system is vital to the role of cities, governmental agencies and other stakeholders in the network towards creating a transformational action for shaping inclusive and resilient living cities.

References

Anderson L., Ostrom, A. L., Corus, C., Fisk, R. P., Gallan, A. S., Giraldo, M., Mende, M., Mulder, M., Rayburn, S. W., Rosenbaum, M. S., Shirahada, K., & Williams, J. D. (2013). Transformative service research: An agenda for the future, Journal of Business Research, 66 (8), 1203-1210.

 Campell, T. (2012) Beyond Smarter Cities – How cities network, learn and innovate, Earthscan, Routledge, New York

Edvardsson, B. and Enquist, B. (2009) Values-based service for sustainable business – Lessons from IKEA, Routledge London 

Elliott, A. and Urry, J. (2010) Mobile Lives, Routledge, Abingdon

Enquist, B. and Johnson, M. (2013) Styrning och navigering i regionala kollektivtrafiknätverk, Karlstad University Studies 2013:14, Karlstad

Gehl, J. (2010), Cities for People, Island Press, Washington.

Grin, J., Rotmans, J. and Schot, J. in collaboration with Geels, F. and Loorbah, D (2010) Transitions to Sustainable Development – New Directions in the Study of Long Term Transformative Change, Routledge, New York

Gärling, T, Ettema, D. and M. Friman (eds) (2013) Handbook of Sustainable Travel Springer, Heidelberg

Hajer, M., Hoen, A. and Huitzing, H. (2012) Shifting Gear: Beyond Classical Mobility Policies and Urban Planning in van Wee, B (ed) Keep Moving, Eleven International Publishing, Hague

Kallidaikurichi, S. and Yuen, B. (eds.) (2010) Developing Living Cities – From Analysis to Action, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd, Singapore

Lusch, R. and Vargo, S. (2014) Service Dominant Logic. Premises, Perspectives, Possibilities, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

Newman, P. (2010) Resilient Infrastructure Cities in Kallidaikurichi, S. and Yuen, B. (eds.) Developing Living Cities – From Analysis to Action World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd, Singapore 

Newman, P., Beatley, T. and Boyer, H. (2009) Resilient Cities Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change, Washington, Island Press

Peñalosa, Enrique (2014), Key note speaker at Persontrafik 2014, 28^th of October, 2014, Stockholm.

Williams, O. (2014) Corporate Social Responsibility – The role of business in sustainable development, Routledge, New York   

Östrom A. L., Mathras, D., and Anderson L., (2014), Transformative Service Research: An Emerging Subfield Focused on Service and Well-Being; at Rust R., Huang M. (edtrs.), Handbook of Service Marketing Research, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.

Purpose The aim of this article is to provide a deeper conceptual understanding of the interdependence between service innovation, sustainability and quality in the age of accelerations in the context of cities. The research question is, how can service innovation, sustainability and quality interact in cities to meet the challenges of technology, globalization and climate change? Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a qualitative research approach and cases study research method in the context of cities. In this article, meeting the challenges in the age of accelerations is analyzed and interpreted in an abductive process in an interaction between empirical findings of three progressive cities Freiburg, Malmo and Gothenburg and the conceptual and theoretical frame for getting a new meaning. Findings The article demonstrates the need for a deeper conceptual understanding of the interdependence of service innovation, sustainability and quality in the age of accelerations. Service innovation and quality improvement cannot be handled as a standalone managerial activity because these processes are part of values-based learning and developing a loop for transformation, value co-creation and sustainability practice. Research limitations/implications Future research in this area should focus on generalizing the present findings to securing sustainable service business embedded on social and environmental perspectives and governance issues in other empirical settings and conceptualization. Societal implications The article looks into the idea of an ecosystem to achieve a balance between nature and people: Dynamic and complex ecosystems can be illustrated in different contexts to ensure a strong commitment to societal and environmental perspectives to create value and develop a sustainability practice. Originality/value The article makes an original contribution by using insights from service research, quality movement research and from studying actual sustainability practices in the real-life contexts of cities by developing a conceptual paper.

A transformation that takes place in complex environments demands the engagement of different types of stakeholders from different organizations and domains, which impact the whole service management that integrates both the organization and the customer. Service management is not only for micro and meso processes. It need also to meet global challenges of complexity and wicked problems. In this chapter, we go back to the roots of service management with a societal aspect; to serve someone with the insight that business and ethics are intertwined and cannot be separated. The main focus is to highlight on using service management for going from firm-centric to a broader sustainable stakeholder view, and societal perspective for business societal transformation. 

The term “sustainability” has become a commonly used and widely accepted term in both an ecological sense and a business sense. In this chapter, sustainability is seen as part of something bigger and can be seen as an ecosystem. The objective is to understand and assess how service and quality research can be used to meet transformative societal practice in city contexts to build city ecosystem frameworks. The main purpose is to develop and conceptualize in an explorative way a multilevel ecosystem for societal practice in the city context. The multilevel ecosystem for societal practice can be used for challenge-driven transformative change where sustainability, in the light of 2030 Agenda Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs), will get a more regenerative and societal meaning in interaction with transformation and innovation. The suggested multilevel ecosystem model addresses the interaction between the three levels (macro, meso, and micro) and the interdependence of the systemic, institutional, and processes. The model highlights that it is about a real transformative change process and not about SDG-washing. To reflect on the multilevel ecosystem for societal practice in city contexts in the light of 2030 Agenda SDGs, a case study of the ongoing process of Karlstad City’s transformation is developed. The suggested model will not make any transformative change without a proactive method to make a real mind shift or a paradigm shift. The chapter contributes the idea of building a lab platform for orchestrating innovation and transformation, to further develop ideas, create interaction and dialogues, and integrate and allocate resources to achieve a more radical change process and be aware that the devil is in the implementation process.

In this chapter, we discuss innovative and sustainable transformation and what can be learned from sustainability challenges acting as a driving force to create a new business landscape for the future. The main purpose of this chapter is to develop and conceptualize in an explorative way a values-based sustainability practice in a business context embedded in “circular economy” thinking, which can be used for challenge-driven transformative change. The business context is that of IKEA, being a values-based global enterprise, and its vision-driven transformative change process of its entire business concept guided by a dynamic transforming culture and values where great importance is placed on sustainability thinking. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) now underpin IKEA’s business and are used as a compass to mobilize change.

This study is of an explorative nature based on six Globally Integrated Enterprises - GIEs (Palmisano, 2006), which can be seen as values based service companies (Pruzan, 1998; Edvardsson and Enquist, 2009). These six enterprises are: Ericson, IBM, IKEA, Volvo, Tetra Pack and Unilever. 

To further understand the methodological approach we look into different business logics. Vargo (2007) use the label transcendence to explain the logic of value creation. Enquist et. al. (2014) have further investigated this concept of transcendence for Business Logics and argue that it is a need not only for one single business logic.  There are several business logics such as Exchange logic; Steering logic; Value creation logic; Business interaction logic; Responsibility logic; and Communication logic (Ibid). In this paper, we will, in an explorative way take this a step further and combine these business logics (Enquist et. al., 2014) with values based service thinking (Edvardsson and Enquist, 2009)  and look for values based governance driven by SD-Logic for sustainable business in value networks or eco systems. 

For “evolving service for a complex, resilient, and sustainable world” the paper address interlink between corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and business models based on values based and triple bottom line thinking. Understanding how value is “networked” and “co-created” by “steering and navigating” in specific contextual settings is deemed essential in securing sustainable service business in which social and environmental perspectives and governance issues are embedded (Enquist et. al., 2014).

Osborne (2010) has argued for New Public Governance as a significant paradigm for public services delivery, embracing policy-making and a range of inter-organizational and networked-based modes for public services delivery (ibid. p. 413).  This thinking is an alternative to Public Administration or New Public Management, which the idea for “Public Governance and public service delivery: as a research agenda for the future” (Osborne, 2010). The indication of policy-making as a governance issue and co-production, co-creation for service delivery combine the public governance literature with the service literature. We agree with this and will take this a step further and argue for interlink between public governance, CSR, contractual governance and business model guided by a service business logic (Lusch and Vargo, 2014). Those concepts are contextually interlinked. In this article the specific public service context is “public transport value network” (Enquist et al, 2011). In that context the contractual governance is crucial guided by service business logic.

In this article we will use examples of “Public transport value networks” from the city-regions of Stockholm, London and Paris to illustrate our conceptual framework. All of those city-regions have to handle economic, social and environmental issues as societal challenges. The societal challenges in those city-regions are driven by proactive policy-making and facilitating of resources for change. Service innovation is an important tool for change (Lusch and Vargo, 2014) but for societal issues the influence of CSR –practice and sustainable development has to be included as part of the service innovation processes (Edvardsson et al, 2013). Lusch and Vargo (2014) talk about strategic thinking and taking advantage of unstable environments. This is what societal challenges is all about.  This is also in line with SD-logic which are essentially co-creating value for customers and other stakeholders and facilitating, rather than just predicting to provide service” (ibid. p. 191).  We will introduce and argue for values based governance, service innovation and the important role of shared values for sustainable service business (Edvardsson et al, 2013).  Service networks need shared institutions (rules) to function effectively and coordinate activities among actors (Lusch and Vargo, 2014). These institutions have to cooperate in service networks based on shared values and shared meanings (Edvardsson et al, 2013).

Public Transport Value Network as a dynamic and transformative values based service network is about facilitating the network in the interaction of governmental agencies, service providers and the customers/citizens in the network. To facilitate a public/private partnership for public service in a value network is also about designing the right contracts for sharing the cost for setting up and running the network, increase numbers of travellers which use the network and improve positive effects for society. The service providers have their business models, the public transport authority have theirs and those models have to meet in a joint contract. Public Transport for co-creating value for people and developing sustainability for society and the different business models and contractual governance has to be based on the same values based service logic.

Key words: Service innovation, values based governance, contractual governance, public transport value network

The aim of this conceptual article is to explain how sustainable business practices enable transformation from a circular economy to a circular society. A sustainability business practice, which has a broader mission than just being firm-centric, implies a regenerative, but also a more societal meaning in interaction with transformation and innovation. The article uses multidisciplinary theory to suggest a conceptual model. The explanatory power is shown in an empirical investigation, through a qualitative approach, of three values-based enterprises: IKEA, Löfbergs, and Eataly. These three enterprises use circular thinking and innovation as proactive tools for identifying challenges and developing a transformation agenda in implementing the SDGs.  This article contributes to the ongoing discussions on sustainability and service research by focusing on sustainability, innovation, and transformation by explicitly linking the adoption of sustainability to a circular economy using sustainable business-societal practices transformation to give an impact to the society to become more circular.  As a conceptual study, the article has also identified previously unexplored connections between sustainability and service research and introduced new constructs on linking the adoption of sustainability to a circular economy.

Keywords: circular economy; circular society; sustainability; transformation; service.  

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of transcendence as business logic and to advance value co-creation and value network thinking. The authors are looking for business logic to have wider understanding of sustainable business. Understanding how value is “networked” and “co-created” by what the authors will call “transcendent business logic” in specific contextual settings is deemed essential in securing sustainable business, which social and environmental perspectives and governance issues are embedded. The authors lay the foundation for enriching the transcendence for business logics for a sustainable business based on sustainability, stakeholder-unifying perspective and value creation network theories. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a qualitative approach, using multiple case studies to undertake an analysis of the role of transcendence for business logics. Four case studies of private companies and parallel case studies of retail, health care and public organizations (regional public transport networks) are applied. The paper further asses a methodological approach goes beyond the positivistic paradigm in service research to understand the texts and analyze the research materials. This section presents the methodological approach based on transcendence beyond objectivism and relativism and the transformation process of transcendence business logic. Findings – The paper demonstrates that “different business logics” contributes to securing sustainable business embedded on social and environmental perspectives on governance issues. The authors have shown this based on the idea of transcendence, which can be used from a methodological point of view based on a deeper understanding beyond objectivism and relativism. The authors argued in this paper for a methodological path beyond functionalism. The authors are providing a deeper understanding of the business logic; co-creating value for people and developing sustainability for society. The study has also shown that values form the network, and co-creation is the basis for transcending the business logics. Originality/value – The paper makes original contribution to the exploring transcendence for business logics to be in lieu of guiding open source business models based on the need for understanding of the new logic in the new complex landscape. In service research, the main theoretical challenges of understand and integrating value co-creation and value networks to secure sustainable businesses are founded on the principles of steering and navigation. In this study the authors addressed the need for advancement of value co-creation network thinking and perusal for the business logic to have a wider understanding of sustainable business.

Formalised knowledge systems, including universities and research institutes, are important for contemporary societies. They are, however, also arguably failing humanity when their impact is measured against the level of progress being made in stimulating the societal changes needed to address challenges like climate change. In this research we used a novel futures-oriented and participatory approach that asked what future envisioned knowledge systems might need to look like and how we might get there. Findings suggest that envisioned future systems will need to be much more collaborative, open, diverse, egalitarian, and able to work with values and systemic issues. They will also need to go beyond producing knowledge about our world to generating wisdom about how to act within it. To get to envisioned systems we will need to rapidly scale methodological innovations, connect innovators, and creatively accelerate learning about working with intractable challenges. We will also need to create new funding schemes, a global knowledge commons, and challenge deeply held assumptions. To genuinely be a creative force in supporting longevity of human and non-human life on our planet, the shift in knowledge systems will probably need to be at the scale of the enlightenment and speed of the scientific and technological revolution accompanying the second World War. This will require bold and strategic action from governments, scientists, civic society and sustained transformational intent.

The topic of corporate governance and its implementation in sub-Saharan African countries is still under-researched. It is unlike the developed and some emerging economies especially in Asia where the institutionalization of corporate governance has been subjected to intense public debate. The increasing trend of application of corporate code of governance is indicative of the significance attached to it. There is considerable evidence of the prominent role of corporate governance standards in improving corporate governance practices (Cuomo et al. 2016) especially on issues concerning transparency and disclosure (Nowland 2008, Sheridan et al. 2006). Although, with over 100 countries already implementing corporate governance codes, there are no clear codes and practices in Cameroon. As far as we know, there are no significant studies conducted in Cameroon on this subject. This study primarily seeks to investigate the institutionalization and practice of corporate governance in Cameroon. To achieve this objective the following research question will be pursued, what institutional reforms are in place to facilitate the adoption of good corporate governance practices? To accomplish this objective, we will assess the available corporate governance practices, if any, whether institutions currently voluntarily or mandatorily enforce them. We will implement a qualitative approach in which in-depth interviews and questionnaires to obtain relevant information from different stakeholders and corporate entities in Cameroon.The paper is mainly grounded on the theoretical concepts of governance/ corporate governance, institutional theory, social responsibility and transparency with an emphasis on sub-Saharan African countries focusing on an empirical investigation of the institutionalization and practice of corporate governance in Cameroon. The focus on Cameroon is partly because Cameroon is an important channel of foreign direct investment, and the country has recently introduced institutional and legal reforms aimed at enhancing the practice of corporate governance. Although the country enforces OHADA laws that embody provisions on corporate governance, studies underscore that corruption is still a major bottleneck towards the adoption of good corporate governance practices in Cameroon. Therefore, there is a dire need for corporate governance reforms to resolve some of these institutional ills. The paper makes an original contribution to the ongoing discourse on the role of governance and corporate governance in creating transparency through disclosure. Also, this study contributes to assessing the institutional structures in least developed countries. Corporate governance helps in creating systems through which organizations are directed and controlled.  This paper will also contribute to understanding the case of Cameroon, and related countries, as an important channel of socially responsible foreign investments due to economic reforms undertaken by the country, although institutional investors are concerned about risks at both the firm and country level.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand and analyze the contextualization of value co-creation in the endogenous context. Analyzing how the five activities of value co-creation process are contextualized in a specific context can provide a better and deeper understanding for co-creating value with endogenous social and cultural values and norms. In this paper, value co-creation is contextualized in the public transport context from the Chinese perspective.

Methodology/approach – This paper adopts a qualitative approach to analyze and understand the contextualization of value co-creation in endogenous context, using multiple case studies of the public transport from China: Zhengzhou and Chengdu public transport services. Discussing the contextualization of value co-creation process with the five activities, i.e. customer engagement, self-service, customer experience, problem-solving, and co-designing, allows us to explain and understand value co-creation in the Chinese endogenous context.

Findings – This paper illustrates that contextualization of value co-creation in the endogenous context contributes to service business development. In this paper the five activities of value co-creation is integrating the concepts of value-in-social-context and value-in-cultural-context in different specific contexts, with endogenous social and cultural norms and values. This paper reveals the importance of contextualizing value co-creation process and the significant impacts of endogenous social and cultural issues in specific context, for better, easier, and more effective value co-creation.

Originality/value – This paper makes original contributions to the ongoing discussion in service research, especially service-dominant logic (S-D logic) in endogenous thinking and the concepts of value-in-social-context and value-in-cultural-context. In service research, the main theoretical challenges are understanding and integrating endogenous thinking in specific contexts, which contextualize and better co-create value by focusing social and cultural issues. This paper reveals the adoption of endogenous thinking in the service research.

Research limitation –The qualitative research design of multiple case studies does not enable empirical generalizations to be made. Future research in this area should focus on generalizing the present findings by studying the endogenous thinking in contextualization of value co-creation, in other empirical settings.

The main purpose of this paper is to assess and gain a deeper understanding of the role of service quality in sustainable mobility. Specifically, the study aims to understand user perceptions related to service quality in urban public transport systems and to investigate whether they induce the adoption of adopt more sustainable behaviours for mobility purposes by opting for alternative means of transportation such as car-sharing, bike-sharing, and car-pooling instead of using one's own private car. Indeed, it is becoming vital for cities to investigate the norm of owning a car as a solution and to break this norm to allow citizens to stop using their car as an environmentally friendly solution. On the basis of the above theoretical assumptions, we develop a theoretical framework that aims to fill the literature gaps and is therefore oriented towards understand the linkage among the service quality of the urban public transportation system, service loyalty to urban public transport, the intention to use one's own private car less, and the intention to use sustainable means of transportation, mainly car sharing. An empirical investigation involving the city of Rome, Italy, is performed. The study proposes a territorial analysis and a qualitative and quantitative survey. The aim of this empirical study is two-fold: i) to learn the state of the art of the urban public transport system of the city under investigation and ii) to explore citizens' perceptions of the service quality of public transport and to understand their intentions to use public transport more, to use their own cars less and to adopt sustainable means of transportation such as car-sharing. PLS-PM statistical tools are used for data analysis. Our findings confirm that service quality has a direct effect on the intention to use public transport more and that this effect affects both the intention to use one's own car less and the intention to use sustainable means of transportation such as car-sharing more.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of a value network and the complexity of context in a value-in-cultural context for co-creating value. Understanding the complexity of context on how value is “networked” and “co-created” in the value-in-cultural context by what we will call “micro environmental flexibility” in specific contextual setting, which is deemed essential in securing sustainable business of social and environmental perspectives and cultural issues are embedded. This can thus ultimately overcome the major challenges. In this paper, we discuss micro environmental flexibility in a value network based on resource integration, which is good for customers and other stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative approach, using single in-depth case study to undertake an analysis of micro environmental flexibility in a value network based on the complexity of context of value-in-cultural context. The city of Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and together with the Greater Buenos Aires home to a population of about 12,800,000 inhabitants where 48% of the people that work in the city don’t live in the city proper. The paper further assesses the theoretical framework and concepts complexity of context of value-in-cultural context in service research.

Findings: The paper raises the issue of the complexity of context of value-in-cultural context in a value network and suggests the need to adopt micro environmental flexibility. Micro environmental flexibility means that even within a same city, regional differences (e.g. commercial versus residential) are vital as they involve different stakeholders. As a result diverse resource integrations take place, leading to different value co-creations. The take away is that in order not to confuse flexibility with chaos it is essential to have a clear goal, which acts as the ultimate benchmark.

Research limitations/implications: The single case-study design of the present research does not enable empirical generalizations to be made. Future research in this area should focus on generalizing the present findings by studying the complexity of context and value-in-cultural context and suggests the need to adopt micro environmental flexibility in other empirical settings and re-conceptualization.

Originality/value: The paper makes original contribution to the on going discussions in service research, specifically S-D logic of complexity of context of value-in-cultural context. In service research, the main theoretical challenges are understanding and integrating complexity of context of value-in-cultural context and value co-creation in the value network to secure sustainable businesses. The paper reveals the adoption of micro environmental flexibility.

Practical implications:  The case focuses on the bus system. To cope with the passenger’s demand of public transport, in 2008, The Sustainable Mobility Plan was conceived as a set of programs that respond to the concept of sustainable development. All of the policies were driven with the idea of promoting a culture that prioritizes people over cars. Although, the city of Buenos Aires was honoured with the Sustainable Transport Award; this raises the issue of the importance of complexity of context and value-in-cultural context and suggests the need to adopt micro environmental flexibility.

Purpose: Sustainability transitions (STs) refer to large-scale step changes in complex systems required to face sustainability issues. We aim to delineate how they can unfold in service ecosystems, especially when inspired by regenerative thinking. Design/methodology/approach: We develop a conceptual framework based on a processual view of STs and provide a propositional inventory based on literature leveraging deductive reasoning. Moreover, we contextualize our conceptualizations by showing illustrative examples of cities coping with STs. Findings: We connect the perception of unsustainability with the shift toward service-dominant (S-D) logic and identify them as triggers of an ST; we focus on the role of nested service ecosystems and the adoption of regenerative thinking in STs; finally, we highlight the domino effect that can drive continuous change towards sustainability in service ecosystems. Future research could be focused on (loss of) sensemaking for driving STs, practical approaches to deal with institutional tensions in nested service ecosystems and the possible fractality of ST processes in service ecosystems. Originality/value: This study supports the understanding of STs in cities and other systems such as industries, markets and organizations. It contributes to ST literature by suggesting the adoption of S-D logic and system lenses to identify, drive and cope with system changes toward sustainability, showing implications for policymakers and practitioners. Furthermore, it contributes to S-D logic by unfolding the self-adjustment of service ecosystems and the focus of sustainability initiatives on nested service ecosystems to sustain the broader systems. Finally, it contributes to transformative service research by identifying how the procedural and inspirational principles characterizing regenerative thinking can support design for STs. © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited.

ABSTRACT

Our research contributes to the emerging topic on the role of corporate governance (CG) towards corruption. Since the 1990s, the term CG has come into everyday usage in business and financial communities (Carlsson, 2001; Malin, 2010) and is becoming a global phenomenon focusing on securing shareholder value (Carlsson, 2001; Enquist et al., 2006) and stakeholder value. In parallel with this trend, transparency and discloser has also become familiar in the corporate world, and is a global phenomenon in the 21st century. The emergence of corporate governance as tool for tackling financial crises and corporate scandals has created the need for wider transparency. Existing research concentrates on corporate governance and its development, but rather neglects the gap towards assessing fundamental institutional weaknesses, and corruption in the private sector. Moreover, as Wu (2005) argues that there is a negligance of the supply side of corruption in literature and states the need for more investigation regarding the understanding of the relationship between corruption and corporate governance. Taking these factors into account, doing research on the relationship between corruption and corporate governance in a industrialised country from the aspect of the supply-side, seemed justifiable. This paper identifies the need for new governance thinking, based on stewardship and transparency and its impacts in reducing corruption. The empirical study involves five qualitative case studies of transparency and disclosure in Germany (2 cases on disclosure and reporting of multinational companies, 2 cases of transparency of non business organizations, and 1 corporate governance code).

In this paper we are not arguing on the role of CG as control or reporting initiative for corruption, but its role to shun institutional weakness on reducing corruption. Accordingly, our research question can be formulated in the following way: what is the role of corporate governance in protecting corruption?

To answer this research question, we studied German CG code as Germany is one of the role models in fighting corruption. The German CG code was triggered by global scandals such as Enron but developed after the Siemens AG scandal (Bostan et al., 2010). Cromme (2005) describes governance as “a term describing good, efficient management and supervision of companies on the basis of internationally recognized standards in the interests of the company’s owners and its social environment.” (p. 5).  Wu, (2005) in his extensive study underlines the problem with corruption and its importance for companies and governments. Transparency International (2009) considers strong corporate governance system is a vital component of company efforts to reinforce the right incentives and practices and to address the corrupt practices they confront. Selznick (1992) separates the two steering concepts of Management and Governance, but at the same time argues that they form a continuum. Governance takes account of all the interests that affect the viability, competence and moral character of an enterprise (ibid). The New York Times recently describes how companies still have more corruptive behavior in CG based on several cases of MNC from USA (April, 2013).

Several researches and organization emphasized the harms of corruption against development in the public sector, but very few studies assess the importance of corporate governance in combating corruption. There is a need for deeper studies on its influence in business. Thus, the present results indicate, not only the positive relationship between corporate governance and corruption, but also reveal the characteristics of dynamic governance codes within a broader governance framework.

The process of globalization over the past five decades has given impetus to drivensustainability and related thinking in business. It is also observed that there areunprecedented trends in corporate strategy towards sustainable thinking - the emergenceof sustainability as corporate strategy and the concern of business for ecology and society.This forces companies to rethink their standard business models and increase theirinterest in innovating products and services based on the challenges of global sustainabledevelopment. The pressure from external stakeholders, mainly non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs), as drivers of change may also contribute strongly to thisendeavour. This substantial change pressure clearly reflects companies’ recognition of themounting pressures for social responsibility and governance. The overall aim of this thesisis to describe and understand how social responsibility and value-creation of customers’influence the overall service quality of companies in developing a sustainable servicebusiness.

The theoretical and conceptual frame of reference finds its stimulation from the researchin sustainable development – corporate social responsibility, service research and qualitymanagement. In this way it attempts to bridge the gap between business and socialresponsibility. Theoretically and conceptually, the thesis amalgamates sustainabilitythinking and the service logic. Here, value creation and co-creation of Service DominantLogic (S-D logic) approach expands to integrate the values based approach of CorporateSocial Responsibility (CSR) in management thinking and have created the prevailingbusiness practices and service quality (SQ) improvement. This thesis is a compilation offive different papers that follow an interpretative case study approach. The empiricalstudy developed from the cases of multinational companies, small and mediumenterprises, smallholders and NGOs.

In this thesis, ‘Sustainable Service Dominant Logic’ (SSDL) was labelled to argue thatvalue-based co-creation of the S-D logic framework can be used to create values-basedservices for sustainable business by examining the link between CSR and S-D logic basedon value, values and service quality for sustainable business. This is this thesis’scontribution to the ongoing discussion of the paradigm shift in service research. Theframework is of the integration of CSR thinking into service business to create sustainablebusiness thinking. This signifies the new thinking of incorporating different managementsystems in creating the organizational change process, sustainability and finally SQimprovement. This counters the critique against S-D logic by expanding the societal andethical dimensions by using CSR, and showing real business cases. This depends on theintegration of different change pressures for value creation, whether related to economicand social resource integration. This involves the shift of the focus of managerial controlfrom a preoccupation with financial issues to a wider awareness of CSR thinking. Theseissues are also explored by demonstrating, based on cases, how the adoption of thisperspective can also enable the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) framework to become animportant aspect of value creation. Finally, the paradigm shift can be generalized to newthinking in S-D logic and the social responsibility of businesses as the major phenomenonof the changing and globalizing business environment; time for the CSR framework to permeate S-D logic.

The need for a more open and sustainable BOP approach in order to create sustainable solutionsfor the smallholders at the BOP requires the contributions of different actors: non-governmentalorganizations, entrepreneurs and multinational corporations. This can be achieved by exploringstrategies for development using the trade approach and by creating sustained competitivemarkets. These concepts are applied to a case study of a real business development initiative inSub-Saharan Africa; i.e. the context of the Export Promotion of Organic Products from Africa(EPOPA), the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN) and Ideal Providence Farms (IPF).The study reveals that such initiatives can be used as an active tool for advancing smallholderfarmers and women by integrating them into a global value chain, leading to sustainabledevelopment, poverty alleviation, and value creation. This paper focuses on assessing thechallenges and opportunities and makes an original contribution to the study of shared value byexplicitly linking with the sustainable BOP thinking.

Purpose – The aim of this article is to introduce values linked to Corporate Governance (CG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through S-D logic by focusing on how values shape actors’ resource integration, value co-creation and the resulting value-in-context. The focus is on how values enables and constrains the creation of value-in-context and thus a sustainable service business. We also focus on the interdependencies between CG and CSR to describe and analyse how core company values are embedded the company’s social and environmental responsibilities, which are aligned with customers’ and other stakeholders’ values.

Methodology/approach – Based on a literature review and interpretations of three comparative case studies of values-based companies (IKEA, H&M and Starbucks), the paper draws together a conceptual analysis of how corporate governance and CSR are of great importance in ‘converting’ values into capabilities and value-creating actions. The present exploratory study undertakes an investigation of the role of CG and CSR as resources in S-D logic.

Findings – The results show how the integration of corporate governance, social and environmental responsibility, and the norms and values of a dynamic company culture contribute to resource integration, value co-creation and a deeper understanding of value-in-context. The study also shows that mere recognition of the actors viewed as a social resource integrating other actors. This is to allow full integration of resources in the companies’ value networks, especially in the contemporary globalised world. The paper contributes by showing how values linked to CG and CSR shape actors’ resource integration within service and social systems and thus value co-creation and the resulting value-in-context.

Research implications – The notion that a service culture, grounded in company core values based on CG and CSR, drives business development has not been empirically examined in any great detail. There is a need to deepen understanding of the role of values linked to CG and CSR in relation to business ethics and how these values shape social processes in a global value network. Values resonance and values dissonance may have a major impact in resource integration, value co-creation and value-in-context. Actors are social integrators of resources. Social forces shape their value creating activities in their social reality. These ongoing social processes can be seen as values-in-context where CSR business cases are of great importance in converting values into capabilities and value creating actions.

Practical implications –The study has also shown that CG and CSR are not merely systems of command and control, but are essential for resource integration and steering and navigating to secure sustainable service business development. Three companies have been selected as our host cases: IKEA, Starbucks, and H&M. These companies have innovative entrepreneurs and distinctive business models which also include social and environmental perspectives to better understand innovative service businesses. These perspectives have been retained and developed over the decades through dissemination of the entrepreneur’s values throughout their organisations. The values have been further developed into CSR business cases as a driving force for service innovation.

Originality/value – This is a fundamental study because it shows how values linked to CG and CSR shape actors’ resource integration within service and social systems and thus further value co-creation and the resulting value-in-context. It has been shown this based on “why and how”—by understanding how value is created and networked and by integrating value co-creation with the embedded on societal and environmental perspectives to secure sustainable service business.

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine whether the process of organisational change inimplementing the environmental quality standard ISO 14001 can act as a driving force for sustainabledevelopment (SD) and value creation.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper first presents an analysis of the concepts of: the ISO14000 environmental management system (EMS); SD; values-based value creation; and service quality.These concepts are then applied in a case study of organisational change at Flu¨gger AB (Sweden), acompany that has undergone a comprehensive transformation process based on ISO 14001 over aperiod of more than ten years.

Findings – The study reveals that ISO 14001 certification can be used as an active tool for promotingcomprehensive organisational changes leading to SD and value creation.

Research limitations/implications – The single case-study design of the present research doesnot enable empirical generalisations to be made. Future research in this area should focus ongeneralising the present findings by studying the development and integration of values-basedthinking in other empirical settings.

Practical implications – The study provides useful insights into the successful adoption of ISO14000 EMS as an active tool for SD and value creation.

Originality/value – The paper makes an original contribution to the study of holistic organisationalchange by explicitly linking the adoption of an EMS with values-based thinking and sustainability.