Research Methodology

In order to identify the most relevant KPIs that allow integrating sustainability into a company's strategy, the study was conducted with two data sources, SLR and survey.


Literature Review Procedure

We followed this method to ensure a rigorous process involving all authors during the research steps of the analysis. The main database that we searched was Scopus. The keywords used for the selection of articles were as follows: "Sustainability" or "Environmental" or "Social", or "SBSC" or "Sustainable", and "KPI" or "Key Performance Indicator" or "Index" or "Benchmark" in the article title, abstract, and keywords. Only peer-reviewed articles written in English were selected, excluding, for example, book chapters, doctoral dissertations, and research reports. In particular, we eliminated duplications and excluded papers if they were published in journals not focused on business management and accounting or economics. In the first step of our research, we obtained a total of 971 papers from the initial search. In the second step, we analyzed each paper's title, abstract, and keywords to decide whether or not to include the paper for further analysis. We selected only papers that focused on the role of KPIs in sustainability dimensions. In order to ensure validity and reliability of checks done in selecting the abstracts, the authors worked together following a specific procedure. For example, all authors skimmed the abstracts. Then they worked separately reading these papers and reported their main contents on a detailed table. An initial review of 971 papers netted 179 studies that we considered were in the field of research. In the last screening evaluation, the selection was based on the full text by examining the contents in depth, to ensure that all selected papers specifically focused on sustainability issues related to KPIs used in order to lead companies in the value creation process. Based on this approach, 82 papers were finally identified and analyzed (Figure 1). The time period chosen for searching the most relevant articles was from 1999 to 2019. This period confirmed a steady increase in the emphasis on sustainability dimensions to support strategic management tools and therefore PMSs.

Figure 1. Systematic analysis results.



Survey Methodology

In order to reinforce our contribution to the literature and provide the practical implications of our model, we selected a sample of managers who specialized in KPIs used in sustainable development. The managers played a fundamental role in providing suggestions for future research based their experience in the field. Using LinkedIn and personal contacts, we sent a first questionnaire, composed of 10 questions, to 97 managers in order to identify some of their basic information and their experience with KPIs and sustainability issues. The survey was divided into two parts: the first was aimed at revealing demographic aspects, and the second was aimed at determining obtaining about knowledge of the SBSC and use of sustainability dimensions and indicators. We obtained a total of 64 responses and selected only managers with a high level of experience (more than 5 years using KPIs connected to sustainability dimensions); their ages ranged from 40 to 60 years. Our final sample was composed of 25 managers who confirmed their availability to be interviewed (Figure 2). We informed managers by e-mail of the main purposes of our study. In the second step of this process, we interviewed our sample managers. Each interview, by phone or Skype, lasted 32 minutes on average (ranging from 25 to 39 min), and all were transcribed and coded for analysis. The interview questionnaire was composed of five sections, aimed to (1) identify the strategic goals to include in each sustainability dimension; (2) select the appropriate KPIs for each goal; (3) identify possible competitive advantages from implementing a sustainable strategy; (4) understand how the managers evaluate performance in terms of sustainability value creation; and (5) analyze the role of the SBSC in accounting for these dimensions. All data were analyzed by categorizing the responses into major conceptual macro areas. Finally, we improved the validity of the process by asking the respondents to check their transcribed interviews for the information obtained and to highlight possible errors. At the same time, we triangulated all data obtained by the interviews and the secondary data.

Figure 2. Sample selection results.