Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Steven Tippins

Abstract

Small and medium-scale enterprises contribute 49% of the gross domestic product in Nigeria. The lack of research studies on how small and medium-scale enterprises integrate corporate sustainability into their business operations might present challenges for policymakers in achieving Nigeria’s sustainable development goals (SDG). The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore how managers of small and medium-scale enterprises integrate the corporate sustainability dimensions into their business operations based on the concepts of the corporate entity, corporate nature, and corporate obligations. The central research question of this study was how managers of small and medium-scale enterprises integrate the economic, social, and environmental sustainability dimensions. Data were collected through online interviews of 12 managers with a minimum of relevant sustainability management experience using purposive sampling strategies. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed through Giorgi’s phenomenological method. Significant findings showed that managers integrate sustainability through sustainable supply chain practices, regulatory compliance, organizational culture change, inclusive governance, and innovation. The results could contribute to positive social change by enhancing policies towards achieving SDGs in developing countries like Nigeria.

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