A review of literature in modeling approaches for sustainable development
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paper_title: Insights into triple bottom line integration from a learning organization perspective

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Purpose – The notion of sustainability has been evolving and is increasingly understood to encompass considerations of economic viability, as well as environmental sustainability and social responsibility. The paper seeks to explore how linking these seemingly disparate pillars of sustainability may be facilitated through a management orientation supporting continual adaptability and learning.Design/methodology/approach – Literature review and critical analysis.Findings – The relevance of core organizational learning characteristics to different aspects of sustainability performance is outlined. The paper generally supports the view that a heightened propensity for learning ensures that organizations are better equipped for meeting the challenge of triple bottom line integration.Originality/value – Linking two traditionally separate and encapsulated areas of research, namely the area of corporate sustainability and the area of learning organizations/organizational learning.
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paper_title: Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business

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Introduction - is capitalism sustainable? seven revolutions for sustainable capitalism revolution 1 - competition - going for the triple win revolution 2 - values - from me to we revolution 3 - information and transparency - no hiding place revolution 4 - lifecylces - from conception to resurrection revolution 5 - partnerships - after the honeymoon revolution 6 - time - three scenarios revolution 7 - corporate governance - stake in the future the sustainability transition - value shifts, value migrations the worlds of money and power the sustainability audit - how are you placed?
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paper_title: Analysing trade-offs in container loading: combining load plan construction heuristics with agent-based simulation

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In this paper we describe two operations research techniques, cutting and packing optimisation (CPO) and simulation, and present a multi-methodology approach for analysing the trade-offs between loading efficiency and various important practical considerations in relation to the cargo, such as its stability, fragility or possible cross-contamination between different types of items over time. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by considering a situation where the items to be loaded have differing degrees of perishability and where badly deteriorated items can affect those in their immediate vicinity (e.g. through the spread of mould). Our approach uses the output of the CPO algorithms to create agents that simulate the spread of mould through proximity-based interactions between the agents. The results show the trade-offs involved in container utilisation and the propagation of mould, without evidence of any correlation between them. The contribution of this research is the methodology and the feasibility study.
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paper_title: Value chain analysis using hybrid simulation and AHP

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Abstract This paper presents a novel approach that integrates the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique, system dynamics (SD), and discrete-event simulation (DES) to model the service and manufacturing activities of the global supply chain of a multinational construction equipment corporation. Hybrid SD–DES simulation models offer a practical approach to better model real-life systems and increase confidence in their outcomes. The DES models are developed using the supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model to guide the modeling process. Managers evaluate the competing decision alternatives based on the obtained simulation results of the hybrid models and other qualitative factors using group AHP analysis. This integration enables managers to utilize their own experiences, preferences and qualitative assessments which increases the level of their confidence in the decisions resulting in the maximization of shareholder value.
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paper_title: Applicability of hybrid simulation to different modes of governance in UK healthcare

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Healthcare organizations exhibit both detailed and dynamic complexity. Effective and sustainable decision-making in healthcare requires tools that can comprehend this complexity. Discrete event simulation (DES) due to its ability to capture detail complexity is widely used for operational decision making. However at the strategic level, System Dynamics (SD) with its focus on a holistic perspective and its ability to comprehend dynamic complexity has advantages over DES. Appreciating the complexity of healthcare, the authors have proposed the use of hybrid simulation in healthcare. As argued previously, effective decision making require tools which are capable of comprehending both detail and dynamic interactions of healthcare. The interactions in the organizations are governed by the governance design. In appreciation of that argument the authors have described the applicability of a hybrid approach to various modes of governance in UK healthcare.
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paper_title: APPLICATION OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH WITHIN THE UK HEALTHCARE CONTEXT

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Operations Research (OR) techniques enable decision makers and stakeholders to analyse and evaluate strategies for effective operations management of sophisticated systems. Healthcare systems are an example of such complex systems, and therefore it comes as no surprise that an increasing number of healthcare-focussed OR studies have been reported in literature over the years. Although several studies have profiled literature in healthcare modelling and simulation (Katsaliaki and Mustafee, 2011; Brailsford et al., 2009; Jun et al., 1999), there is currently no study that has methodologically reviewed the application of OR in healthcare. The objective of this paper, therefore, is to synthesise extant literature in healthcare OR by classifying papers based on OR technique, application category, healthcare speciality, among others. The scope of this review paper is limited to OR studies undertaken in the UK. One interesting finding of this study is that the application of OR in the UK healthcare system does not cover a wide range of OR techniques and methods; from among 70 papers that are included in this review, about 80% discuss simulation techniques. Our review also reveals that approx. 37% of the studies have employed multiple OR techniques for realising the stated objectives and that simulation is one of the methods included in these studies.
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paper_title: Treating ailing emergency departments with simulation: An integrated perspective

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The same problems occur, and receive press attention, in hospital Emergency Departments all over the world. Patient waiting times are increasing. It is difficult to find the right mix of senior and specialist staff at the right time. There is a lack of effective early warning systems to give nearby hospitals time to gear up for flow-on emergency presentations to avoid the "domino effect". In this paper we present a comparative analysis of both Discrete-Event Simulation and System Dynamics approaches to Emergency Department (ED) planning and management. It is emphasized that as the relative strenghts and limitations of both approaches are, in fact, complementary, there is much to be gained by integrating these two approaches into a unified framework. We argue that the integrated simulation models can not only assist in dealing with internal efficiency issues within the ED walls, but also can provide better understanding of system-wide factors beyond the immediate control of the ED manager. The argument is illustrated by simulation case studies of EDs in the UK and Australia.
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paper_title: A framework for multi-resolution modeling of sustainable manufacturing

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This paper proposes a multi-resolution framework for application of system dynamics modeling to sustainable manufacturing. Sustainable manufacturing involves interaction of four complex systems namely manufacturing, environmental, financial, and social domains. The proposed framework integrates model components corresponding to the four major domains. Conceptual models are proposed at two levels of resolution for each of the four domains with models provided in this paper for the manufacturing domain.
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paper_title: Monitoring for sustainable development : a systemic framework

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'Sustainable development' is a widely used, but less practised, complex term. Using the idea of 'Viability Loops' (VL) based on a System Dynamics (SD) approach and considering sustainability as an ideal for development efforts, this paper argues that sustainable development should be considered as an unending process rather than a state. Thus, a systemic framework is proposed to 'monitor' systems for sustainable development, rather than 'measuring' their sustainability. Then, it is shown that a set of theoretically anticipated VL, in the form of a market-technology balancing mechanism, do not function in practice owing to a lack and/or distortion of information.
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paper_title: Towards Sustainable Operations Management Integrating Sustainability Management into Operations Management Strategies and Practices

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Sustainability is an increasingly relevant issue for a wide range of organizations, and therefore sustainability management strategies and practices are of growing significance. Because many sustainability impacts are strongly influenced by operations management decisions it is critical that the operations management function embraces the requirements of sustainability management. This has implications for decisions and processes associated with all aspects of operations management including strategy, design, planning and control, and improvement. For example, appropriate environmental and social performance objectives, targets and indicators need to be integrated with quality, cost and other more conventional performance measures. The closed loop supply chain perspective must be adopted and the requirements of other stakeholders in addition to the customer must drive operations decisions. The scope of any given “operation” is thereby expanded considerably and the nature of the operations management role altered, with implications both for the professional development of managers and the research needed to support the manager in this changed role.
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paper_title: A systematic review of the use of economic evaluation in local decision-making.

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OBJECTIVES ::: In view of resource scarcity, decisions have to be made on the optimal allocation of resources and one possible option in health care is economic evaluation. Little is known, however, about the use of economic evaluation. The objectives of this review were to assimilate the empirical evidence on this topic, discuss the main findings, and explore the possible need for further work needed in this area. ::: ::: ::: METHODS ::: A total of 40 studies were included in the review from a range of countries. A systematic search strategy was used and data from papers were extracted in a systematic way. ::: ::: ::: RESULTS ::: Pharmacists and clinicians in the US are the most frequently sampled group and postal surveys was the most commonly used method. Despite some positive findings, in most cases there appear to be obstacles to the extensive use of economic evaluation in decision-making. Obstacles can be linked to three factors: (1) institutional and political; (2) cultural; (3) methodological factors associated with economic evaluation itself. ::: ::: ::: CONCLUSION ::: There has clearly been an increase in the use of economic evaluation over time, especially in the UK, whereas the US appears to have a deep rooted disfavour of the approach. However, there is still little known about the exact influence of economic evaluation at the local level. Whilst work conducted to date has been valuable in providing information about use and barriers to use, further qualitative work is needed to enrich and explain some of the findings from this review.
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paper_title: Information systems for sustainable development

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This title provides a survey on approaches to information systems supporting sustainable development in the private or public sector. It also documents and encourages the first steps of environmental information processing towards this more comprehensive goal.
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paper_title: Systems approach to corporate sustainability - A general management framework

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Corporate sustainability is not just a buzzword—for many industry leaders and corporations, it has become an invaluable tool for exploring ways to reduce costs, manage risks, create new products, and drive fundamental internal changes in culture and structure. However, integrating sustainability thinking and practice into organizational structure is not a trivial task and it requires a vision, commitment and leadership. It also requires a systems approach with an appropriate management framework that enables design, management and communication of corporate sustainability policies. This paper proposes a general framework for a Corporate Sustainability Management System (CSMS) which enables translation of the general principles of sustainable development into corporate practice by providing a systematic, step-by-step guidance towards a more sustainable business. Developed in collaboration with industry, it is designed to help improve the triple bottom line through sustainable economic development and environmental protection, while encouraging socially responsible business values. To facilitate an easier integration into the organizational structure, the CSMS follows the familiar models of Total Quality and Environmental Management Systems. While in principle applicable to industry in general, the system is flexible enough to be adapted to the specific needs of individual companies and the contexts in which they operate. Application of the CSMS is illustrated on suitable examples throughout.
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paper_title: Implementing Industrial Sustainability: The Research Issues in Technology Management

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This paper ties together issues in the implementation of industrial sustainability and the contribution that technology management research has to offer. The idea of sustainability seems to be slowly attracting more attention. Discussion occurs not only amongst world governments, academics and NGOs, but also in industry. Industrial sustainability now appears to be moving up the management agenda in many organisations. Corporate reputation and shareholder value may be at stake for organisations which cannot demonstrate a rational position on sustainability. However, despite this increasing awareness, in practice there are a number of barriers to the implementation of industrial sustainability ideas. For a start, it is unclear what industrial sustainability means in practical terms. The business case for implementation is often built on individual conviction or motivational case examples, rather than being grounded in solid theory with associated frameworks, guidelines and tools. Particular challenges facing organisations include the choice of appropriate product and process technologies, lifecycle valuation techniques, changing employee and other stakeholder mindsets, and possibly most importantly, creating a new business model altogether. In light of these issues, this paper sets out to review the contribution that technology management research can make towards the effective implementation of industrial sustainability. Considerations include the cross-functional and cross-organisational issues of implementation - bringing together various business units and functions within a company, and the many players in a supply chain, with the goal of improving environmental, social and economic performance in parallel. There is a need to develop new methods for technology valuation which integrate the concept of triple bottom line accountability and existing technology strategy in organisations could be extended, to include the wider set of values that underpin the concepts of industrial sustainability. The critical research needs for this to be achieved are identified.
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paper_title: Shifting Paradigms for Sustainable Development: Implications for Management Theory and Research

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Modern management theory is constricted by a fractured epistemology. which separates humanity from nature and truth from morality. Reintegration is necessary if organizational science is to support ecologically and socially sustainable development. This article posits requisites of such development and rejects the paradigms of conventional technocentrism and antithetical ecocentrism on grounds of incongruence. A more fruitful integrative paradigm of “sustaincentrism” is then articulated, and implications for organizational science are generated as if sustainability, extended community, and our Academy mattered.
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paper_title: Navigating towards sustainable development: A system dynamics approach

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Traditional fragmented and mechanistic science is unable to cope with issues about sustainability, as these are often related to complex, self-organizing systems. In the paper, sustainable development is seen as an unending process defined neither by fixed goals nor by specific means of achieving them. It is argued that, in order to understand the sources of and the solutions to modern problems, linear and mechanistic thinking must give way to non-linear and organic thinking, more commonly referred to as systems thinking. System Dynamics, which operates in a whole-system fashion, is put forward as a powerful methodology to deal with issues of sustainability. Examples of successful applications are given. Any system in which humans are involved is characterized by the following essential system properties: Bounded rationality, limited certainty, limited predictability, indeterminate causality, and evolutionary change. We need to resort to an adaptive approach, where we go through a learning process and modify our decision rules and our mental models of the real world as we go along. This will enable us to improve system performance by setting dynamic improvement goals (moving targets) for it. Finally, it is demonstrated how causal loop diagrams can be used to find the leverage points of a system. (Less)
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Title: A Review of Literature in Modeling Approaches for Sustainable Development
Section 1: INTRODUCTION AND MOTIVATION
Description 1: This section introduces the importance of sustainability in organizations and the complexity of modeling sustainable systems. It highlights the use of various computer simulation techniques and the concept of hybrid M&S.

Section 2: THE CHALLENGE OF MODELING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Description 2: This section discusses the complexities and difficulties inherent in modeling sustainability, including varying definitions and interpretations of the concept.

Section 3: METHODOLOGY FOR LITERATURE REVIEW
Description 3: This section explains the systematic literature review methodology used to gather and filter relevant academic papers on the use of simulation for sustainability.

Section 4: RESULTS
Description 4: This section presents the findings of the literature review, categorizing simulation techniques, aspects of TBL being modeled, and application areas.

Section 5: DISCUSSION
Description 5: This section delves into the implications of the results, discussing the challenges of balancing the economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainability and proposing hybrid M&S as a solution.

Section 6: CONCLUSION
Description 6: This section summarizes the research findings, underscores the key points discussed, and concludes the paper.