The retail sector represents 31% of the GDP and employs billions of people worldwide, with hypermarkets and supermarkets currently accounting for 35% of direct retail sales globally. Retailers exert a significant influence on sustainability issues due to their position in the supply chain between producers and customers (Wilson, 2015). While it is well known about economic, environmental and social features of sustainability management, considerably less is known about sustainability management and reporting of retailers, particularly in the Baltic countries.
The aim of this project is to organize a series of events assigned to foster German-Baltic cooperation in research of drivers of sustainability management and sustainability reporting in retailing companies.
This would be the 1st step of a wider research agenda, i.e. to share knowledge and to conduct a pilot study on drivers (general and sector-specific) influencing retailers’ sustainability management and reporting.
Project funding:
This project of the Baltic-German University Liaison Office is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic Germany.
Project results:
1. Kick-off meeting (workshop) for developing research design, 11/12-04-2019, HSHL, Germany.
2. Open lecture for International management students, 11-04-2019, HSHL, Germany. Guest speaker: prof. dr. Lina Dagilienė (“Sustainable development and retailing”), discussant practitioner from retailing business (Germany).
3. Open seminar on Drivers of retailers’ sustainability management and reporting, 01/02-10-2019, KTU, Lithuania.
4. Lectures for Audit and accounting study program master students and other study program’s students, 01/02-10-2019, KTU, Lithuania. Potential speakers: prof. dr. Toomas Haldma (TU, Estonia), prof. dr. Judith Putter (HSHL, Germany).
Period of project implementation: 2019-03-01 - 2019-10-15
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
Project partners: Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, University of Tartu (UT), University of Latvia
