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Received: 15 February 2022 Revised: 31 March 2022 Accepted: 12 April 2022
DOI: 10.1002/csr.2287

RESEARCH ARTICLE

The three pillars of sustainability and agile project


management: How do they influence each other

Francisco José Gomes Silva1,2 | Konstantinos Kirytopoulos3 |


1,2 1,2 4
Luis Pinto Ferreira | José Carlos Sá | Gilberto Santos |
Maria Carolina Cancela Nogueira1

1
Mechanical Engineering Department, ISEP -
School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, Abstract
Porto, Portugal Companies face new challenges needing to find ways to stand out from the competi-
2
INEGI - Instituto de Ciência e Inovação em
tors. All companies face new projects, which need to be managed assertively and
Engenharia Mecânica e Engenharia Industrial,
Porto, Portugal faster, launching new products on the market ahead of competitors. This strategy
3
Sector of Industrial Management and requires enormous dexterity and agility within teams, which are increasingly multifac-
Operations Research, NTUA – School of
Mechanical Engineering, Athens, Greece eted, multidisciplinary, and multifunctional. However, teams need to conciliate appar-
4
Industrial and product design department, ent freedom for creation with the sustainability rules, which are increasingly
School of Design, Polytechnic Institute Cavado
demanding, such as legislation and image that companies want to pass on to the mar-
Ave, Barcelos, Portugal
ket in terms of corporate social responsibility, ensuring a sustainable development of
Correspondence
the companies. The goal of this work is to investigate and correlate agile project man-
Gilberto Santos, Polytechnic Institute Cavado
Ave, Campus do IPCA, Barcelos, Portugal. agement and sustainability, taking into account that there are strong relationships, as
Email: gsantos@ipca.pt
well as to learn how agile project management affects organization's social, environ-
mental, and economical dynamics from the triple bottom line standpoint. The
research examines how agile project management ideas are connected to the triple
bottom line concepts based on the literature. The framework was based on the theo-
retical assumptions underpinning the present research. The basic structure of the
developed framework is based on the framework of a matrix-based method for
ordering and synthesizing data. Thus, network diagrams have been developed rep-
roducing the links existing in the literature, both explicitly and implicitly. However,
they were deeply expanded considering links not previously referred in the literature.
An explanation about these new links is also provided, justifying their inclusion.
Hence, the new diagrams offer a more complete landscape about how the adoption
of agile practices in project management can improve sustainability in its different
aspects, and vice-versa. The findings reveal that implementing agile project manage-
ment induces direct effects on an organization's social, economic, and environmental
dynamics of the companies, as well as in their teams, with a favorable effect on all
of them.

KEYWORDS
agile project management, agility, project management, scrum, stakeholder engagement,
sustainability, sustainable development, triple bottom line

Corp Soc Responsib Environ Manag. 2022;29:1495–1512. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/csr © 2022 ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1495
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1496 GOMES SILVA ET AL.

1 | I N T RO DU CT I O N generate profit and simultaneously contribute for the achievement of


social and environmental goals (Carvalho et al., 2019; Hrazdil
Nowadays, the industrial world is very competitive, forcing companies et al., 2021; Lueg & Lueg, 2021; Rebelo et al., 2015; Santos
to show new ways of thinking in order to set apart from the rest et al., 2014). This is achieved through the integration of social respon-
(Balaji et al., 2015). The existing environment, focused only on optimi- sibility, as a strategic investment, at the core of its business strategy in
zation around the production process and associated costs, changed its management instruments and their operations, also adding value to
its direction to a more demanding and broad market, where customers their products (Kucharska & Kowalczyk, 2018).
are looking for customized products/services appropriate to their new Considering the previously mentioned factors, the goal of this
needs and ways of thinking. Based on some inability of the companies paper is to carry out a structured analysis of the literature, allowing
to quickly respond and adapt to the new aforementioned require- the development of a framework pointing out the significance of APM
ments of the market, a new paradigm emerged, the agile production to the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic, and
supported by the agile project management (APM). This implies a social) and how agile practices influence these sustainability pillars
strong adaptability and speed of response by the main management within the companies.
body of the companies, following the market trends as well, dealing
with the assertiveness of current consumers looking for new products
and services (Shewchuk, 1998). 2 | LI T E RA T U R E RE V I E W
Because of their emphasis on business benefit, solid stakeholder
involvement and quick incorporation of changing requirements, agile APM has as focus managing customer needs and evolving their needs
methodologies are becoming more and more important in the current by using short development cycles (iterations) and continuous change,
context (Kasauli et al., 2021; Kussunga & Ribeiro, 2019). Even though, adapting all the way as it is developed through the project life cycle
when using agile methodologies there is an upgrade on companies' pro- (Barlow et al., 2011; Nogueira, 2021).
duction system and, due to that, an overall quality improvement of the The main change during the implementation of agility in a com-
products can be observed (Costa et al., 2019; Rodrigues et al., 2019; Sá pany is at the organizational structure level. People present a key role
et al., 2020; Santos et al., 2021). However, perfection is unattainable. in the company development and in their own projects, thus, training
Thus, forced by legislation and the increasingly attentive look of con- is essential to allow teams to prevent obstacles to the company's agil-
sumers, companies find in sustainability a new way to get closer to the ity (Ventura, 2007). According to agile production practices, tasks can
consumer, making company policies and communication more transpar- be sorted into fields or departments and then cross-functional teams
ent (Silva & Gouveia, 2020). Through these policies, companies show to are formed to perform the activities of each area (Cabral et al., 2012;
the society in general, and the market in particular, the respect they Diebold et al., 2019).
have for the social and environmental pillars of sustainability, since the Agility is conceptualized to include and go beyond both flexibility
economic pillar was the one that all companies had previously sought and leanness (Dingsøyr et al., 2012). According to Conboy
to improve in a continuous and growing way. The sustainability subject (Conboy, 2009), flexibility relates to the ability of a systems develop-
is a reality and a necessity for everyone in all areas, as environmental ment method to “create change, or proactively, reactively, or inher-
aggressions that cause climate change keep on growing, and due to the ently embrace change in a timely manner, through its internal
necessity to take measures to overcome such situations (Faraz components and its relationships with its environment.” Moreover,
et al., 2021; Labuschagne et al., 2005; Lee et al., 2013). The application leanness captures the “contribution to perceived customer value
of sustainability in management has been considered of great impor- through economy, quality, and simplicity.”
tance for the success of the business, giving rise to a series of studies The existence of a massive time lag between business require-
whose have identified positive correlations between sustainability, the ments and the delivery of technology in the 1990s lead to a frustra-
company's success and company's image (Hansen et al., 2009; Teixeira tion in the industry world. Projects were being canceled and, in some
et al., 2021; Teixeira et al., 2022). This reason, combined with the goals cases, the final product did not meet the previously supposed need.
set by the United Nations (Sustainable Development Goals (2015)); The Waterfall model was the basis for the software development
Diaz-Sarachaga, 2021), can explain the reason why sustainability and models at that time; however, this model did not let to meet the fast
sustainable development have become the focus for many companies. requirements changes. The Agile Manifesto and the 12 Principles of
For a company to be considered sustainable it is necessary to consider Agile Software were the outcomes of these problems (Bermejo
the impact of its activities on the environment, trying to reduce them et al., 2014).
and, consequently, developing social actions that benefit both its Traditional methods considered change as an expense, so they
employees and the society (Fourati & Dammak, 2021; Gangi had to be avoided. The intention was to develop detailed, elaborate
et al., 2020; Karwowski & Raulinajtys-Grzybek, 2021; Santos plans, with a defined set of features considering everything. With
et al., 2018; Santos-Jaén et al., 2021). Agile, the small-time iteration means that priorities can be shifted
It is important to refer that sustainable development is an evolu- from iteration to iteration and new features can be added into the
tionary and systematic process. It is expected that when incorporated next iteration. Agile point of view is that changes will always provide
into the companies' management techniques, it will be possible to additional value, which will improve the project (Beck et al., 2013).
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GOMES SILVA ET AL. 1497

Regarding different goals, various Agile Frameworks have T A B L E 1 List of works considered establishing relationships
been developed, and each has their own terminology and struc- between agile project management practices and each sustainability
pillar.
ture. The framework to be utilized will be determined by the busi-
ness orientation. Many specialized frameworks have a generic Works considered regarding relationships between
structure that can be split into three groups: Roles, Processes, and Sustainability agile project management practices and each
pillar sustainability pillar
Products. There are at least four key responsibilities in most of the
Social Anseel (2017); Aarseth et al. (2017); Boyer
frameworks: the customer, the team, the agile lead and the stake-
et al. (2016); Brito et al. (2018); Ciccullo
holders (Musura, 2016).
et al. (2018); Fuior (2019); Koch &
One of the most used agile methodologies is Scrum. Scrum is a Shermuly (2020); Laanti et al. (2011);
framework for delivering, developing, and sustaining complex prod- Mathiyazhagan et al. (2021); Miceli et al. (2021);
Musura (2016); Pato  n-Romero et al. (2019);
ucts. It is a single-team process outline used to manage product devel-
Plonka (1997); Rola et al. (2016); Labuschagne
opment that runs on time-boxes with consistent durations, usually
et al. (2005); Purvis et al. (2019)
called ‘sprints’, where a potentially releasable increment of product is
Economic Ahern et al. (2014); Aarseth et al. (2017); Alqudah &
produced. It consists of Scrum roles, artifacts, and rules (Freitas Razali (2017); Antlova (2014); Arashpour
et al., 2020; Lei et al., 2017; Schwaber & Sutherland, 2017). Scrum is et al. (2017); Balaji et al. (2015); Brandl
based on a team composed by three scrum roles: Product Owner, et al. (2018); Cabral et al. (2012); Carvalho &
Rabechini (2017); Clark & Eisenberg (2008);
Development Team, and the Scrum Master.
Diebold et al. (2019); Dubey (2016); Estoque &
The term sustainability, despite not having a specific definition, Murayama (2014); Fuior (2019);
became popular after the appearance of the concept of sustainable Gunasekaran (1998); Khan et al. (2019); Kim
development in the Brundtland Report in 1987, and after that many et al. (2010); Laanti et al. (2011); Madan Shankar
et al. (2017); Mathiyazhagan et al. (2021); Miceli
definitions have appeared (Basile et al., 2021; Gupta et al., 2018;
et al. (2021); Papke-Shields & Boyer-
Ruggerio, 2021). Sustainability is not just environmentalism; it is also  n-Romero et al. (2019);
Wright (2017); Pato
necessary to bear in mind economic development and social equity Perera et al. (2014); Petersen & Wohlin (2009);
(Ostrom, 2009; Talapatra et al., 2019). This concept presents a highly Ramesh & Devadasan (2007); Satyro et al. (2021);
positive connotation, and when combined its three dimensions form Shewchuk (1998); Schuh, Dölle, et al. (2018);
Schuh, Rebentisch, et al. (2018); Schuh
what is currently known as the tripod of the sustainability, that is also
et al. (2017); Serrador & Pinto (2015); Sherehiy
known as “the triple bottom line” (TBL) (Boyer et al., 2016). It is criti- et al. (2007); Spiegler et al. (2019); Stanitsas &
cal that the three pillars of sustainability interact in a harmonic man- Kirytopoulos (2021); Stanitsas et al. (2021);
ner, because sustainability cannot exist without these three pillars. Stare (2014); Ullah et al. (2020); Purvis
et al. (2019); Zgodavova et al. (2020)
One of the pillars depicts an environment in which sustainability is
Environmental Balaji et al. (2015); Cabral et al. (2012); Ciccullo
implemented, while each is reliant on the other for survival (Ranjbari
et al. (2018); Clark & Eisenberg (2008); Kim
et al., 2021). The TBL, as said before, is based on the three pillars of et al. (2010); Mathiyazhagan et al. (2021); Miceli
sustainability, economical pillar, environmental pillar, and social pillar. et al. (2021); Perera et al. (2014); Labuschagne
The TBL seeks to measure the financial, social, and environmental per- et al. (2005); Bravi et al. (2020); Carvalho
et al. (2019); Faraz et al. (2021); Purvis
formance of a company over time. It is one of the best indicators on
et al. (2019); Silva & Gouveia (2020); Teixeira
how sustainable the business is, and how profitable it truly is
et al. (2021); Teixeira et al. (2022)
(Stanitsas & Kirytopoulos, 2021). It is possible to determine how close
or far a firm is to being sustainable using these pillars that evaluate its
sustainability (Teixeira et al., 2022). As a result, a sustainable company
is one that, at the end of its evaluation, maintained or promoted activ- environmental regulations when utilizing water and energy (Santos,
ities to increase its development level in the three areas (Gimenez Rebelo, & Santos, 2017; Silva et al., 2014; Silva, Ferreira, et al., 2012;
et al., 2012). Silva, Ribeiro, & de Oliveira Reise, 2012), reduce liquid effluent and
The economical pillar is concerned with the manufacture, distri- solid waste emissions, recycle trash, invest in biodiversity, and pre-
bution, and consumption of commodities and services. In short, it is serve the environment (Bravi et al., 2020; Fonseca et al., 2021; Purvis
directly related to the profit, to the positive economic-financial result et al., 2019; Vieira et al., 2021).
of a company. When thinking about TBL, it is essential that this pillar The social pillar is related to the development of human capital,
bear in mind the aspects of the other two pillars, that is, there is no such as the production of tools to improve people’ quality of life, laws
point in profiting from deforesting (Bueno & Salvador, 2012; Silva, to support population needs, and the development of better policies
Ferreira, et al. (2012); Silva, Ribeiro, and de Oliveira Reise (2012). in areas such as education, leisure and security. Furthermore, to pro-
The environmental pillar is based on a variety of approaches to mote the personal and collective development of all employees
environmental preservation, natural resource conservation, and the engaged, it is critical to create an environment that encourages real
reduction of environmental damage over time (Santos, Gouveis, & and healthy work relationships (Ferreira et al., 2022; Morgado
Silva, 2017; Silva & Gouveia, 2020). The company must follow et al., 2019; Purvis et al., 2019).
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1498 GOMES SILVA ET AL.

More recently, a couple of works have emerged that have begun groups: APM related concepts (trust, team leadership, constant value
to establish bridges between agile project management and sustain- delivery, formal methodology, written documentation, shorter tasks,
ability, although still not covering all spectrum of these concepts small teams, daily meetings, iterative process, open mindedness and
(Obradovic et al., 2019; Žužek et al., 2020). creativity), which are directly related to some APM methodological
concepts; other elements (social elements: motivation, stress reduc-
tion, collaboration/communication, commitment/ownership; eco-
3 | M E TH O DO LO GY nomic elements: company-customer relationship management, value
chain, quality management, productivity; environmental elements:
This work has as its focus of analysis 55 case studies, having as time- sustainable consumption of environmental resources, environmental
frame studies from 1997 to 2021 (24 years). There was a special con- policy and management system, commitment, scope, and dissemina-
cern to expand the sample as much as possible, considering both tion of environmental policies and criteria), which are concepts that
industrial and service companies, as agile management has been also cannot be related neither to APM or Sustainability theory; finally, the
widely applied in software development sector. In fact, the works con- concepts that can be related to some of the fundamental aspects of
sulted illustrate perspectives from a wide range of industries and ser- this theory mentioned in the theoretical framework (social aspects:
vices, ranging from the construction sector to the automotive trust, self-organization, meaning making, decision making, learning;
industry, or from the aircraft maintenance services to software devel- economic aspects: stakeholders management, political and public
opment field. The size of the companies varied between medium and management, engagement and innovation, economic performance;
large, not considering studies in small companies due to a greater lack environmental aspects: environmental resources, legislation, environ-
of studies in these companies and the data collected being more mental involvement, certifications and environmental education).
restricted. The articles considered refer to works carried out in differ- The method selected is the network format has been suggested
ent areas of the planet, with a particular focus on Europe and Asia. by Miles and Huberman (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The network dia-
Some difficulties were felt in the search for works that dealt with the gram is composed by a series of boxes, representing the concept,
application of agile methodologies in project management and sus- which are linked by lines with arrows, showing the connections.
tainability, which resulted in some identified gaps, which are devel-
oped through this work. From the case studies analyzed, it was
possible to identify situations or aspects to reflect on their relevance 4 | THEORICAL IMPLEMENTATION
for running a profitable business, or otherwise finding and recognizing
business opportunities, improvements or explore alternative options Based on the previously referred works, it was possible to collect and
rio, 2016).
(Meirinhos & Oso cross the main ideas reported in several published works, grouping
The needs, conditions, and contents of the framework were par- the ideas taken from those works into the convenient directions,
tially derived and collected through a literature review. Table 1 regarding the possible links between the implementation of APM and
intends to illustrate in a structured way which works were considered sustainability. The conceptual study was developed based on an
to extract information with a view to establishing relationships empirical analysis through the collection of elements in several scien-
between each of the sustainability pillars and the different character- tific articles previously pointed out in Table 1.
istics that define the implementation of agile project management.
Explicit and implicit information was considered, taking into account
the ideas developed in each work. This framework was based on the 5 | SOCIAL PILLAR
theoretical assumptions underpinning the present research. The basic
structure of the developed framework is based on the framework of a 5.1 | Decision making
matrix-based method for ordering and synthesizing data proposed by
Bryman & Bell (Bell et al., 2012). This matrix is displayed on the form The decision-making aspect is related to the influence that individuals
diagrams in which an index with the central themes and subthemes have to change or impact on the system. One of the aspects which
are displayed. Resulting on what is recommended in the theory, in the have a strong impact on the capacity to make decisions is “Communi-
present work the index was composed by the main social, economic, cation/Collaboration”, as this is the main process that allows teams to
and environmental aspects that are related with the use of APM in influence decisions on the system around them. In agile, everybody's
organizations. These aspects appear to be interconnected, so they input is important and is considered, so communication is a crucial
were analyzed by using a categorization approach that consists of part of the process.
developing categories that can be related to portions of information The other concepts of agile that seem to influence this aspect are
(Saunders et al., 2019). the shorter tasks, small teams, daily meetings/sprints and the iterative
The sources utilized to name the categories were based on the process. When teams work with shorter tasks, it is easier to make
terms collected from the previous subject analysis, in keeping with the decisions. However, as the process evolves there will be tasks already
exploratory objective and inductive approach of this study (Toljaga- finished and the decisions will be made considering what has already
Nikolic et al., 2020). The categories were grouped into three main been done. The topics talked about in the daily meetings allow the
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GOMES SILVA ET AL. 1499

teams to understand what has already been done and what is missing, 5.4 | Self-organization
facilitating the decision-making process. In addition, agile teams usu-
ally have fewer members and have a bigger focus on the groups, so Self-organized teams are at the core of the 11th APM's principles:
people tend to have a bigger influence because there are fewer opin- “The best architectures, requirements and designs emerge from self-
ions in the group. organizing teams.” This aspect has a direct positive relationship
However, it was also found a negative relationship between the between the team leader's coaching endeavor and the ability of the
shorter tasks (the time to do each task is less than in the normal pro- individuals, or the team, to be self-organized. This aspect is related to
ject management process) and the ability to make decisions. This is the idea of “being independent”, and when the team has a good lead-
explained by the number of tasks that the sprint holds. In order to do ership that coach them, with time they can do their jobs by them-
them, it is hard for developers to have the freedom to do things in selves. Another aspect that also improves self-organization in APM
their own time. environments is Individuals having the ability to influence the process
going on around them.

5.2 | Learning
5.5 | Trust
The capacity to learn and finding new solutions are essential aspects
of the empirical process characterizing APM, and individuals' ability to In APM practices, trust is a central point to promote employees' moti-
learn new skills is critical to the system's long-term viability. Reference vation, to support employees' self-organization capacities, to improve
to the empirical process can be found in the 12th principle of APM: collaboration between the Agile team roles, customer included, and
“At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effec- an indispensable aspect of delivering value regularly. As the quality of
tive, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.” a system's connections, trust allows people to stay together despite
The APM concepts that seem to influence this aspect are the its underlying complexity. It enables organizations to adjust to the
“creativity”, open mindedness, and the iterative process. In APM, ongoing change brought about by the complex adaptive systems that
workers are more encouraged to explore and try new work method- surround them. Trust is also a key component of the Agile mindset, as
ologies and strategies, increasing their creativity, and the iterative evidenced by the fifth principle of the Agile manifesto.
process that brings the opportunity for the individual to reflect on
himself and improve over time. In addition, in Agile it is necessary to
keep an open mind, thus, workers can understand and see some 5.6 | Collaboration/communication
aspects from different angles. Another element that influences this
aspect is “Collaboration/Communication.” The capacity of learning When analyzing the literature, most present Communication/
is increased in APM and the main reason for this is the improve- Collaboration as a central element of the APM methodology because,
ments that APM brings in “Collaboration/Communication” within in agile teams, individuals, instead of working alone in their own
teams. The more collaboration and communication, the more people spaces, team works together, becoming more efficient. This not only
learn from each other because people stop working in their own improves the team's efficiency, but also the relationships with cus-
bubble. tomers. Some specific APM concepts that influence this aspect are
the daily meetings/sprints, because with more frequent meetings the
communication improves, as well as the formal methodology, as it
5.3 | Meaning making helps keeping a closer interaction with customers, facilitating the
communications between them.
When companies work based on agile mindset, the organizations cul- Another factor, which is said to strengthen Communication/
ture is influenced, contributing to empowering creation for individuals Collaboration and is in turn bolstered by it, is Commitment/Owner-
operating within the organization. ship. Agile is characterized by people taking the time to sit down and
To ensure the sustainability of a system, it is necessary not to discuss new ideas and the project development with another col-
degrade the capacity of individuals and teams to create. When a league, contributing by this way to a better workplace atmosphere,
company performs under the APM principles, the constant delivery since everyone is more invested in getting things done and
of value is an important factor, so teams are more aware of work cooperating to share ideas with others.
delivering for the company and corresponding company's reputation
and economical sustainability. Nevertheless, there is also a negative
relationship between the concept of shorter tasks and this aspect. 5.7 | Motivation
Working in shorter tasks can limit the capacity of the team to keep
in mind the broader objectives, and the fact that agile teams are APM is a well-defined formal approach that can encourage individuals
always in a constant cycle that never ends, which may reduce the to work more systematically. Other aspect that influences the motiva-
motivation. tion of the individuals is the iterative nature of APM, and as this has a
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1500 GOMES SILVA ET AL.

direct connection with constantly deliver value, this is another concept Sometimes, it will be hard for companies to adapt to certain cul-
that influences the collaborators' motivation, since teams are more tures, which can lead to stakeholder dissatisfaction. For this reason,
empowered to take decision and to be exposed to new challenges in there is a negative influence between this aspect and the political and
each sprint. These characteristics of an iterative process and consistent public management aspect.
value delivery are linked to a greater sense of responsibility for the pro-
cess, the self-organization aspect, which seems to be an important
aspect of APM that affects the motivation of the individuals. 6.2 | Political and public management
Finally, the last APM concept that influences this aspect is team
leadership because it is the person that manages the team, that is, that The business environment for stimulating entrepreneurial action can
encourages the team members to work. be understood in different ways, including the institutions, public and
political organizations installed, access to consumer markets and the
culture of a particular region or country. The configuration of these
5.8 | Stress reduction elements can facilitate or hinder the emergence of new businesses,
depending on their degree of maturity and the interrelationship
By using Agile methodology, it is expected to only generate the most between economic, political, and public agents, but these become eas-
essential documentation, and this has a positive impact by lowering ier when working with teams with an open mind and high creativity,
the stress levels of the team members. Furthermore, another part of because they can be open to work in every environment and can cre-
APM which is directly related to stress reduction is the practice of ate solutions for every kind of problem.
breaking down work into little and short tasks, so the people are not
carrying a large burden on your shoulders.
Finally, the members of the Agile team have a certain level of 6.3 | Engagement and innovation
power over the decisions and agreements that govern their work,
which helps to reduce stress. This aspect encompasses the indicators of leadership, commitment,
productivity, and innovation. This corroborates with the new business
models, which have emerged with the aim of proposing new, more
5.9 | Commitment/ownership agile ways to acquire products and services. The creative part of Agile
and its iterative process are good solutions to solve this new constant
It is thought that the concepts of commitment, engagement, and interest demand.
could be easily linked, and that the sense of ownership was also Productivity is other aspect that influences this topic. Ecosystems,
employed in a similar way, allowing bundling them all into one core con- as articulators of entrepreneurship, promote an increase in the level
cept. The use of APM's Iterative processes generates individual commit- of entities productivity, influencing the performance of innovation
ment/ownership; in Agile, the collaborators can work on one module, and affecting business processes.
then add a new feature in the following sprint, and so on, being exposed
to new things. Thus, collaborators are engaged in a greater scale.
6.4 | Economic performance

6 | E CO NO M I C P I LL A R The attainment of economic objectives is frequently used to evaluate


an economy's success. This aspect is directly influenced in a positive
6.1 | Stakeholders' management way by the APM concept, if constant value delivery is effectively deliv-
ered. When trying to reach a good economic performance, it is neces-
Corporate sustainability is related to how companies drive their busi- sary to keep the customers happy, because they are the ones that pay
ness. Nowadays, stakeholders expect to see results from their invest- for the companies' services. In addition, if the productivity of a working
ments at least once a quarter. This can happen thanks to continuous team is improved, the economic performance will also improve, as more
value delivery. There also seems to have a strong connection between productivity results in more products/services delivered.
the APM concept of trust and this aspect because trust reduces con-
flicts and, in the event of a crisis, it provides quicker and more effec-
tive responses. Attitudes of showing empathy, acting transparently 6.5 | Company–customer relationship
for the benefit of the other party, and delivering what was promised management
are seen as initiatives to foster trust.
Another connection found was between the stakeholder manage- Managing relationships between customers and companies is a key
ment and the aspect of “Company–Customer relationship manage- part of any business, as customers are the biggest influencers on the
ment.” These are interconnected, and as the costumer is part of the company's growth. As explained above, customers are part of the
stakeholders, what influences one aspect also influences the other. stakeholders, for this reason, all concepts and aspects that influence
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GOMES SILVA ET AL. 1501

stakeholders' management, trust and constant value delivery, will also 7 | E N V I R O N M E N T A L P I LL A R


influence customer management. When customers turn to a company
to create their product, they expect quality, therefore, it is important 7.1 | Environmental resource
to have good quality management. Another APM concept that influ-
ences customer management is creativity, as customers are increas- Environmental resources are the resources available in nature to
ingly looking for differentiated products and work methods, which obtain goods, services, or as human support.
stand out from the rest. In terms of connections between APM concepts and this aspect,
Finally, the iterative process found in agile, and in the constant a negative connection was found with the factor of constant value
exchange of ideas between the work team and customers, is also delivery, as when a team is constantly seeking to produce value and
understood as an influencing concept in customer management. present something, it does not always consider the means to achieve
its end. Therefore, it can lead to an excess and misuse of environmen-
tal resources. However, a positive relationship with the concept of
6.6 | Value chain creativity was also found, since, if the team members are creative,
they may be able to find methods to solve the problems proposed to
A value chain is a business model that outlines the entire process of them by using some resources in an unconventional way and, for this
creating a product or service. The formality of the APM framework reason, protects them. Another link found was with the sustainable
reinforces the value chain, because a good work method helps improv- consumption of environmental resources, as a sustainable use of envi-
ing the process of obtaining the product or service, like the small teams ronmental resources will help to preserve them, and only use what is
and the regular meetings. However, there seems to be a negative rela- necessary without waste.
tion between these aspects and the political and public management, as
said before. Indeed, sometimes companies cannot relate to the cultural
aspects of some regions, so the way they work may not be accepted by 7.2 | Legislation
the communities, influencing the business model.
In terms of legislation, the ISO 14004 standard (International Organiza-
tion for Standardization—ISO) helps the company to recognize the legal
6.7 | Quality management requirements (laws, decrees, supplementary laws, agreements with
environmental inspection bodies, in addition to international standards)
The act of managing all activities and duties required to achieve a applicable to environmental aspects. Thus, a direct relationship was
specified degree of perfection is known as quality management. The found between written documentation and legislation, since by having
team leadership has a big impact in the quality management. If the all the documentation of the production process registered and written,
leader does not fit the right profile required by the company, this can legal problems will be avoided in the future. There is also a connection
take the team threw the wrong path and prevents achieving the with the Environmental Policy and Management System, which, like
desired result. The formal methodology usually used by agile manage- written documentation, positively influences legislation, and by know-
ment also influences the quality management, keeping the customers ing the environmental policies and with a good management system,
up to speed up on how the project is going, and helping to achieve a the teams, as well as the organizations, will be able to keep abreast of
better plan on how to obtain a product like the costumer wants. legislation and, at the same time, they try to comply with them.

6.8 | Productivity 7.3 | Environmental involvement

The amount of output divided by the volume of inputs is frequently Sustainable development has emerged as an influencing, albeit contro-
referred to as productivity. When using APM, the team's productivity versial, aspect for the design of business and policies. It should be
improves in a large scale, as it is stated in several articles. The reasons noted that companies have accepted this pressure, driven mainly by
for this are mainly breaking down the work into small and short tasks, the idea that by transmitting an image of social and environmental
whose will carried out by small teams, as it is easier to organize the responsibility, they can end up generating value and/or advantages
work and, if someone needs help, it will be easier to assist and restart compared to other companies in the market. Another concept that
the work. In addition, the daily meetings help workers to be update influences this aspect is the iterative process. Indeed, during an itera-
about the work that has been done, and to show useful results to the tive process, as previously mentioned, there is a constant improve-
current work on these same meetings. ment of the design, product, or project until the team is satisfied with
Finally, there is a connection between written documentation and the final project deliverable, which can influence the environmental
the productivity. In APM, it is only generated the most essential docu- involvement because, being in constant improvement, it also results in
mentation, so the team knows what to do and do not waste time on finding environmentally friendly solutions that can bring those
unnecessary tasks. improvements.
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1502 GOMES SILVA ET AL.

7.4 | Certifications and environmental education 8 | AUTHORS OVERVIEW

An open-minded team is more likely to learn new things. For this From the review of the existing literature, it was possible to find the
reason, the concept of APM open mindedness positively influences links described above, however, they can be extended in the author's
this aspect. Another relationship found was between environmen- opinion, because other links are missing and can be easily identified.
tal policy and management system with certificates and For this reason, other relationships were considered for the study
environmental education. A company that has a well-defined envi- based on the critical thinking of the authors, which will be mentioned
ronmental policy will automatically seek to maintain an image that in the following paragraphs.
supports it and seeks to keep its company's actions aligned with
the environment. One way to prove this is by having certificates.
In addition, a good management system can influence employees 8.1 | Decision making
to want to improve, increasing their education in environmental
terms. Individuals must change or have some impact on the system before
decisions have been taken. In order to make these changes, it is nec-
essary to explore and look for new solutions to solve problems, and
7.5 | Sustainable consumption of environmental this capacity is directly related to the individuals' creativity. Therefore,
resources creativity can influence the decision-making process. New projects
can be developed, depending on the rules established into the com-
The effective management of natural resources for the benefit of the pany, the competitive spirit between individuals and teams, and also,
entire human community is what sustainable environmental resource the legislation. Furthermore, they can be developed, from a much
usage entails. Good team leadership promotes this same responsible more sustainable perspective, taking into account each of the sustain-
use of environmental resources. The development of projects regard- ability pillars: saving natural resources, choices made with a view to
ing the release of new products must take into account policies to strengthening a circular economy, process automation and ergonomic
reduce the consumption of natural resources, which is easier to concerns in production and/or service provision, and concern for eco-
achieve when all teams are motivated to do so and there is positive nomic sustainability. All APM tools are designed to facilitate this type
rivalry between the different teams of a company. Due to the small of thinking, and frequent interaction with the market tends to encour-
size of teams in APM and the culture and creativity that normally age the strengthening of more sustainable product development.
characterize these teams, it will be much easier to achieve the goals of
reducing the consumption of natural resources.
8.2 | Learning

7.6 | Environmental policy and management Acquiring knowledge is fundamental to improve the work. With the
system daily meetings provided while working with agile, the agility of the
workers increases and the way they work empower their ability to
An environmental policy is a written declaration usually signed by think beyond. In these meetings there are exchange of experiences
the top management, which explains a company's goals and princi- and knowledge from the people into the company, and even with the
ples for controlling the effects and aspects of its operations on the stakeholders. A healthy competition between individuals and teams
environment. Although putting one in place is entirely optional, it is within the usual functioning of APM into the companies will stimulate
highly recommended, because a team with an open mind at work continuous intellectual growth, and the search for the progress of
and with good leadership, will seek to maintain these environmental increasingly sustainable development procedures, which will allow the
policies. company to evolve based on the continuous learning of its human
resources.

7.7 | Commitment, scope and dissemination of


environmental policies and criteria 8.3 | Trust

Protecting the earth's local and global environment, including pollu- Trust can also be written as the feeling of security towards someone
tion prevention, responsible use of natural resources, and proper or something. This is a crucial component for companies to achieve
waste management, is a goal that businesses strive for. Inside the success and can be influenced by many factors. It is just mentioned on
company's production teams, there is a team leader, which can guide the first value of agile, “valuing people is more important that pro-
their teams in order to follow these practices and aim to balance envi- cesses.” When working with agile, the team leader needs to trust the
ronmental protection and conservation of natural resources with team which is working with him/her, and vice versa. Because agile
other policy goals. teams are small, thus, people interact more with each other, getting
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GOMES SILVA ET AL. 1503

knowledge about their coworkers in a deeper way, so it is important 8.6 | Company–customer relationship
that there is a broad trust inside the teams, in order to have a good management
work atmosphere. This trust will allow greater interactivity between
the members of the different teams, stimulating the security of any As it is mentioned on the third value of agile, customer collaboration
individual in the rest of the team and in the solutions that will be is key to a successful project. One way to keep the costumer up to
found in terms of the project. On the other hand, each individual will date to what the team is doing, and how the work is going on, is by
feel more responsible for their decisions, which will make them pay delivering to the costumer the documentation on how the product/
even more attention to the values that the company wants to pro- process is being developed. Therefore, the quality of the information
mote. If stakeholders and company policy are aligned to develop sus- and documentation delivered to the customer and remaining stake-
tainable solutions taking into account the different pillars of holders must be ensured, trying to avoid misunderstandings among
sustainability, the trust of each team member in the rest will add the them at all, which can disturb and delay the agile process (approvals,
necessary responsibility and commitment with the company and the amendments, new requirements, etc.).
team, making them tries to exceed the expectations created around
the development of any project.
The last relation found was between “Commitment/Ownership” 8.7 | Value chain
with trust. Without commitment there is no trust. If the team is not
focus towards the same goal and committed to achieve it in the best In business, value chain describes how products or services are cre-
conditions, it will be much more difficult reach the final product/ ser- ated from start to finish. There is a direct connection between the
vice. Thus, the usual agile atmosphere is proper to overcome these value chain and the economic performance of a company, and vice
kind of difficulties, empowering the necessary trust and commitment versa. If one increases, the other will also improve, and if one
among the members of the teams. decreases, the other will also diminishes. However, the concept of
value must also be observed with regard to sustainability, that is, the
result of each project must also bring clear advantages in terms of sus-
8.4 | Commitment/ownership tainability in relation to the initial product/service, thus ensuring that
the company improves its performance in economic, environmental
It is the authors' opinion that having an open mind work atmosphere and social terms, and not just in economic terms. This is a concern
can influence the commitment of a team. It is necessary to have an that must be constant in APM teams, and that is easily nurtured
open mind to embrace change and, the agile point of view is that through successive meetings and interactions with stakeholders. In
adding value to a project through changes is always a positive thing. this respect, the company's mission must be clearly defined, and con-
This is an important step towards the development of sustainable tinuously followed, and current legislation must be scrupulously
projects. respected.

8.5 | Engagement, innovation, and economic 8.8 | Productivity


performance
As referred before, the literature point out that APM increases pro-
All types of organizations show a strong correlation between engage- ductivity of teams on a large scale. Another aspect of the agile meth-
ment and innovation. A culture of innovation involves fostering a odology that can enhance the productivity of a team is the agile
sense of adventure in its employees, even if there is no guarantee of formal methodology. When companies use APM, teams have a well-
success. Organizations powering innovative ideas benefit even more designed methodology, with well-defined goals and well-defined
from engagement. On the other hand, the greater the degree of inno- strategies to achieve them, which improves productivity. However,
vation used in the development of projects, the greater the chances productivity should not be sought at any price. Sustainability must be
of the project being successful, which translates into better economic one of the key policies to pay attention and it is perfectly possible to
performance. Given that the market is increasingly attentive to envi- conciliate productivity and sustainable principles. Due to the type of
ronmental and social issues, it is expected that these stakeholders will functioning of the APM teams, it will certainly be much easier to
positively influence the agile development of projects in order to maintain fidelity to the principles of sustainability in the development
increase the sustainability of the final products, taking into account of projects.
each of the sustainability pillars.
Thus, engagement, innovation and economic performance are
aspects those interconnect each other directly. Each one will improve 8.9 | Legislation
if the others are improved, and if one decreases, the other will dimin-
ish as well. Thus, it is expected that a positive trend be kept regarding A connection was found between trust and legislation. People may
the positive atmosphere usually created around APM. not agree with the legislation in force, however it is necessary to have
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1504 GOMES SILVA ET AL.

F I G U R E 1 Explanation of the
elements used in the diagram. [Colour
figure can be viewed at
wileyonlinelibrary.com]

a consensus so that the legislation passed and that when working, it is environmental legislation and the management system followed by
possible to trust that the companies will not have future problems. the company, and all collaborators must be aware of the internal rules,
Legislation is not usually the result of a political effort alone, usually following them and ensuring the company success regarding the
having technical principles that support its publication. In addition, the desired policies previously established.
formal methodology will be influenced by the legislation, as the tasks
and how the team will work must follow the legislation.
9 | T HE M O DE L: A R E LA T I O NS N E T WO RK
DI AGR A M
8.10 | Environmental involvement
The resulting concepts are split into three categories: APM concepts
While working with agile, teams are formed with fewer members, (in gray); Organizational or Individual Factors (in yellow); and the
which will make it easier to explain and teach how teams should be Sustainability's Aspects (in blue). The linkages between the concepts
involved in environmental terms, as it is easier to reach people. More- were also classified based on their impact and the “frequency” on
over, the main principles on how to save natural resources and avoid which certain causal relationships were discovered among the various
emissions and effluents is easier to pass to the new members of the works consulted. While the impact indicates whether the elements
team, as well as cross knowledge about passed projects through under consideration have a positive (green arrows) or negative (red
learned lessons. arrows) impact on social/environmental/economic features, the fre-
quency is related to the number of times the relationships or connec-
tions are mentioned on the articles reviewed. In Figure 1 it is
8.11 | Certifications and environmental education explained the elements used in the diagrams.
The network diagrams presented in Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4
In order to obtain certification, the company will have to undergo intend to show the relationships between the factors usually linked to
audits. If the company has all its documentation written or digitalized agile project development and the different aspects of sustainability.
according to the standards, it will be easier to obtain the desired certi- Figure 2 shows the links corresponding to the social pillar of sustain-
fications. When the company's policy is directed towards the princi- ability, Figure 3 shows the links corresponding to the economic com-
ples of sustainable development, certification must follow its own ponent and, finally, Figure 4 shows the links corresponding to the
standards, which are more demanding with regard to the different pil- environmental pillar. The links are established based on the 55 case
lars of sustainability. However, the certification of companies in the studies analyzed, having been added several links that are considered
environmental aspect opens doors to new markets, equally demand- important and have not been previously mentioned in the consulted
ing and responsible, which, when verifying that companies are certi- literature, as explained above. These frameworks summarize and
fied in terms of sustainable development, will feel greater confidence expand the various links found between the use of agile methodolo-
in opting for the products developed by these companies. gies and the improvement of companies' performance in terms of sus-
tainability, being conveniently divided according to each of the
sustainability pillars usually considered. This type of model aims to
8.12 | Environmental policy and management show visually the network of concepts and casual relationships.
system

Environment policies describe how a corporation intends to control 10 | C R I T I C A L A NA L Y S I S


the effects that its operations have on the environment. They are usu-
ally signed by top executives. The methodology will only be correct if The goal of this study, as stated in the research question, “How
it is in accordance with the environmental legislation and the manage- the impacts generated by Agile Project Management on organiza-
ment system. The work methodology must be drawn up following the tions are related to the fundamental aspects of sustainability?”,
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GOMES SILVA ET AL. 1505

FIGURE 2 Complete network diagram of observed social concepts relationships. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

intends to understand if there is a linkage between sustainability findings, their robustness, and attempts to form a synthesis to
(especially the TBL) and APM. In the absence of a theoretical frame- answer this research's topic will be discussed in the following para-
work articulating the impact of APM on these dimensions, this graphs. To answer the above-referred question, application of APM
empirical study investigated how APM practitioners describe these principles and methodological requirements have been analyzed
relationships and intended also to extend these linkages based on through the study of several case studies and the analysis of qualita-
the authors' knowledge. According to the conclusions of a recent tive data, on investigating the effects that APM induces on the orga-
dissertation study, APM directly impacts on most social, economic, nizational social, economic and environment dynamics of the
and environmental sustainability maintenance criteria. The empirical companies.
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1506 GOMES SILVA ET AL.

F I G U R E 3 Complete network
diagram of observed economic concepts
relationships. [Colour figure can be
viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

The findings obtained from the works analyzed, with the additional agile management practices (Clark & Eisenberg, 2008; Gunasekaran,
support of academic theory, showed that several APM methodological 1998; Shewchuk, 1998), followed by a clear concern for the environ-
elements have a direct or indirect causal relation on the improvement ment (Ciccullo et al., 2018; Clark & Eisenberg, 2008; Kim et al., 2010)
or degradation of sustainability fundamental factors. It is thus possible and, lately, there is also a clear concern with human factors
to state that implementing the APM mindset and operational methodol- (Fuior, 2019; Miceli et al., 2021; Purvis et al., 2019). Despite the evolu-
ogies, induces several effects on the organizational social, economic, tion of these studies, it was possible to identify gaps in the links
and environmental dynamics of the companies, which are in turn affect- between the tools and factors associated with agile management meth-
ing the organizations' social, economic, and environmental sustainability odologies and the pillars of sustainability. This made it possible to add
performance, as depicted in the diagrams shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. value to this work, developing and justifying new relationships between
It is also clear that researchers' concerns have evolved over time with the factors described above, which may constitute a better base of
regard to the pillars of sustainability (Bravi et al., 2020; Brito work for those who need to deepen this theme.
et al., 2018; Silva & Gouveia, 2020). First, there was a strong trend It remains clear that the formation of small work teams not only
towards studies of economic sustainability linked to the application of increases the flexibility of projects but also increases creativity, which
15353966, 2022, 5, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/csr.2287 by Cochrane Portugal, Wiley Online Library on [28/12/2022]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
GOMES SILVA ET AL. 1507

F I G U R E 4 Complete network diagram of observed environmental concepts relationships. [Colour figure can be viewed at
wileyonlinelibrary.com]

can easily be associated with the development of more sustainable et al., 2020; Perera et al., 2014;). The frequent meetings also allow for
ideas and products. These ideas are also corroborated by several a much easier correction of the trajectory followed by each project
researchers (Aarseth et al., 2017; Anseel, 2017). Cooperation between towards more sustainable concepts (Petersen & Wohlin, 2009; Rola
members of the same team and of different teams broadens and pro- et al., 2016).
motes knowledge, which is in accordance with previous works The theoretical contributions of this study might be interpreted
(Barlow et al., 2011; Dubey, 2016; Koch & Shermuly, 2020). This fac- within the topic of project management sustainability, particularly
tor, together with the need for a high level of creativity and greater Agile project management. The goal of this study was to look at the
interaction with stakeholders, which is very characteristic of APM, sustainability elements of APM approaches with an emphasis on inter-
promotes an accelerated dynamic of approximation to the principles nal processes. As a result, it is anticipated that this contribution will
of sustainability in its various aspects, thus improving the performance serve as a starting point for future research on the relationship
and image of the companies in relation to the consumers (De between sustainability and APM approaches, allowing for the
15353966, 2022, 5, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/csr.2287 by Cochrane Portugal, Wiley Online Library on [28/12/2022]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
1508 GOMES SILVA ET AL.

expansion of the topic of sustainability in PM (Project Management) study, new relationships have been explored and properly described
processes, pursuing some works previously performed (Obradovic and justified. The study of the new frameworks developed will allow
et al., 2019; Žužek et al., 2020). the top management of companies to analyze the interaction
As previously stated in the research, the authors were unable to between the various tools normally used in agile project manage-
locate any academic literature that refers to or analyzes the APM ment and the three pillars of sustainability, acting more precisely on
techniques' sustainability elements, excluding the Nogueira's disserta- those in which the company intends to improve. Moreover, these
tion which has served as base for this work, and the Obradovic's work frameworks can also help employees to take a more proactive atti-
(Obradovic et al., 2019) which, not being in line with this, is probably tude in building and solidifying a more sustainable image of compa-
the closest one. Thus, this is the gap this work intends to fill out. The nies, which can be directly reflected in the products developed by
APM principles, on the other hand, shared certain parallels with a these companies through agile project management. Any require-
number of sustainability concepts. This link allows for a fresh contri- ment demanded by the market in terms of sustainability can also be
bution to the theoretical discussion on project sustainability, propos- managed more quickly and effectively using the current framework.
ing that APM is seen as a new and alternative project management Furthermore, this framework will allow a broader approach to sus-
technique for promoting sustainability within organizations. tainability in agile project management courses, allowing a broader
The final addition is to APM theory. According to the Agile mani- view of how to respond to the increasingly demanding requirements
festo's 8th principle, APM methods “support sustainable develop- imposed by customers.
ment” (Beck et al., 2013). This claim is made without any explanation However, this study already faced some limitations, whose are
on how they define sustainable development. It is thus concluded mainly linked with the methodology used. A literature review,
that, as the APM framework seems, in the context of the case studies although searching in several directions and using different keywords
analyzed, to not degrade any fundamental factors of sustainability, can leave out some important articles. The empirical and conceptual
APM can be considered as a process model promoting organizational nature of this work can also constitute a limitation. Despite all the
sustainability (Dubey, 2016). developments carried out around the frameworks developed, future
Businesses are constantly being confronted with the challenges studies may still identify other connections that might not have been
posed by changes arising from debates regarding the environmental considered in this study.
and social aspects of their organizations, as stakeholders increasingly For the future, a deep research can be done with the integration
seek companies that work with the tripod composed of economic, of agile methodologies and sustainable paradigms in a more practical
 pez-Concepcion
social and environmental aspects (De et al., 2020; Lo environment, as well as the impact of integrating the social, economic
et al., 2021; Valbuena-Hernandez & Ortiz-de-Mandojana, 2021). and environment component when evaluating the integration of
established and sustainable paradigms. It is also necessary to discuss
the paucity of empirical investigations and the need to consider the
11 | CO NC LUSIO N integration from an evolutionary standpoint. Finally, future works
should conduct a conceptual and empirical research into whether and
APM is based on the agile principles that stipulate an agile behavior how paradigm integration is influenced by the strategic importance of
among collaborators, which induces the company to deliver products/ sustainability.
services according to the customer value, in a pro-active manner and
based on a transformed environment that creates opportunities and
OR CID
new products (Loiro et al., 2019).
Francisco José Gomes Silva https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8570-
The implementation of sustainability has been vigorously pursued
4362
by the companies around the world, not only because it is a key factor
Konstantinos Kirytopoulos https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7675-6785
for the livelihood of companies, but also because it is essential for the
Luis Pinto Ferreira https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4225-6525
survival of future generations.
José Carlos Sá https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2228-5348
It is necessary, for the recognition and growth of companies, to
Gilberto Santos https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9268-3272
act respecting the environment, relating well with customers, sup-
pliers, and employees, as well as acting to meet the needs of the local
RE FE RE NCE S
community. Manufacturers have become more aware of the sustain-
Aarseth, W., Ahola, T., Aaltonen, K., Økland, A., & Andersen, B. (2017).
ability issue, in part due to customer demands and governmental legis-
Project sustainability strategies: A systematic literature review. Inter-
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complex problem solving: A distributed knowledge management per-
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