Paper Title
Using DEMATEL to Identify Key Factors for Companies to Achieve Sustainable Development
Abstract
Pressure from both governments and society regarding environmental issues is motivating businesses to change their operational strategies and organizational structure. In response to these pressures, companies are implementing sustainable manufacturing practices (SMP) to minimize energy consumption, improve resource waste and reduce their harmful environmental impact. The standard for measuring a company's success is no longer limited to a single measure of financial performance; it now includes a company’s sustainable practices. The impact of manufacturing on the environment and on society is increasingly included in an assessment of the company’s sustainability performance. The purpose of this paper is to use DEMATEL to identify the key factors affecting a manufacturer’s ability to achieve sustainable development, as a guide for future decision-making. Based on a literature review, 11 criteria for defining sustainable development are grouped within the following three categories: sustainable manufacturing, corporate performance, and external pressure. By considering the interrelationships between these criteria, the importance and causality between them can be obtained. The results indicate eco-design, regulation, and waste management are three important factors that influence a company’s ability to achieve sustainable development. Identifying causality between the criteria could help enterprises to develop or improve their environmental policies to achieve better company performance, increase their competitive advantages and realize company's sustainable development goals.
Index Terms - Sustainable Development, Sustainable Manufacturing, Corporate Performance, External Pressures, DEMATEL.