The conference aims to focus deliberations on the theme of sustainability. Sustainability is the ability to maintain or support a process continuously over time. World Commission on Environment and Development, created by the United Nations in 1983, then headed by former Norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, in its report, defined sustainable development as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Corporate sustainability refers to an approach to conducting business that creates sustainable, long-term shareholder-, employee-, consumer-, and societal value by pursuing responsible environmental, social, and economic (or governance) strategies. The concept emerged as a component of corporate ethics in response to public concerns of long-term damage caused by a focus on short-term profits. This view encourages businesses to balance long-term benefits with immediate returns, and the goal of pursuing inclusive and environmentally sound objectives.

Short-termism is – and has been – an unfortunate and undeniable fact, in both businesses and government. Businesses are too focused on chasing short-term (read quarterly) results to be able to see the big, long-term picture, plan for the same, and have the forbearance to follow through their plans. Political dispensations running governments are busy trying to carve out their identities by undoing, to the extent possible, the plans and actions of their predecessors from opposing camps. This has the effect of creating uncertainty for businesses, which in turn further cripples the latter’s ability to plan and act long-term. There are several ways in which businesses can adopt sustainable business practices: limiting emissions; sourcing materials and products from fair-trade organizations; switching to renewable energy, and reducing overall energy consumption in operations; innovations in packaging such as lighter and environment-friendly packaging materials; promoting recycling of waste, electronic waste in particular, by setting up necessary systems and creating widespread awareness among consumers, channel partners, and the society at large; and so on.

The focus of the conference therefore is to turn the spotlight on corporate sustainability and the requisite long-term thinking and consciousness of the needs of all stakeholders, with a view to collating and disseminating latest research and perspectives far and wide. We invite original, unpublished research work across all disciplines of management that uses qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method approaches in the form of research papers and case studies. The presentations and deliberations shall be organized into the following tracks: marketing (MKT); banking, finance and insurance (BFI); production and operations management (POM); human resource management (HRM); economics, environment and public policy (EEP); innovation, technology, and analytics (ITA); and entrepreneurship, business models, and strategies (EBS).