Sustainability as part of strategic management in the manufacturing industry

Abstract

The manufacturing industry is a fundamental pillar of the economy in many developed countries. It is also a key sector in the Czech Republic, significantly contributing to macroeconomic aggregates such as gross domestic product, employment, and exports. The current business environment increases the requirements for companies not only in terms of maintaining competitiveness, but also in terms of a responsible approach to production resources and the environment. Company managers who want to keep their company on the market for a long time should always adapt their corporate and production strategies to current trends and challenges. Sustainability goals should be an integral part of corporate strategies today, as well as measuring and monitoring the carbon footprint and systematically reducing it. The article examines approaches to sustainability and ESG in the Czech Republic's manufacturing industry, especially in the context of large companies. The article is based on the results of a nationwide survey. These results show a statistically significant dependence between the size of the company and the sustainability strategy. It is also confirmed that companies that have implemented the environmental management system standard have a sustainability strategy in place. The results contribute to understanding how large companies in the manufacturing industry approach sustainable development and where SMEs lag.