Paper Number
1611
Paper Type
Complete Research Paper
Abstract
Sustainability has become crucial in pressing global challenges such as climate change and the exhaustion of resources. This development has also put digital technologies in the spotlight both as enablers and inhibitors of sustainability. Specifically, negative effects, such as emissions or increased resource demand, are gaining attention. This applies for the software industry that becomes progressively aware of its ecological responsibility. Little is known about whether and how an increasing orientation toward sustainability translates into improved business value for software firms. This paper provides a framework for a comprehensive view of sustainability. Based on a survey of 154 Swiss software companies, we find that their beliefs about sustainability, the actions they take by formulating sustainable IS strategies and by implementing them in replicable software development practices result in organizational benefits. Our results show that different sustainability practices can lead to different benefits including cost reduction, improved reputation, and innovation capabilities.
Recommended Citation
Perrelet, Simon; Spizzo, Mayra Nina; Gertschen, Melanie Maria; and Dibbern, Jens, "Sustainable Software Engineering: A View on Strategy and Practices for Organizational Benefits" (2024). ECIS 2024 Proceedings. 39.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2024/track17_greenis/track17_greenis/39
Sustainable Software Engineering: A View on Strategy and Practices for Organizational Benefits
Sustainability has become crucial in pressing global challenges such as climate change and the exhaustion of resources. This development has also put digital technologies in the spotlight both as enablers and inhibitors of sustainability. Specifically, negative effects, such as emissions or increased resource demand, are gaining attention. This applies for the software industry that becomes progressively aware of its ecological responsibility. Little is known about whether and how an increasing orientation toward sustainability translates into improved business value for software firms. This paper provides a framework for a comprehensive view of sustainability. Based on a survey of 154 Swiss software companies, we find that their beliefs about sustainability, the actions they take by formulating sustainable IS strategies and by implementing them in replicable software development practices result in organizational benefits. Our results show that different sustainability practices can lead to different benefits including cost reduction, improved reputation, and innovation capabilities.
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