Site is Loading, Please wait...
cropped-LUM-BIANCA-1.png

TRACK 22: THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN SUSTAINABLE FUTURES: PEOPLE, ENVIRONMENT AND TECHNOLOGIES TOWARDS THE SDGS

Track Chairs
Angelo Rosa, LUM Giuseppe Degennaro University
Denita Cepiku, Tor Vergata University of Rome
Domenico Salvatore, Suor Orsola Benincasa University of Naples
Nicola Capolupo, San Raffaele University of Rome
Elio Borgonovi, Bocconi University

Track Description
The call invites scholars and practitioners to reflect on the strategic role of the public sector in promoting sustainable futures in line with the SDGs. The call aims to explore how people, environment, and technology can interact synergistically to transform public institutions into engines of social innovation. In a global context characterized by climate crises, social inequalities and technological transitions, the public sector is called upon to rethink governance models, inclusion policies, resource management and participatory tools. The call encourages contributions that analyze how public administrations can lead change processes toward circular economies, sustainable digitization, environmental protection and collective well-being. Particular attention is given to human capital, public leadership, skills and cross-sector collaboration as levers for achieving integrated and accountable policies. Articles may address theoretical, empirical, or policy issues, proposing interdisciplinary approaches that combine public management, technological innovation and sustainability.
Potential topics (not limited to):

  • The public sector transformation in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and sustainable public administration
  • Innovation, digitalization, and ethical technologies in the public sector
  • Leadership, human capital, and organizational capabilities for sustainability
  • Public policies and institutional reactions to environmental protection and the circular economy
  • Citizen participation, openness, and co-production of sustainable public value
  • The contribution of public health systems in social justice, community welfare, and environmental health.

Keywords
Public sector; Leadership; Sustainability; Sustainable Futures; Public Value; Healthcare

Publication Opportunities
The articles accepted in this track may be considered for publication in Azienda Pubblica or MECOSAN through a fast-track procedure or inclusion in a special issue, depending on the number of accepted contributions.

References
Allain, J., Crane, A., LeBaron, G., & Behbahani, L. (2013). Forced Labour’s Business Models and Supply Chains. Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Brown, D., Boyd, D. S., Brickell, K., Ives, C. D., Natarajan, N., & Parsons, L. (2019). Modern slavery, environmental degradation and climate change: Fisheries, field, forests and factories. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 4(2), 191-207.
Caruana, R., Crane, A. & Ingram, C. (2024). The Boundaries of Modern Slavery: the Role of Exemplars in New Category Formation. Academy of Management Journal.
Crane, A., LeBaron, G., Allain, J., & Behbahabi, L. (2019). Governance gaps in eradicating forced labour: From global to domestic supply chains. Regulation and Governance, 13(1), 86–106.
Fiandrino, S. (2023). La sostenibilità aziendale in ottica sistemica-relazionale. Evoluzione concettuale e analisi di casi aziendali (Vol. 24, pp. 1-208). Giappichelli Editore.
Hubers, F., & Thijssens, T. (2023). Protect, respect, remedy, and report? Development of human rights reporting in the context of formal institutional settings. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 30(6), 2783–2798.
LeBaron, G. (2021). The Role of Supply Chains in the Global Business of Forced Labour. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 57(2), 29-42.
Raimo, N., Fraccalvieri, I., Vitolla, F., & Bussoli, C. (2025). Breaking the Silence: Human Rights Disclosure in European Banks. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, forthcoming.
Rogerson, M., Scarpa, F., & Snelson-Powell, A. (2024). Accounting for human rights: Evidence of due diligence in EU-listed firms’ reporting. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 99, 102716.
Sassen, S. (2016). Expulsions: Brutality and Complexity in the Global Economy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Sparks, D., Boyd, D.S., Jackson, B., Ives, C.D., & Bales, K. (2021) Growing evidence of the interconnections between modern slavery, environmental degradation, and climate change. One Earth, 4(2), 181-191.
Strand, V., Lotfi, M., Flynn, A., & Walker, H. (2024) A systematic literature review of modern slavery in supply chain management: State of the art, framework development and research opportunities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 435, 140301.
Torelli, R. (2021). Sustainability, responsibility and ethics: Different concepts for a single path. Social Responsibility Journal, 17(5), 719–739.
Torelli, R., Fiandrino, S., & Scarpa, F. (2025). Value-enhancing drivers of corporate governance in improving human rights due diligence: Worldwide evidence. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 32(1), 1279–1290.