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The finance function and the financial system require finding a balance between wealth maximization, social and ecological aspects, and managing the triple bottom line of business sustainability. The main aims of this chapter are to: (1) describe (with the help of the literature review) relevant strategies in firms, financial institutions, and governments followed within the finance function on the way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) propose practical guidelines for CFOs and managers to respond to the new challenges, learn positive lessons from the COVID-19 crisis, and thus keep improving to achieve more sustainability in the finance function. According to Lawson (2020), the current finance function priorities mentioned in a global study are (1) risk management, (2) cash management, and (3) cost management and control. In the hardest hit industries (e.g., hospitality sector) from COVID-19 lockdowns, the continued innovation of the business model is an important key to create new revenue streams and secure a better level of liquidity (Breier et al., 2021). During the first phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, social entrepreneurship funds reported more returns that are positive, suggesting that fund managers have changed from a high-risk style to low risk regarding size and investment strategy (Rizvi et al., 2020).

The fundamental objective of this chapter, regarding the main Latin American economies, is to identify the business conditions with which companies faced the COVID-19 pandemic. The specific period under study is from 2010 to 2021. The key components of this research will be studied in relation to business environment, economic growth, and aspects of corruption/transparency in countries that belong to Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance (PA). Mercosur stands for Southern Common Market in Latin America – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay; the PA is formed by Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. Each of the indicators will be studied based on the time series in addition to its interaction with the other variables. In this way, it will be possible to identify conditions that could be relevant to the sustainability of companies in the Latin American region.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caught the world by surprise. Suddenly, people, as well as organizations, needed to adapt to a new reality of work from home, work–life balance, e-leadership, extreme hygiene, and social distancing. Companies had to find new ways to operate, and areas such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) had to react to face the stakeholders' needs. In addition, developing countries had been in a fragile position, as this crisis has deteriorated already weak economic, political, and social conditions. In Mexico, CSR has traditionally assisted on urgent matters such as poverty, hunger, education, work, and other issues that have also been considered in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of this chapter is to describe and analyze CSR response to the COVID-19 crisis of large foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) in Mexico, especially in relation to the SDG agenda. First, we provide a general background of the initial condition, that is, Mexico's situation when the pandemic arose, as well as common attributes of prepandemic CSR in Mexico. Then, we examine the government's response to the crisis. Afterward, we observe and analyze large foreign MNCs' CSR disclosed activities to face the emergency. Main findings imply that companies switched their usual CSR attention from socioeconomical, institutional, and sustainability goals to primary needs. Lastly, we make recommendations on the future of CSR and the SDG in the so-called “new normal.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has become threatening for economies, causing recession and increased unemployment rates. Many employees in the sectors affected by the crisis face the risks of losing their jobs, getting on unpaid leave, and decreasing their weekly working hours. Various governments including the Turkish government have started struggling with unemployment and embraced macro level measures including support for SMEs, wage subsidies, and new working models. At the micro level, implementation of flexible working methods has been encouraged and has increased with respect to scope and scale. Both governments and companies tried their best to ensure business continuity and prevent unemployment. Actually, business continuity has gained great importance for ensuring sustainability and minimizing the effects of the pandemic. However, previous studies have revealed that approximately 25% of companies all over the world have a continuity plan. This chapter aims to examine the effects of the pandemic and macro level and micro level measures taken by Turkish authorities to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on employment rates and business continuity, thus providing insight into crisis management through a real experience. This study also attempts to explain how Turkish authorities can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through pandemic measures and teleworking.

The accelerating need for sustainable development across the globe has put firms under great pressure to play their role in social sustainability by working on several objectives. Among them, the demand for a highly resilient and engaged workforce to sustain their competitive edge is at the forefront. Despite noted literature revolving around work engagement, there is a lack of research investigating the effect of sustainable leadership on employee resilience and work engagement. The current epidemic (COVID-19) brings many challenges for organizations. In these times of uncertainty, sustainable leaders provide the basis for achieving the human dimension of sustainability by fostering and cultivating a vision across the employees that enables the organizations to work positively for their well-being, enhancing their ability to be resilient and engaged in their work. The present chapter has two broad aims, first to give a comprehensive review of our present understanding of work engagement, that is, the conceptualization, operationalization, and prediction of work engagement; and the second part outlines the interventions that may facilitate the sustainability of work engagement in times of uncertainty. The study suggests that sustainable leadership and the ability of resilience enables employees to overcome their experience of fluctuating levels of engagement. It is established that in the uncertainties of an epidemic, the construct of work engagement with its antecedents and consequences has its theoretical and practical implications for academicians as well as for industry.

Achieving sustainable development in heart-wrenching milestone in the face of the current pandemic (COVID-19) situation is becoming a key factor for competitiveness of organizations. Human Resource Development professionals are deemed to be in an ideal position to facilitate the organizational sustainable development by bringing about contextual changes in the workplace and by changing the behavioral patterns of employees. The COVID-19 pandemic has engendered the disruption across societies, raising challenges for the organizations besides other institutions to play their imperative role for a sustainable development pathway. One such way of striving by organizations would be to embark among employees a spark of bringing a change among its employees from being self-centered to societal-oriented by instilling among them the kindle of DSIW (Desire to have Significant Impact through Work). It is the desire of making substantial impact toward society and others' lives, which is evoked under ethical leadership and perceived ethical Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Thus, we have identified the underpinning values of being an ethical leader in wake of contributing toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) toward bringing a societal perspective among employees by infusing the altruistic desire, that is, DSIW among employees. This chapter is broadly divided into two main sections. The first section highlights the contextual settings and the underlying mechanisms that lead to DSIW. The second section draws the attention toward the implication of DSIW for employees in bringing about social change with respect to sustainability, social well-being, as well for the sustainable development of organizations and for positive socioeconomic consequences.

Increasing digitalization and the advent of Industry 4.0 were scrutinized on how these may influence SDG attainment in different levels. The digitalization of the business and operational models emerged as the newer source of attaining competitive advantage in the pre-COVID-19 context. The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly added more complexities to the already prevailing VUCA context of sustaining the business and development agenda irrespective of their geographic or institutional affiliations. Businesses in different industries, particularly in the developing countries, had lower or no preparedness in most cases in dealing with such uncertainties arising from the pandemic. Business firms and governments started to revise and digitalize their business models at the enterprise and institutional levels. To be very precise, MNCs in the fast-moving consumer goods industry in Bangladesh restructured their business model, at least the supply chain part, through direct and indirect digitalization of their business models, partly developing cooperation with existing e-commerce platforms. Volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous focused corporate leadership and strategy helped in halting drastic slipping on the SDG millstones for Bangladesh. Despite the prevalent COVID-19 context, Bangladesh graduated to the club of the developing countries by retaining eligibility position on the gross national income index, human assets index, and economic vulnerability index. This chapter attempts to establish theoretical structuration of the links between digitalization and transformation of the business models and handling the SDG challenges.

Nowadays, fast and unpredictable changes are common in most countries. Organizations are trying to survive in an environment that shows obvious signs of wear and tear. At the same time, sustainability has been arousing an obvious interest for years, in both the business and academy fields. The global perspective of the sustainable phenomenon as well as the objectives and goals to be achieved have turned into the Agenda for Sustainable Development, with the horizon set in 2030. This chapter is part of SDG 9, which proposes innovation as a means to contribute to sustainability and create wealth in nations; thus, sustainable innovation constitutes a basic and growing paradigm, which makes it possible to achieve SDG 9. Furthermore, the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on companies and their way of innovation managing is exposed. Finally, guidelines are proposed so that organizations can be more responsible and sustainable.