1.
The challenges of transitions towards a more sustainable business
Introducing The Holistic Regenerative Innovative Value Enterprise (THRIVE) framework
Morris Dino Fedeli, USQ, Australia, email: morris@fedeli.nu web: http://www.strive2thrive.earth

2.
What is THRIVE?
THRIVE is The Holistic Regenerative Innovative Value Enterprise framework:
• Holistic as it takes a top-level systems-wide approach
• Regenerative as the aim is for long-term flourishing of enterprises
• Innovative as it examine innovations at the BM-level for strong sustainability
• Value as it employs a multi-capital values-based approach
• And insofar as enterprises are concerned, it includes all: small to large, for-profit
as well as non-profit, private or public
Enterprises need to Strive to Thrive on Earth for their longevity
• THRIVE framework (brings together the underlying known concepts),
• THRIVE platform (integrates into a robust model) and
• Sustainability Performance Scorecard (SPS) (artifact, instantiation that tests
the model)
http://strive2thrive.earth [1]

3.
Research Question
• Mainstream sustainability as a long-term corporate strategy and as a common practice
(Ioannou & Serafeim 2019); Sustainability risks are assessed as business risks
(WBCSD)
• It is said that [weakly] sustainable business models hold the key to transitions and to
implementing Business Model Innovation for Sustainability (Schaltegger et al. 2016)
• Are we measuring what matters most?
• Reports lack Context Based Sustainability (CBS) (McElroy 2013) or use of self-
referential indicators (Haffar & Searcy 2018)
• How do we determine which business models are more successful than others?
• From an ecological economist risk minimization perspective (Redclift 1998), the
THRIVE platform rank corporate sustainability performance alongside the
business strategy or business model
http://strive2thrive.earth [2]

4.
Methodology: SDSR
• Interdisciplinary and Transformative study approach
(Brocke & Seidel 2012; Tobi & Kampen 2018; Mertens 2007)
• Systemic Design Science Research (SDSR) (Jones & Kijima 2018; Upward 2013)
Design Science Research (Gregor & Hevner 2013) methodology
• Systems Thinking (Ackoff 1971) and Strong Sustainability stance
(Precautionary principle) (Neumayer 2013)
• Unit of analysis is the business model (Teece 2010; Evans et al. 2017)
• Strongly Sustainable Business Model Ontology (Upward & Jones 2016)
• Business Management as a Design Science (Aken 2004; March & Vogus 2010)
• Usefulness of artifact is determined by fitness-utility (Gill & Hevner 2013)
http://strive2thrive.earth [3]

5.
Research Design
• Prescriptive knowledge Λ -
Future Phenomenon under
investigation
(Winter & Aier 2016; March &
Vogus 2010; Simon 1969)
• Descriptive knowledge Ω - Illustrated by
case studies (Gregor & Hevner 2013)
• Kernel theory based on first principles Ω
(Gregor & Jones 2007)
http://strive2thrive.earth [4]
RELEVANCE
CYCLE
RIGOUR
CYCLE

6.
THRIVE framework
• THRIVE framework provides methodological transparency and universal tools
• Sustainability Performance Card (SPS) dashboard, tabular and graphical form
• Standardized metrics and uniform units of measure (GIIN IRIS+ 2019)
• Numerator performance data is derived from publicly published integrated
corporate sustainability reports (e.g., Global Reporting Initiative Corporate
Sustainability Reports, Carbon Disclosure Project database)
• Denominator threshold and allocation data (Szekely & Vom Brocke 2017) is
sourced from global footprint initiatives (e.g: GFN) and notable international
agencies (e.g., GFW, WRI, UNGC within context based on GTAC)
• Harmonization (and normalization) into a single Index (WBA 2017; Huang et al.
2015; Haffar & Searcy 2018)
• Weights (SPS dashboard levers & controls) to simulate effects due to changes
(Sironen et al. 2014)
http://strive2thrive.earth [5]

7.
Sustainability
Performance
Scorecard
http://strive2thrive.earth [6]

8.
Use Cases
• The platform and associated Sustainability Performance Scorecard and
Ciambella visualizations are designed to provoke transformative change by
• encouraging enterprises to do good to do well in pursuing a competitive
advantage
• providing business analysts with tools to guide enterprise strategies
• assisting researchers to analyze trends and effectiveness of business
models for sustainability
• allowing governments to forecast the effects of regulatory or legislative
actions
• empowering individuals to actively stimulate competition among
enterprises
…for greater global shared value creation (Kolk et al. 2017) and collaborative
peaceful partnerships for people, planet, profit with purpose and prosperity.
http://strive2thrive.earth [7]

9.
Contribution
• THRIVE framework is a universal unbiased top-down approach (external)
providing a just comparative framework.
• The framework is a robust first-step approach contributing to theory,
methodology and empirically with practical business tools (Gregor & Hevner
2013).
• The Sustainability Performance Scorecard (SPS) is methodologically
transparent and agnostic and thus useful in its application.
• The intended utility comes from consistency in assessment, ability to
forecast trends, choice of formula engine and to conduct what-if analysis for
backcasting purposes (Robèrt 2009).
• Evaluation of the framework shifts focus from mandatory statutory
disclosure (WBCSD 2017) (compliance) to purposeful voluntary exposure
(advocation).
http://strive2thrive.earth [8]

10.
Future Research
• Effort will need to be made to improve reliability of results as these are
only as accurate as the source dataset.
• Next leap forward is towards dynamic real-time Integrated Report
Generation Tools (IRTG) (Eccles & Krzus 2018) incorporating machine
learning algorithms.
• This is a first-step, still needing refinement to formulas, and thus we
welcome feedback and encourage expert participation (Delphi study).
• Please visit http://strive2thrive.earth for more information and to register
your interest.
http://strive2thrive.earth [9]

11.
THRIVE Platform
Place Your Picture Here And Send To Back
Sustainability
Performance
Scorecard
THRIVE Sustainability Performance Scorecard is
a tool which allows enterprises to identify their
performance relative to their peers. It allows
consumers to evaluate which enterprises perform
best. Through the SPS Dashboard, engine weights
and controls may be manipulated and resulting
effects visualized in ciambella charts. For more
information visit http://strive2thrive.earth
Contextualized
Supports global thresholds,
ceilings and floors, and
allocations.
Reports
Report dissections include by
material topic, enterprise, region,
industry or year-on-year.
Integrated
Integrates with public corporate
sustainability reports, CDP
reports and GFN databases.
Charts
Instant visuals dissected by
chosen category displayed in
Ciambella Charts.
Place Your Picture Here

12.
Thank You
Introducing THRIVE framework
Morris Dino Fedeli, USQ, Australia, morris@fedeli.nu
http://www.strive2thrive.earth

13.
Section Break
Introducing THRIVE framework

14.
http://strive2thrive.earth [13]
Ciambella Chart (GRI 10)

15.
Ciambella Chart (SDG 17)
http://strive2thrive.earth [14]

16.
Ciambella Chart (GRI 6)
http://strive2thrive.earth [15]

17.
http://strive2thrive.earth [16]
Data Grid

18.
Linear to
Circular
Economy (CE)
(Geissdoerfer et
al. 2017)Multi-
capital
(McElroy
& Thomas
2015)
Values-
based
(Breuer et
al. 2017;
Schaltegger
et al. 2015)
Strong vs
weak
sustainability/
Greenwashin
g (Upward &
Jones 2016;
Najam et al.
2000)
Context-
based
sustainability
(McElroy &
Thomas 2015;
Eccles 2018)
Scientific
evidence-
based data/
Congruent
units
(Lydenberg et
al. 2010)
Integrated
reporting
(<IR>)/Tri-
impact
(Eccles et
al. 2018)
Materiality
(UNEP
2015;
Eccles
2012; Lai
et al. 2017)
Boundary/Unit
of Analysis
(Schaltegger at
al. 2012; UNEP
2017; Evans et
al. 2017)
Complex
wicked
problems
(Breuer &
Ludeke-Freund
2017)
Finite
resources
(Rockstrom
2009, Steffen
et al. 2015)
Trans-
disciplinary
(Ludeke-
Freund 2016)
Focus Factors

19.
http://strive2thrive.earth [18]
Formulae

20.
Section Break
Introducing THRIVE framework