The Role of Sustainable Development in Achieving Competitive Advantage for Iraqi Business Organizations: An Exploratory Study in Baghdad Governorate

Abstract

The research aimed to identify the factors that affect the adoption of sustainable practices in private business organizations. Accordingly, it included three dimensions: the first is to investigate the extent of Iraqi business organizations' awareness of the concept of sustainable development, the second is to reveal the extent of business organizations' commitment to implementing sustainable development practices, and the third is to investigate the nature of the relationship between sustainable development applications and the competitive advantage achieved for them. To complete the research, a survey was conducted using a five-axis questionnaire, which was directed to a number of private business organizations from various sectors. A total of 80 questionnaires were sent. The most prominent results were that the majority of organizations confirmed that adopting sustainability practices can enhance their opportunities for transformation and development in light of the environmental and global change occurring in today's business environment. In addition, the results showed a moderate relationship between the economic and social pillars of sustainability and the competitive advantage of organizations. The most prominent recommendations were to emphasize the need to work on formulating general policies that set a comprehensive vision of the importance of the participation of all sectors, especially the private business sector, in achieving sustainable development, and to begin the process of coordinating an integrated effort to establish sound foundations for private business projects based on forward-looking development planning that simulates the reality of Iraqi society.