Sugar-energy sustainability practices: strategic assessment and managerial implications

Purpose This article proposes a framework for acquiring and constructing knowledge related to organizational sustainability practices in a sugar-energy industry context. By designing a sustainability performance measurement system (SPMS), we highlight the processes involved in developing and defining the evaluation criteria adopted by a Guatemalan industrial association. Design/methodology/approach This case study incorporated a multi-criteria decision aiding-constructivist (MCDA-C) application. The modeling process used a constructivist methodology to elicit the objectives, values and preferences of the actors related to the decision-making setting through twelve semi-structured interviews. Findings The outcomes yield a set of sustainability practices incorporated in 53 descriptors constructed for the multi-criteria model. Improvements were proposed for criteria in which the organization’s performance was considered compromising as well as for their effect on the association model’s evaluation as a whole. Practical implications Through the knowledge gathered as a result of the MCDA-C methodology, the decision-maker was able to establish the performance evaluation criteria and identify compromising performance related to organizational sustainability practices for the sugar-energy industry. The MCDA-C methodology provided strategic insights for decision-making processes, such as aligning the industry’s sustainability vision with the sustainable development goals. Originality/value This paper provides an empirical understanding of the design and application of a SPMS in the context of organizational practices, showcasing evaluation criteria established for a Guatemalan sugar-energy association.