Can the viable systems approach represent a lens to interpret barriers and enablers to the integration of sustainability? Evidence from an empirical experience

Abstract

This study aims to propose the contribution of adopting a systems perspective to researching sustainability in terms of inclusivity and holistic view, by means of the experience of action research carried out in a big Italian retailing cooperative. Among the different systemic approaches, the one proposed herein is the Viable Systems Approach, according to which sustainability, which can be seen as a process that is dynamic and changing over time, is linked to the notion of systemic viability and, as a consequence, to the survival of the system itself