Abstract
At a time when societies and organizations are confronted with intertwined challenges of sustainability, governance, and behavioural change, management scholarship must do more than explain phenomena, it must illuminate pathways for action. Staying true to this conviction, the present issue of the IIMS Journal of Management Science brings together research that speaks directly to contemporary policy and managerial dilemmas while remaining firmly anchored in theoretical rigor. In continuity with our commitment to publishing research that connects academic insight with pressing real-world challenges and that traces the multiple drivers shaping the Sustainable Development Goals the present issue brings together emerging paradigms in management for public policy that speak to both theory and practice. At a time when sustainability is no longer a peripheral concern but a defining imperative, this issue presents a power-packed collection of articles addressing waste mismanagement, energy supply, green governance, responsible financial behaviour, community engagement, and the evolving relationship between formal and informal systems.
Collectively, the contributions in this issue engage with the five interlinked pillars of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership, highlighting how managerial and policy choices shape sustainable outcomes across contexts. A recurring theme across the articles is the role of governance mechanisms, behavioural interventions, and institutional linkages in translating intent into impact.
Satya Broto Sen and Vinay Yadav, in Unveiling the Environmental and Social Challenges of Plastics Waste Mismanagement in India: A Quantitative Approach on Rural and Urban Disparities, develop a mixed-methods framework to quantify household plastic waste generation and trace its end-of-life pathways. Their analysis reveals that synthetic textile waste, channelled through informal reuse networks, plays a critical role in strengthening rural recycling practices. By identifying distinct waste-generation patterns and end-of-life dynamics across regions, the study offers actionable insights for designing region-specific interventions. Strengthening linkages between informal and formal sectors, along with improving rural collection infrastructure, emerges as a pivotal strategy for reducing plastic leakage into the environment.
Extending the discussion on sustainability within the energy domain, Kamaljit Kaur, Jasvinder Singh Saransh, and Simmi Vashishtha, in Is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Worth the Cost? Evaluating Financial Performance in the Indian Energy Sector, investigate the relationship between CSR expenditure and firm performance. Using secondary data from annual reports and the Prowess database for firms listed in the S&P BSE Energy Index, the study employs a cost–benefit perspective to assess whether CSR investments yield measurable financial returns. Their results reveal a statistically significant negative impact of CSR spending on Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Capital Employed (ROCE), and Return on Equity (ROE), even after accounting for lagged effects, suggesting that CSR initiatives may impose shortterm financial costs before potential long-term benefits materialise. The findings offer critical insights for policymakers and corporate strategists seeking to balance regulatory compliance with sustainable value creation.
Jessica Anthony and Gautam Kumar, in Scenario Analysis on Future Electricity Supply and Demand in India, examine the macro-level determinants of electricity demand using an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds cointegration approach covering the period from 1991 to 2021. Their findings indicate that GDP, industrial efficiency, urbanisation, and structural economic changes act as key long-run drivers of electricity consumption in India. The scenario analysis further demonstrates that projected electricity demand for 2027 aligns closely with estimates provided by the Central Electricity Authority, offering important validation for ongoing policy planning in the energy sector.
Ritesh Bansal and Joby Varghese, in Analyzing Contemporary Credit Card Concerns through Behavioral Economics: Nudging Towards Responsible Usage, shift the focus to individual financial behaviour and its implications for sustainable economic development. Drawing on insights from psychology and behavioural economics, the authors examine common behavioural patterns associated with credit card usage and the concerns they generate. The study proposes policy-relevant nudging techniques aimed at promoting prudent credit behaviour in the Indian context, highlighting the role of behavioural interventions in fostering financial responsibility and long-term economic stability.
Salma Akter, Amit Kumar, and Samia Zaman, in Green Governance: A Route to Enduring Development in a Developing Nation, present a case study of Bangladesh to examine how governance mechanisms can drive sustainability outcomes. Incorporating dimensions such as policy and regulatory frameworks, stakeholder engagement, monitoring and reporting, resource management, and green technologies, the study demonstrates that coordinated governance efforts can significantly advance sustainable development. Their findings reinforce the importance of institutional capacity and multi-stakeholder collaboration in translating green intent into measurable outcomes.
Finally, Chandan Kumar, Pradeep Kumar, Ravindran R., and Monika Mishra, in Unlocking Digital Entrepreneurial Behavior: The Role of Ecosystem Support, Intention, and Innovation, explore the dynamics shaping digital entrepreneurship in India. Grounded in Institutional Theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and Innovation Diffusion Theory, the study examines how ecosystem support influences digital entrepreneurial behaviour through the mediating roles of entrepreneurial intention and innovation, and the moderating role of entrepreneurial education. Their findings suggest that while ecosystem support has strong direct and indirect effects, informal and experiential learning may play a more decisive role than formal education in nurturing digital entrepreneurship.
Taken together, this issue brings forth research that is both reflective and forward-looking, blending innovation with institutional insight, and behavioural understanding with governance frameworks. Whether addressing waste management, energy sustainability, financial responsibility, or digital entrepreneurship, the contributions collectively underscore the need for integrated, context-sensitive approaches to management in an age marked by complexity and transformation. We invite scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to engage deeply with these insights and translate them into meaningful and sustainable practice.