Sustainability in Service Operations

Abstract

This paper aims to set the stage for the development of an index that measures progress towards sustainability in the service sector. A review of the academic literature reveals history and theories on the subject, while a look at the trade literature describes what is happening in each of 13 different service sector industries. A framework for the development of a sustainability index for a commercial enterprise is developed. This framework is aligned with triple bottom line corporate reporting, and measures progress towards sustainability in terms of profit, people, and planet on the principle of continuous improvement.