The RSGB-I’s research focuses on the intersection of international business and responsible and sustainable business practices. Central to this is engagement in research which has important societal and environmental implications, both in terms of understanding the impact of international enterprises on society and the environment, and how leadership at the global level and local context can shape the nature of responsible and sustainable strategies and societal impact.

Given the complexity of the sustainability challenges facing the world, and the complex nature of understanding business societal impacts, the RSGB-I takes a global and multi-level approach in understanding the nature of behavior, enterprise resilience and impact. At the broader level, understanding challenges at a systemic level is essential to addressing complexity and interconnections within grand challenge issues.  At country level, the institutional configurations, culture, socio-economic/ ecological profiles, and stakeholders are elements that shape both firm level behavior and societal impact. At the enterprise level, factors such as responsible leadership, sustainable HRM practices, digitalization and organizational transformation are important elements in the ability of enterprises to be resilient in the face of grand challenges. At the individual level, managers’ mindsets regarding responsibility and sustainability, building and maintaining stakeholder relationships, working across boundaries (cultural, generational, etc.), promoting diversity and inclusion, and integrity are crucial.

The RSGB-I has close connections with both the STaR and CEE competency centers, providing strong links to Austrian, CEE and developing countries, as well as global initiatives and educational institutions such as PRME. We work with a wide network of international scholars and practitioners, from a variety of different disciplinary backgrounds. This provides a rich and vibrant research environment, developing multidisciplinary approaches to the framing of problems and solutions.