Public defence in Logistics, Doctor of Laws, MCCM Cert. Suvi Hirvonen-Ere

Commercial and contract management to accelarate sustainable and profitable business growth, proposes Doctor of Laws, MCCM Cert. Suvi Hirvonen-Ere in her public defense 

The imperative to foster sustainable development is widely acknowledged, yet the progress has been lagging. While companies thrive to reach their sustainability targets, their leadership has to meet their monetary business goals. Could commercial and contract management be used in an expanded and enhanced manner, to accelerate the desired development?

Commercial and contract management is a strategic leadership instrument, that helps companies to reach both their sustainability and financial targets, argues Suvi Hirvonen-Ere in her doctoral dissertation. Her PhD is located at the Aalto University School of Business, Department of Information and Service Management, in the context of logistics and supply chain management. As the company is a sustainable as its supply chain, the impact of greening supply chains can be immense. Commercial and contract management provides companies a systemic and coherent governance structure to drive toward this end.

In the PhD, sustainable business has a twofold meaning. First, it refers to environmental sustainability. Second, it refers to economically and chronologically sustainable and profitable business growth.

The study aims to enlargen the understanding of commercial and contract management potential. The research argues that it is possible to reach the sustainability targets in parallel with achieving the monetary business goals via expanded and enchande utilization of the approach. 

While the expanded and enhanced utilization of commercial and contract management outside its core goals have already started, it has not yet reached its full potential. There is still room for growth. However, companies seem enthusiastic about this possiblity. It is expected that the approach will gain a more solid foothold in the future. 

The PhD contributes via several managerial implications to the business practice, that business leadership can immediately start applying in their everyday business life. The study concludes that commercial and contract management is a leadership strategy instrument to help the company to achieve both environmentally and economically sustainable business. The approach is expected to further grow. In addition to its immense growth potential in the practical business life, it is likely to offer several intriguing future research paths.

Key words: Supply chain management, green supply chain management, sustainability, ESG, commercial and contract management, private governance, sustainable business, transformation, strategy.

ZOOM: https://aalto.zoom.us/j/61486127731

Doctoral student: Suvi Hirvonen-Ere
Opponent: Professor Gyula Vastag, Szechenyi University
Custos: Professor Markku Kuula, Aalto University School of Business

Thesis available for public display 10 days prior to the defence at:
https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/sec/eonly/riiputus/?lang=en

Contact information of doctoral student: [email protected]
mobile: +358 40 5043554