Process Mapping for Relevance. Revisiting the Sustainability Opportunity Study

This conceptual paper delves into the critical aspects of scoping and setting indicators for change initiatives, with a focus on innovation for enhanced sustainability. Employing a process-based system model, the study explores the iterative nature of boundary-setting and the challenges posed by unclear boundaries in the context of sustainability progress. Through a conceptual development of logic and drawing from existing literature, the paper proposes a theory-informed schematic overview, emphasizing the role of process mapping in identifying relevant sustainability outcomes for organizations. The findings underscore the value of a process approach in initiating system scoping, albeit highlighting the need for supplementation to precisely delineate the system elements and interrelations crucial to the identified processes. The practical implications extend to guiding the initial stages of diverse change initiatives, offering a method to explore, select, and reflect on system boundaries. This work contributes an original perspective to the theoretical foundation of sustainability opportunity studies, elucidating the significance of process mapping in deriving pertinent outcomes.