Sustainable Development Adoption in the High-Tech Sector: A Focus on Ecosystem Players and Their Influence

Abstract

In an era marked by increasing concerns about environmental sustainability, the telecommunications industry faces a pressing need to examine its commitment to sustainable development practices. Therefore, this study investigated the drivers and constraints influencing the adoption of such practices within the industry, with particular emphasis on the roles and interactions of ecosystem players. The research employed structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS to test the hypotheses and multilayer perceptron (MLP), which is an artificial neural network model, to assess the importance of each variable in the context of sustainable development adoption (SDA). This study analyzed data obtained from a diverse sample of telecommunications professionals, including telecom operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, and content and service providers. The findings reveal that stakeholder expectations held the highest normalized importance, suggesting their paramount influence in driving sustainable practices within the industry. Competitive advantage emerged as the second most significant factor, contributing to the adoption of sustainable strategies by companies. Conversely, cost and ROI concerns presented a constraint that potentially hindered SDA. This research contributes to the comprehensive understanding of sustainable development in the high-tech sector, aiding industry practitioners and policymakers in fostering a more sustainable future for the telecommunications industry. The implications derived from the sensitivity analysis provide valuable insights into prioritizing efforts and resources to enhance sustainable development adoption in the telecommunications sector.