Sustainability that Lasts: Leveraging Hierarchical Value through Integral Sustainability Performance

This conceptual essay examines why Integral Sustainable Entrepreneurship (ISE) is an essential enabler for long-term value creation under conditions of ecological and societal constraints. Dominant shareholder-oriented economic models prioritize short-term financial performance and tend to overlook ecological limits and social interdependencies. Drawing on post-growth ecological economics, including circular economy, degrowth, and regenerative entrepreneurship, the essay develops a hierarchical understanding of value creation in which ecological value constitutes a necessary condition for social and financial value. Building on this foundation, the paper revisits sustainability frameworks such as multiple value creation and multiple values, arguing that stakeholder-oriented approaches become structurally required when ecological integrity is treated as intrinsic rather than instrumental. The essay further introduces ISE as a comprehensive and integrative construct that embeds sustainability into organizational values, strategy, culture, and business models, thereby guiding decision-making ex ante. It concludes that sustainable value creation depends on systemic integration, stakeholder engagement, and a long-term orientation aligned with ecological boundaries.