Operationalizing mission statements for sustainability through product portfolio and lifecycle management

Bibliographic Data

ID13135136
AuthorsGihan Kodithuwakku (University of Oulu), Janne Härkönen (0000-0003-1058-3898, International School for Social and Business Studies, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume11
Pages101762-101762
Publication date2026-02-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSustainable Futures (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2666-1888
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.sftr.2026.101762
OpenAlexW7130836658
LanguageEN
References cited134

Organizations increasingly articulate sustainability commitments in their mission statements, yet frequently struggle to translate these commitments into concrete product portfolio and lifecycle decisions. Prior research has largely examined mission statements as symbolic, communicative, or legitimacy-oriented devices, offering limited explanation of how sustainability intent is operationalized within product-related governance. This study does not argue that mission statements merely include sustainability; rather, it explains how mission statements function as governance mechanisms that transmit, translate, and render sustainability decision-making traceable across product portfolios and lifecycles. Drawing on a PRISMA-informed, concept-driven systematic literature review, we synthesize research at the intersection of mission statements, sustainability, and product management to develop a novel conceptual framework grounded in Product Portfolio Management (PPM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). The framework explains how sustainability intent articulated in mission statement components is transmitted into portfolio-level prioritization, translated into lifecycle-level product decisions, and made traceable and measurable through structured product data, product structures, and productization logic. Rather than treating mission statements as symbolic declarations, the framework positions them as an upstream governance layer that connects corporate vision with portfolio governance and lifecycle execution. By clarifying the mechanisms through which mission statements influence sustainable product decisions, this study advances theory on mission-driven sustainability governance and provides a foundation for future empirical testing within PPM and PLM contexts.

Application lifecycle management · Operationalization · Portfolio · Product (mathematics · Product lifecycle · Product management · Sustainability · System lifecycle · Organizational Strategy and Culture · Sustainability in Higher Education · Sustainable Supply Chain Management

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Open DOIOpen Access