Research on sustainability has progressed from a singular focus on one aspect to a simultaneous focus on more than one aspect of the triple bottom line. However, there is a dearth of research that explains why sustainability-related decisions in business often do not bear the expected results. Research that provides managers with a tool to achieve environmental sustainability of logistics without compromising the economic sustainability is scarce. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to bridge the above gaps and to explore the factors that affect investment in technology to balance environmental and economic sustainability of logistics. A model based on system dynamics approach explains the simultaneous interplay of these factors. Simulating the model helps the managers of logistics function decide the size of investment in technology, to achieve environmental efficiency without negatively influencing the economic performance.,A model based on system dynamics approach explains the simultaneous interplay of these factors. Simulating the model helps the managers of logistics function decide the size of investment in technology, to achieve ecological efficiency without compromising with the economic performance.,Collaboration with regulatory authorities and with players within the same industry and across industries is a must so that eco-logistics does not become an economic burden for businesses. The decision to invest in technology for eco-logistics is further accentuated if the technology promises some added economic benefits.,From a theoretical perspective, the research has added to the less extensive literature on system dynamics modelling, which is a mixed methodology, combining both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The research is also one of the few attempts that have attempted to simultaneously study more than one aspects of sustainability in business, quantitatively through simulation. Simulation was demonstrated through a single case study, Future works can aim to apply the causal loop diagram to firms in varied sectors.,The managers can use the causal loop diagram to assess the environmental performance of logistics and decide on appropriate level of investment to balance ecological and economic performance of logistics.,The causal loop diagram has been developed through primary data collection via semi-structured interviews. The results were validated by presenting them to respondents to ensure they represent their view points. The results are, therefore, practical and original. This research does not build upon an existing data set or aims to test the applicability of any existing model. The model for this research has been developed from the grass-roots level.

中文翻译：

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建模物流的环境和经济可持续性

关于可持续性的研究已经从单一侧重于一个方面发展到同时侧重于三重底线的一个以上方面。但是，尚缺乏研究来解释为什么企业中与可持续性相关的决策通常无法获得预期结果的原因。很少有研究为管理人员提供一种在不损害经济可持续性的前提下实现物流环境可持续性的工具。因此，本文的目的是弥合上述差距，并探讨影响技术投资以平衡物流环境和经济可持续性的因素。基于系统动力学方法的模型解释了这些因素的同时相互作用。模拟模型有助于物流职能部门的经理确定技术投资的规模，在不影响经济绩效的前提下实现环境效率。基于系统动力学方法的模型解释了这些因素的同时相互作用。对模型进行模拟可以帮助物流职能部门的管理人员确定技术投资的规模，在不损害经济绩效的情况下实现生态效率。与监管机构以及同一个行业和跨行业的参与者的合作是必不可少的，因此生态物流不会成为企业的经济负担。如果该技术有望带来更多的经济利益，则进一步加大对生态物流技术的投资决策。从理论上讲，该研究已添加到有关系统动力学建模的较不广泛的文献中，这是一种混合方法，结合了定性和定量技术。这项研究也是尝试通过仿真定量地同时研究业务可持续性的多个方面的少数尝试之一。通过单个案例研究进行了模拟验证，Future工作可以旨在将因果关系图应用于各个行业的公司。管理人员可以使用因果关系图来评估物流的环境绩效，并决定适当的投资水平来平衡物流的生态和经济绩效。因果关系图是通过半结构化访谈收集原始数据而开发的。通过将结果呈现给受访者以确保其代表观点来验证结果。因此，结果是实用和原始的。这项研究不是建立在现有数据集的基础上，也不旨在测试任何现有模型的适用性。该研究的模型是从基层开发的。