IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i5p2608-d757106.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social Sustainability in Business Organizations: A Research Agenda

Author

Listed:
  • Merlina Missimer

    (Department of Strategic Sustainable Development, Blekinge Institute of Technology, 371 41 Karlskrona, Sweden)

  • Patricia Lagun Mesquita

    (Department of Strategic Sustainable Development, Blekinge Institute of Technology, 371 41 Karlskrona, Sweden)

Abstract

Since the economic crisis in 2008, the world has seen a partly negative shift in social progress, highlighting that current economic models and practices do not guarantee long-lasting societal and human wellbeing. Economic models and business practices are deeply intertwined; thus, businesses play a major role in the advancement of social sustainability, and academic research can offer support in navigating the complexity of this issue. However, social sustainability tends to be under-researched. This article summarizes the discussion in general business management, product development, and supply-chain management, and from this suggest a research agenda to help in guiding systematic change in business organizations towards social sustainability. The article identifies ten main challenges and offers five recommendations to move the field forward, namely, a more explicit engagement with and discussion of social systems-science based ideas, and a more explicit determination as a field to converge on key pieces leading towards a clearer definition of the concept. Lastly, it recommends that research needs to focus on how to overcome fragmented organizational structures, how to achieve true integration into existing processes and tools, and how to support organizations to become more dynamic in working with these issues.

Suggested Citation

  • Merlina Missimer & Patricia Lagun Mesquita, 2022. "Social Sustainability in Business Organizations: A Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-13, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2608-:d:757106
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/2608/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/2608/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Beske, Philip & Land, Anna & Seuring, Stefan, 2014. "Sustainable supply chain management practices and dynamic capabilities in the food industry: A critical analysis of the literature," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 131-143.
    2. Jesko Schulte & Sophie I. Hallstedt, 2018. "Company Risk Management in Light of the Sustainability Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-25, November.
    3. Sharon Bolton & Rebecca Kim & Kevin O’Gorman, 2011. "Corporate Social Responsibility as a Dynamic Internal Organizational Process: A Case Study," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(1), pages 61-74, June.
    4. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    5. Jesko Schulte & Sophie Isaksson Hallstedt, 2018. "Self-Assessment Method for Sustainability Implementation in Product Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-24, November.
    6. Patricia Lagun Mesquita & Merlina Missimer, 2021. "Social Sustainability Work in Product Development Organizations: An Empirical Study of Three Sweden-Based Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-21, February.
    7. Lisa Wälitalo & Merlina Missimer, 2022. "The Organization of Social Sustainability Work in Swedish Eco-Municipalities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-24, February.
    8. Michael Cuthill, 2010. "Strengthening the ‘social’ in sustainable development: Developing a conceptual framework for social sustainability in a rapid urban growth region in Australia," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(6), pages 362-373, November/.
    9. Antony Paulraj & Injazz J. Chen & Constantin Blome, 2017. "Motives and Performance Outcomes of Sustainable Supply Chain Management Practices: A Multi-theoretical Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(2), pages 239-258, October.
    10. Alice Klettner & Thomas Clarke & Martijn Boersma, 2014. "The Governance of Corporate Sustainability: Empirical Insights into the Development, Leadership and Implementation of Responsible Business Strategy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 145-165, June.
    11. Ruqun Wu & Dan Yang & Jiquan Chen, 2014. "Social Life Cycle Assessment Revisited," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(7), pages 1-27, July.
    12. Robert H. W. Boyer & Nicole D. Peterson & Poonam Arora & Kevin Caldwell, 2016. "Five Approaches to Social Sustainability and an Integrated Way Forward," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-18, September.
    13. Lars Moratis & Satu Brandt, 2017. "Corporate stakeholder responsiveness? Exploring the state and quality of GRI‐based stakeholder engagement disclosures of European firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(4), pages 312-325, July.
    14. Carina Weingaertner & Åsa Moberg, 2014. "Exploring Social Sustainability: Learning from Perspectives on Urban Development and Companies and Products," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2), pages 122-133, March.
    15. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    16. Shallini Taneja & Pawan Taneja & Rajen Gupta, 2011. "Researches in Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review of Shifting Focus, Paradigms, and Methodologies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 343-364, July.
    17. Beate Littig & Erich Griessler, 2005. "Social sustainability: a catchword between political pragmatism and social theory," International Journal of Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 8(1/2), pages 65-79.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Robin Hogrefe & Sabine Bohnet-Joschko, 2023. "The Social Dimension of Corporate Sustainability: Review of an Evolving Research Field," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-22, February.
    2. Nina Jakubeit & Willem Haanstra & Jan Braaksma & Mohammad Rajabalinejad & Leo van Dongen, 2022. "Co-Designing Sustainable Coordination to Support Inter-Organizational Decision Making," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-26, May.
    3. Maryam Jamilah Asha’ari & Salina Daud & Norazah Mohd Suki, 2023. "Linking Sustainable Design and Social Sustainability Performance of Chemical Manufacturing Firms: Moderating Role of Islamic Work Ethics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-21, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Patricia Lagun Mesquita & Merlina Missimer, 2021. "Social Sustainability Work in Product Development Organizations: An Empirical Study of Three Sweden-Based Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-21, February.
    2. Desirée Knoppen & Louise Knight, 2022. "Pursuing sustainability advantage: The dynamic capabilities of born sustainable firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1789-1813, May.
    3. Kumar, Gopal & Subramanian, Nachiappan & Maria Arputham, Ramkumar, 2018. "Missing link between sustainability collaborative strategy and supply chain performance: Role of dynamic capability," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 96-109.
    4. Thierry Sauvage & Tony Cragg & Sarrah Chraibi & Oussama El Khalil Houssaini, 2018. "Running the Machine Faster: Acceleration, Humans and Warehousing," Post-Print hal-02905068, HAL.
    5. Cragg, Tony & Sauvage, Thierry & Haouari, Mohammed & Chraibi, Sarrah & Houssaini, Oussama El Khalil, 2018. "Running the machine faster: Acceleration, humans and warehousing," Chapters from the Proceedings of the Hamburg International Conference of Logistics (HICL), in: Kersten, Wolfgang & Blecker, Thorsten & Ringle, Christian M. (ed.), The Road to a Digitalized Supply Chain Management: Smart and Digital Solutions for Supply Chain Management. Proceedings of the Hamburg International C, volume 25, pages 3-22, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Institute of Business Logistics and General Management.
    6. Heldt, Lisa & Beske-Janssen, Philip, 2023. "Solutions from space? A dynamic capabilities perspective on the growing use of satellite technology for managing sustainability in multi-tier supply chains," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    7. Geyi, Dan’Asabe Godwin & Yusuf, Yahaya & Menhat, Masha S. & Abubakar, Tijjani & Ogbuke, Nnamdi J., 2020. "Agile capabilities as necessary conditions for maximising sustainable supply chain performance: An empirical investigation," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 222(C).
    8. Julia Köhler & Sönnich Dahl Sönnichsen & Philip Beske‐Jansen, 2022. "Towards a collaboration framework for circular economy: The role of dynamic capabilities and open innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(6), pages 2700-2713, September.
    9. Alessandro Da Giau & Nicolai J. Foss & Andrea Furlan & Andrea Vinelli, 2020. "Sustainable development and dynamic capabilities in the fashion industry: A multi‐case study," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(3), pages 1509-1520, May.
    10. Tiberius, Victor & Stiller, Laura & Dabić, Marina, 2021. "Sustainability beyond economic prosperity: Social microfoundations of dynamic capabilities in family businesses," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    11. Tafuro, Alessandra & De Matteis, Fabio & Preite, Daniela & Costa, Antonio & Mariella, Leonardo & Treviso, Giuliana, 2019. "Social sustainability and local authorities: What is the relationship between spending commitments and social issues?," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 120-132.
    12. Jerome Ballet & Damien Bazin & François‐Regis Mahieu, 2020. "A policy framework for social sustainability: Social cohesion, equity and safety," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(5), pages 1388-1394, September.
    13. Ekom Etim Akpan & Eluka Johnny & Waribugo Sylva, 2022. "Dynamic Capabilities and Organizational Resilience of Manufacturing Firms in Nigeria," Vision, , vol. 26(1), pages 48-64, March.
    14. Sachin S. Kamble & Angappa Gunasekaran & Nachiappan Subramanian & Abhijeet Ghadge & Amine Belhadi & Mani Venkatesh, 2023. "Blockchain technology’s impact on supply chain integration and sustainable supply chain performance: evidence from the automotive industry," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 327(1), pages 575-600, August.
    15. Jose Cuesta & Liang Cai & Lucia Madrigal & Natalia Pecorari, 2023. "Exposure to Climatic Risks and Social Sustainability in Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-25, February.
    16. Hua Shang & Renfei Chen & Zhongwen Li, 2020. "Dynamic sustainability capabilities and corporate sustainability performance: The mediating effect of resource management capabilities," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 595-612, July.
    17. Olga Broto & Alba Puig-Denia & Rafael Lapiedra, 2021. "How to Enhance Sustainability through Technology Usage: An Analysis of Managerial Capabilities and Gender in the Tourism Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-13, December.
    18. Hossein Farhadikhah & Keramatollah Ziari, 2021. "Social sustainability between old and new neighborhoods (case study: Tehran neighborhoods)," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 2596-2613, February.
    19. Juha Hämäläinen & Pasi Matikainen, 2018. "Mechanisms and Pedagogical Counterforces of Young People’s Social Exclusion: Some Remarks on the Requisites of Social Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-28, June.
    20. Wu, Kuo-Jui & Liao, Ching-Jong & Chen, Chih-Cheng & Lin, Yuanhsu & Tsai, Chuck F.M., 2016. "Exploring eco-innovation in dynamic organizational capability under incomplete information in the Taiwanese lighting industry," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 181(PB), pages 419-440.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2608-:d:757106. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.