IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/rvmgts/v19y2025i10d10.1007_s11846-025-00840-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Artificial intelligence (AI) for good? Enabling organizational change towards sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Julia Schwaeke

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

  • Carolin Gerlich

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

  • Hong Linh Nguyen

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

  • Dominik K. Kanbach

    (HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management)

  • Johanna Gast

    (MBS School of Business)

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being recognized as a critical tool when it comes to addressing the most pressing challenges facing modern industries, including the pursuit of sustainability. The use of AI is aiding businesses in navigating corporate sustainability challenges, but existing research lacks a comprehensive exploration of how corporations leverage AI to boost their sustainability. By exploiting an inductive concept-development approach and incorporating data from 24 companies, this study provides valuable insights into the role that AI plays in shaping organizational sustainability strategies, identifying operational enablement and technical capacity as key drivers of AI adoption for corporate sustainability. These drivers are incorporated into the technology, organization, and environment (TOE) framework alongside the strategic steps and capabilities necessary for organizations to effectively adopt and implement AI in the development of their sustainability strategies. Ultimately, this study proposes an integrative model for sustainability-oriented AI adoption that emphasizes the importance of aligning AI initiatives with organizations’ sustainability objectives in order to maintain a competitive advantage and drive progress. Correspondingly, it underscores the need for robust data management, system integration, and continual performance monitoring to reduce resistance to AI adoption allowing for the potential of AI to be fully harnessed in pursuit of sustainability. Furthermore, this study offers practical guidance by exploring the direct and indirect use cases of AI in corporate sustainability. The study concludes by highlighting potential avenues for future research in this evolving field.

Suggested Citation

  • Julia Schwaeke & Carolin Gerlich & Hong Linh Nguyen & Dominik K. Kanbach & Johanna Gast, 2025. "Artificial intelligence (AI) for good? Enabling organizational change towards sustainability," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 19(10), pages 3013-3038, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:rvmgts:v:19:y:2025:i:10:d:10.1007_s11846-025-00840-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11846-025-00840-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11846-025-00840-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11846-025-00840-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rodrigo Lozano, 2015. "A Holistic Perspective on Corporate Sustainability Drivers," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(1), pages 32-44, January.
    2. Nishant, Rohit & Kennedy, Mike & Corbett, Jacqueline, 2020. "Artificial intelligence for sustainability: Challenges, opportunities, and a research agenda," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    3. Riccardo Torelli & Federica Balluchi & Katia Furlotti, 2020. "The materiality assessment and stakeholder engagement: A content analysis of sustainability reports," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(2), pages 470-484, March.
    4. Béatrice Parguel & Florence Benoît-Moreau & Fabrice Larceneux, 2011. "How Sustainability Ratings Might Deter "Greenwashing": A Closer Look at Ethical Corporate Communication," Post-Print halshs-00561187, HAL.
    5. Di Vaio, Assunta & Palladino, Rosa & Hassan, Rohail & Escobar, Octavio, 2020. "Artificial intelligence and business models in the sustainable development goals perspective: A systematic literature review," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 283-314.
    6. Jing-Wen Huang & Yong-Hui Li, 2017. "Green Innovation and Performance: The View of Organizational Capability and Social Reciprocity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 145(2), pages 309-324, October.
    7. Béatrice Parguel & Florence Benoît-Moreau & Fabrice Larceneux, 2011. "How Sustainability Ratings Might Deter ‘Greenwashing’: A Closer Look at Ethical Corporate Communication," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 102(1), pages 15-28, August.
    8. Rosa Maria Dangelico & Devashish Pujari & Pierpaolo Pontrandolfo, 2017. "Green Product Innovation in Manufacturing Firms: A Sustainability‐Oriented Dynamic Capability Perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 490-506, May.
    9. Thomas, Asha & Duggal, Harshleen Kaur & Khatri, Puja & Corvello, Vincenzo, 2024. "ChatGPT appropriation: A catalyst for creative performance, innovation orientation, and agile leadership," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    10. Xie, Xuemei & Huo, Jiage & Zou, Hailiang, 2019. "Green process innovation, green product innovation, and corporate financial performance: A content analysis method," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 697-706.
    11. Burström, Thommie & Parida, Vinit & Lahti, Tom & Wincent, Joakim, 2021. "AI-enabled business-model innovation and transformation in industrial ecosystems: A framework, model and outline for further research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 85-95.
    12. Haftor, Darek M. & Costa Climent, Ricardo & Lundström, Jenny Eriksson, 2021. "How machine learning activates data network effects in business models: Theory advancement through an industrial case of promoting ecological sustainability," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 196-205.
    13. Bernd W. Wirtz & Wilhelm M. Müller, 2019. "An integrated artificial intelligence framework for public management," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(7), pages 1076-1100, July.
    14. Magnani, Giovanna & Gioia, Denny, 2023. "Using the Gioia Methodology in international business and entrepreneurship research," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2).
    15. Chen Qu & Eunyoung Kim, 2024. "Reviewing the Roles of AI-Integrated Technologies in Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Research Propositions and a Framework for Future Directions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-27, July.
    16. Rupert J. Baumgartner & Daniela Ebner, 2010. "Corporate sustainability strategies: sustainability profiles and maturity levels," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(2), pages 76-89.
    17. Ming-Hui Huang & Roland T. Rust, 2021. "A strategic framework for artificial intelligence in marketing," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 30-50, January.
    18. Rajendra Akerkar, 2019. "Artificial Intelligence for Business," SpringerBriefs in Business, Springer, number 978-3-319-97436-1, March.
    19. repec:dau:papers:123456789/4687 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Jorzik, Philip & Antonio, Jerome L. & Kanbach, Dominik K. & Kallmuenzer, Andreas & Kraus, Sascha, 2024. "Sowing the seeds for sustainability: A business model innovation perspective on artificial intelligence in green technology startups," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 208(C).
    21. Ramzi El-Haddadeh, 2020. "Digital Innovation Dynamics Influence on Organisational Adoption: The Case of Cloud Computing Services," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 985-999, August.
    22. Tobias Hahn & Frank Figge & Jonatan Pinkse & Lutz Preuss, 2010. "Trade‐offs in corporate sustainability: you can't have your cake and eat it," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 19(4), pages 217-229, May.
    23. Thomas Dyllick & Kai Hockerts, 2002. "Beyond the business case for corporate sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(2), pages 130-141, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Jorzik, Philip & Klein, Sascha P. & Kanbach, Dominik K. & Kraus, Sascha, 2024. "AI-driven business model innovation: A systematic review and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    2. María Luisa Pajuelo Moreno & Teresa Duarte-Atoche, 2019. "Relationship between Sustainable Disclosure and Performance—An Extension of Ullmann’s Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-33, August.
    3. Eugene Kang & Nguyen Bao Lam, 2023. "The impact of environmental disclosure on initial public offering underpricing: Sustainable development in Singapore," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(1), pages 119-133, January.
    4. Morgan X. Yang & Ji Li & Irina Y. Yu & Kevin J. Zeng & Jian‐Min (James) Sun, 2019. "Environmentally sustainable or economically sustainable? The effect of Chinese manufacturing firms' corporate sustainable strategy on their green performances," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 989-997, September.
    5. Pereira, Vijay & Nair, Asha KS. & Bhattacharyya, Som Sekhar, 2025. "Exploring and investigating the complementarity and multidimensionality of innovation for sustainability research: Past present and future," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    6. Suparak Suriyankietkaew & Phallapa Petison, 2019. "A Retrospective and Foresight: Bibliometric Review of International Research on Strategic Management for Sustainability, 1991–2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-27, December.
    7. Han, Myat Su & Ma, Shuang (Sara) & Wang, Yonggui & Tian, Qinghong, 2023. "Impact of technology-enabled product eco-innovation: Empirical evidence from the Chinese manufacturing industry," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    8. Chotia, Varun & Cheng, Yue & Agarwal, Reeti & Vishnoi, Sushant Kumar, 2024. "AI-enabled Green Business Strategy: Path to carbon neutrality via environmental performance and green process innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    9. Yufei Wang & Xiufan Zhang & Yan Wang & Xueli Chen & Malin Song, 2024. "The road to sustainable development: Results of the differentiated choice of corporate environmental strategy," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(4), pages 2990-3003, August.
    10. Pietronudo, Maria Cristina & Croidieu, Grégoire & Schiavone, Francesco, 2022. "A solution looking for problems? A systematic literature review of the rationalizing influence of artificial intelligence on decision-making in innovation management," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    11. 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.
    12. Jaroslav Vrchota & Martin Pech & Ladislav Rolínek & Jiří Bednář, 2020. "Sustainability Outcomes of Green Processes in Relation to Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing: Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-47, July.
    13. Mehrnaz Ashrafi & Gregory M. Magnan & Michelle Adams & Tony R. Walker, 2020. "Understanding the Conceptual Evolutionary Path and Theoretical Underpinnings of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-17, January.
    14. Jennifer Adolph & Markus Beckmann, 2024. "Corporate sustainability strategy: From definitional ambiguity toward conceptual clarification," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4708-4729, July.
    15. Kazunori Kobayashi & Gabriel Eweje & David Tappin, 2018. "Employee wellbeing and human sustainability: Perspectives of managers in large Japanese corporations," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(7), pages 801-810, November.
    16. Muhammad Kaleem Khan & Chunhui Huo & R. M. Ammar Zahid & Umer Sahil Maqsood, 2024. "The automated sustainability auditor: Does artificial intelligence curtail greenwashing behavior in Chinese firms?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(8), pages 9015-9039, December.
    17. Bo Cheng & Zixin Li & Baoyin Qiu & Ting Xiong, 2024. "Does Collective Decision-Making Promote SOEs' Green Innovation? Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 191(3), pages 481-500, May.
    18. Achi, Awele & Adeola, Ogechi & Achi, Francis Chukwuedo, 2022. "CSR and green process innovation as antecedents of micro, small, and medium enterprise performance: Moderating role of perceived environmental volatility," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 771-781.
    19. Jay Joseph & Marc Orlitzky & Bruce Gurd & Helen Borland & Adam Lindgreen, 2019. "Can business‐oriented managers be effective leaders for corporate sustainability? A study of integrative and instrumental logics," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 339-352, February.
    20. Philipp Haessler, 2020. "Strategic Decisions between Short-Term Profit and Sustainability," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-31, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:spr:rvmgts:v:19:y:2025:i:10:d:10.1007_s11846-025-00840-x. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.