Mastering the interplay of organizational resilience and sustainability: Insights from a hybrid literature review

Organizational resilience enables the firm to thrive in an increasingly turbulent environment, paving the way for sustainability. Although the implications of organizational resilience on sustainability have been widely discussed in the literature, scholarly knowledge examining the interplay between these two phenomena is fragmented. The article addresses this gap through a hybrid domain-based literature review falling at the intersection of organizational resilience and sustainability. Drawing on a knowledge core of 51 scientific contributions, we identified four research streams established on five conceptual foundations. The study findings guide us toward an eco-social interpretation of organizational resilience, whose implications on the firm's viability should be assessed by acknowledging spillovers on environmental sustainability. Management actions to build organizational resilience should follow an ecosystem sustainability orientation. This involves embedding the firm in the eco-social setting in which it operates, emphasizing its homeostatic exchanges with the environment.

Automated summary

Organizational resilience allows firms to thrive in a turbulent environment and achieve sustainability. However, the relationship between organizational resilience and sustainability is not well understood. This article fills the gap by conducting a literature review on the intersection of organizational resilience and sustainability. The findings suggest that an eco-social interpretation of organizational resilience, considering its impact on environmental sustainability, is important for the firm's viability. Management actions should focus on embedding the firm in its eco-social setting and emphasizing its exchanges with the environment.