Addressing the conceptualization and measurement challenges of sustainability orientation: A systematic review and research agenda

Sustainability orientation (SO) has emerged as a fundamental issue in scholarly studies during the last decade. Despite recent advances and the increasing number of research studies on SO, there exists a lack of scholarly agreement on its conceptualization and measurement. A systematic analysis of 53 journal articles published over the two decades shows that SO studies are vibrant and rapidly growing in various disciplines. The findings of this review provide a deeper understanding of the scope, conceptualization, and measurements of the SO construct. A key contribution of this review is the development of a comprehensive framework of SO to provide a succinct and informed summary of its conceptual domain, dimensionality, antecedents, outcomes, and contextualizations. Our review also offers a research agenda that articulates a number of emergent sustainability phenomena and provides exciting new research questions for scholars in strategy and sustainability research. In addition, our review may serve as a guide for various stakeholders; particularly, practitioners and policymakers can effectively develop their strategies and policies to promote the sustainable development agenda.

Automated summary

Sustainability orientation (SO) has emerged as an important issue in scholarly studies in the past decade. Despite the debate on its conceptualization and measurement, research on SO is thriving in various disciplines. A systematic analysis of 53 journal articles provides a deeper understanding of the scope, conceptualization, and measurement of the SO construct. This review contributes by developing a comprehensive framework that summarizes the conceptual domain, dimensionality, antecedents, outcomes, and contextualizations of SO and suggests new research questions for scholars in strategy and sustainability research.