A Review of Systems Perspectives in Sustainability: How Systems Properties Convey Systems-Wide Dynamics

Domenico Dentoni, Marija Roglic, Amanda Williams () and Pratima Bansal
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Domenico Dentoni: Montpellier Business School (France, Montpellier)
Marija Roglic: UM - Université de Montpellier
Amanda Williams: EM - EMLyon Business School
Pratima Bansal: Ivey Business School (Canada, London) - ISB

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Abstract: As seven of nine planetary boundaries are breached, management scholars face an urgent challenge: how can organizations address complex social-ecological crises that transcend traditional organizational boundaries and objectives? Responding to this need, researchers have leveraged a plurality of systems perspectives, yet current approaches remain nascent and fragmented. In this paper, we review 25 years (2000–2024) of empirical sustainability management research across 17 leading journals. We identify core systems properties—interrelatedness, nestedness, non-linearity, and emergence—that collectively illuminate four critical systems-wide dynamics: equilibrium, disequilibrium, adaptation, and organized systems change. This systematic review offers scholars a unified framework for theorizing and addressing critical sustainability challenges facing organizations, society, and the planet.

Keywords: systems perspectives; complexity theory; social responsibility; environmental responsibility; systems thinking; Planetary boundaries; Resilience theory; Social-ecological systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-03-15
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Published in Journal of Management, In press, pp.42. ⟨10.1177/01492063261417581⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05562229

DOI: 10.1177/01492063261417581

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