Beyond sustainability reporting: A theoretical framework for ethical sustainability governance

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Abstract

Current sustainability efforts, often focused solely on reporting, have not had the expected impact. This conceptual paper proposes a framework based on ethical sustainability governance and incorporates a theory of change (ToC) (Organizational Research Services [ORS], 2004), that seeks to show how organizations can move beyond reporting and embrace ethical governance to achieve sustainable outcomes for people and the planet. Unlike frameworks like ESG (environmental, social, and governance), which emphasize external metrics, our framework prioritizes ethical governance and internal drivers for measurable outcomes. The framework also integrates a ToC which informs the framework’s design by outlining the desired long-term outcomes, necessary preconditions for implementation, specific interventions, and methods for measuring progress. Drawing inspiration from diverse theories such as the triple bottom line (TBL), corporate governance, purpose-led organizations, the theory of planned behavior (TPB), dynamic capabilities theory (DCT), and stakeholder theory, our framework establishes four interconnected pillars: environmental, social, cultural, and technological. It emphasizes that ethical governance needs to be the cornerstone of good sustainability-focused action (Ehrenfeld, 2005). Finally, it emphasizes actionable implementation to increase the likelihood of tangible progress toward sustainability goals. By guiding organizations in implementing ethical governance there is a higher chance that sustainability-focused action plans can enable positive outcomes.

Keywords: Ethical Governance, Sustainability, Stakeholder Theory, Change, Culture, Technology

Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — I.S.; Methodology — I.S., C.A., and M.S.; Investigation — I.S. and M.S.; Writing — Original Draft — I.S.; Writing — Review & Editing — I.S., C.A., and M.S.; Visualization — I.S.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

JEL Classification: M14, M40, Q01, Q56

Received: 23.07.2024
Accepted: 28.10.2024
Published online: 30.10.2024

How to cite this paper: Suhardjo, I., Akroyd, C., & Suparman, M. (2024). Beyond sustainability reporting: A theoretical framework for ethical sustainability governance. Corporate Governance and Sustainability Review, 8(3), 8–20. https://doi.org/10.22495/cgsrv8i3p1