Reconceptualizing Sustainable Business Practices Through Strategic Management, and Human Resource Management: A Systematic Literature Review
Keywords:
Sustainable business practices, Strategic management, Human resource management, Green HRM, Systematic literature reviewAbstract
This study aims to reconceptualize sustainable business practices through the integration of Strategic Management (SM) and Human Resource Management (HRM) using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach. The growing importance of sustainability in organizational contexts has led to increased scholarly attention; however, existing literature remains fragmented between strategic-level perspectives and human-centered HRM approaches. By synthesizing relevant studies, this review identifies key themes and conceptual linkages that explain how sustainability is embedded within organizational systems. The findings reveal that Strategic Management contributes to sustainability through dynamic capabilities, value configurations, and long-term strategic alignment, while HRM facilitates sustainability implementation through green HRM practices, employee engagement, and capability development. The interaction between both domains indicates that sustainable business practices are best understood as a multi-level system that connects organizational strategy with employee behavior. Despite this integration, the literature still lacks a comprehensive explanation of the mechanisms linking HRM systems with strategic sustainability outcomes. This study contributes to sustainability literature by bridging Strategic Management and HRM perspectives into a unified conceptual understanding. It emphasizes that sustainability is not only a strategic outcome but also a behavioral and organizational process co-created through human capital systems. The study provides implications for both theory development and managerial practice by highlighting the importance of aligning HRM systems with sustainability-oriented strategies.
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