The Evolution of the Three Pillars of Sustainability

摘要

Over the past three decades, concerns about sustainability have been raised widely in social and natural science discourses. The World Commission on Economic Development (WCED) defined sustainable development based on three pillars of environmental, social and economic. However the evolution of sustainability implementation in organizations has not been explored over the course of time. Using structured content analysis, this study investigates the sustainability practices of nine firms listed in Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The results indicate that while organizations focus on all three pillars of sustainable development over time, environmental sustainability has outpaced social and economic development. Implications and future directions are also discussed.