The Underlying Theories of Organizational Sustainability: The Motivation Perspective

The primary purpose of this paper is to illustrate the significance of several underlying theories of organizational sustainability from a motivational perspective. This paper adopts three theories from three distinct perspectives, including the institutional or organizational perspective, the employee perspective, and the stakeholder perspective, to construct and develop strong relationships among different variables to form a research framework connecting these three perspectives with organizational sustainability. The study then suggested a conceptual model for organizational sustainability based on three theories: the institutional theory (IT), the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) theory, and the stakeholder theory (ST). Several theoretical perspectives of organizational sustainability, including IT, AMO theory, and ST perspectives of sustainability concerns, were used to explore and determine the motivational viewpoint of these theories. This study began with a review of multiple studies and an analysis of the numerous ideas driving organizational sustainability. After that, the examined studies were appraised for their evidence and inadequacies. This paper included environmental, social, and economic aspects in one comprehensive review and focused on recent studies based on IT, AMO theory, and ST from a motivational perspective. Previous organizational sustainability reviews of several theories in different sectors or industries were primarily based on resource base view theory, resource dependency theory, social exchange theory, dynamic capability theory, and so on. This study examined current changes in IT, AMO theory, and ST theory from a motivational viewpoint. Additionally, the development of organizational sustainability in the industrial arena was addressed. This paper may be used as a guide for different stakeholders, especially practitioners and policymakers so that they can set up their strategies, action plans, and policies in a way that will ensure the sustainability of their organizations.