Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose: This study examines the challenges organizations face in implementing sustainable development strategies within a rapidly evolving business environment. It examines key barriers, including regulatory constraints, financial limitations, technological adoption difficulties, and organizational resistance, while assessing the roles of leadership, governance, and innovation in fostering sustainability.
Research Method: This study adopts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach, synthesizing existing research from peer-reviewed academic sources to analyze sustainability challenges and strategic responses. The review integrates perspectives from Institutional Theory to understand how external pressures influence corporate sustainability practices. The study also considers empirical findings from recent literature to provide a structured evaluation of the factors affecting sustainability integration.
Results and Discussion: The findings highlight that regulatory frameworks and market expectations are the primary drivers of sustainability adoption. However, many organizations struggle to balance short-term financial performance with long-term sustainability investments. The study identifies technological innovation as a key enabler of sustainable practices, but notes significant barriers, including high investment costs and skill gaps. Furthermore, effective leadership and corporate governance are critical in shaping organizational sustainability cultures.
Implications: This study provides practical insights for businesses, policymakers, and researchers, highlighting the importance of integrated sustainability strategies that extend beyond mere compliance. It calls for enhanced regulatory alignment, cross-sector collaborations, and investment in digital sustainability solutions to drive long-term resilience. Future research should explore sector-specific sustainability challenges and the effectiveness of leadership models in driving sustainability transformation.
Keywords
Article Details

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References
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- Bennett, M., James, P., & Klinkers, L. (2017). Sustainable measures: Evaluation and reporting of environmental and social performance. Routledge.
- Brenner, B. (2018). Transformative sustainable business models in the light of the digital imperative—A global business economics perspective. Sustainability, 10(12), 4428. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124428
- Chen, Y., & Ren, J. (2024). How does digital transformation improve ESG performance? Empirical research from 396 enterprises. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 21(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-024-01011-2
- Ciuciuc, V.-E., Bunica, A., Biea, E. A., Treapat, L.-M., & Edu, T. (2025). Managerial insights on sustainable practices in today’s business: mapping economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions and their organizational outcomes. Kybernetes. https://doi.org/10.1108/k-07-2024-1997
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- Danishevich, D. D. (2024). Approaches to Assessing the Sustainability of Business Development. Sustainable Development (IJEFSD), 6(1). https://doi.org/10.31149/ijefsd.v6i1.5163
- Ding, X., Sheng, Z., Appolloni, A., Shahzad, M., & Han, S. (2024). Digital transformation, ESG practice, and total factor productivity. Business Strategy and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3718
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- Gawusu, S., Zhang, X., Jamatutu, S. A., Ahmed, A., Amadu, A. A., & Djam Miensah, E. (2022). The dynamics of green supply chain management within the framework of renewable energy. International Journal of Energy Research, 46(2), 684–711. https://doi.org/10.1002/er.7278
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- Indriastuti, N., Prilliandani, N. M. I., Sutadji, I. M., Setiyaningsih, T. A., & Gunawan, A. (2024). Opportunities and Challenges: Implementation of Sustainable Business Practices in MSME’s. Proceeding: Islamic University of Kalimantan. https://doi.org/10.31602/piuk.v0i0.15423
- Jacqueminet, A. (2020). Practice implementation within a multidivisional firm: The role of institutional pressures and value consistency. Organization Science, 31(1), 182–199. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2019.1284
- Karneli, O. (2023). The role of adhocratic leadership in facing the changing business environment. Journal of Contemporary Administration and Management (ADMAN), 1(2), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.61100/adman.v1i2.26
- Koberg, E., & Longoni, A. (2019). A systematic review of sustainable supply chain management in global supply chains. Journal of Cleaner Production, 207, 1084–1098. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.033
- Kühn, A.-L., Stiglbauer, M., & Fifka, M. S. (2018). Contents and determinants of corporate social responsibility website reporting in Sub-Saharan Africa: A seven-country study. Business & Society, 57(3), 437–480. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650315614234
- Lahti, T., Wincent, J., & Parida, V. (2018). A definition and theoretical review of the circular economy, value creation, and sustainable business models: where are we now and where should research move in the future? Sustainability, 10(8), 2799. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082799
- Lyon, T. P., & Montgomery, A. W. (2015). The means and end of greenwash. Organization & Environment, 28(2), 223–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026615575332
- Martínez-Ferrero, J., & García-Sánchez, I.-M. (2017). Coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphism as determinants of the voluntary assurance of sustainability reports. International Business Review, 26(1), 102–118. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2016.05.009
- Mehta, M., Pancholi, G., & Saxena, A. (2024). Organizational resilience and sustainability: a bibliometric analysis. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2294513. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2294513
- Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations: Formal structure as myth and ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340–363.
- Misztal, A., & Ratajszczak, K. (2025). Possibilities of Using Contemporary Quality Management Methods and Tools for the Sustainable Development of the Organization. Sustainability, 17(2), 617. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020617
- Ogutu, H., El Archi, Y., & Dénes Dávid, L. (2023). Current trends in sustainable organization management: A bibliometric analysis. Oeconomia Copernicana, 14(1), 11–45. https://doi.org/10.24136/oc.2023.001
- Oliver Yébenes, M. (2024). Climate change, ESG criteria and recent regulation: challenges and opportunities. Eurasian Economic Review, 14(1), 87–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40822-023-00251-x
- Otero, H. J., & Castillo, J. P. A. (2025). La empresa como potencial sistema para el desarrollo regional sostenible y la paz: El Caso de FEDECOCO en la Costa Pacífica de Nariño. Telos: Revista de Estudios Interdisciplinarios En Ciencias Sociales, 27(1), 164–181. https://doi.org/10.36390/telos271.13
- Parzhanova, A. (2025). Human resource management–sustainable practices. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 9(1), 1100–1110. https://doi.org/10.55214/25768484.v9i1.4325
- Purnomo, Y. J., & Ausat, A. M. A. (2024). The Role of Value-Based Leadership in Shaping an Organizational Culture that Supports Sustainable Change. Journal of Contemporary Administration and Management (ADMAN), 2(1), 430–435. https://doi.org/10.61100/adman.v2i1.165
- Sewpersadh, N. S. (2023). Disruptive business value models in the digital era. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-022-00252-1
- Shuang, Q., Lu, J., Wang, S., Callari, D., & Cucari, N. (2024). Exploring the power of informal institutions: How does social trust affect corporate’s greenwashing strategy. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(8), 9098–9115. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3964
- Shyam, & Job, D. (2023). Factors Influencing Sustainable Development of Healthy Organization: A Review. Available at SSRN 4474098. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4474098
- Simanjuntak, R. (2024). Navigating the Dynamics of Corporate Financial Management for Sustainable Growth. Advances in Economics & Financial Studies, 2(2 SE-Articles). https://doi.org/10.60079/aefs.v2i2.172
- Solal, I., & Snellman, K. (2019). Women don’t mean business? Gender penalty in board composition. Organization Science, 30(6), 1270–1288. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2019.1301
- Tapscott, D., & Ticoll, D. (2003). The naked corporation: How the age of transparency will revolutionize business. Simon and Schuster.
- Unruh, G., Kiron, D., Kruschwitz, N., Reeves, M., Rubel, H., & Zum Felde, A. M. (2016). Investing for a sustainable future: Investors care more about sustainability than many executives believe. MIT Sloan Management Review, 57(4).
- van Bommel, K. (2018). Managing tensions in sustainable business models: Exploring instrumental and integrative strategies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 196, 829–841. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.063
- Xu, X., & Sun, M. (2025). Digital Transformation, Internationalisation and ESG Performance of Multinational Companies. Managerial and Decision Economics. https://doi.org/10.1002/mde.4496
- Yang, P., Hao, X., Wang, L., Zhang, S., & Yang, L. (2024). Moving toward sustainable development: the influence of digital transformation on corporate ESG performance. Kybernetes, 53(2), 669–687. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-03-2023-0521
- Yu, E. P., Luu, B. Van, & Chen, C. H. (2020). Greenwashing in environmental, social and governance disclosures. Research in International Business and Finance, 52, 101192. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2020.101192
References
Akinsola, K. (2025). The Role of Corporate Governance in Strengthening Compliance Frameworks. Available at SSRN 5126938. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5126938
Annesi, N., Battaglia, M., Ceglia, I., & Mercuri, F. (2025). Navigating paradoxes: building a sustainable strategy for an integrated ESG corporate governance. Management Decision, 63(2), 531–559. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-10-2023-2006
Ashrafi, M., Magnan, G. M., Adams, M., & Walker, T. R. (2020). Understanding the conceptual evolutionary path and theoretical underpinnings of corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability. Sustainability, 12(3), 760. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030760
Badmus, O., Rajput, S. A., Arogundade, J. B., & Williams, M. (2024). AI-driven business analytics and decision making AI-driven business analytics and decision making. October. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.24.1.3093
Baid, V., & Jayaraman, V. (2022). Amplifying and promoting the “S” in ESG investing: the case for social responsibility in supply chain financing. Managerial Finance, 48(8), 1279–1297. https://doi.org/10.1108/MF-12-2021-0588
Baumgartner, R. J., & Rauter, R. (2017). Strategic perspectives of corporate sustainability management to develop a sustainable organization. Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 81–92. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.04.146
Bennett, M., James, P., & Klinkers, L. (2017). Sustainable measures: Evaluation and reporting of environmental and social performance. Routledge.
Brenner, B. (2018). Transformative sustainable business models in the light of the digital imperative—A global business economics perspective. Sustainability, 10(12), 4428. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10124428
Chen, Y., & Ren, J. (2024). How does digital transformation improve ESG performance? Empirical research from 396 enterprises. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 21(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-024-01011-2
Ciuciuc, V.-E., Bunica, A., Biea, E. A., Treapat, L.-M., & Edu, T. (2025). Managerial insights on sustainable practices in today’s business: mapping economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions and their organizational outcomes. Kybernetes. https://doi.org/10.1108/k-07-2024-1997
Damberg, S., Saari, U. A., Fritz, M., Dlugoborskyte, V., & Božič, K. (2024). Consumers’ purchase behavior of Cradle to Cradle Certified® products—The role of trust and supply chain transparency. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(8), 8280–8299. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3919
Danishevich, D. D. (2024). Approaches to Assessing the Sustainability of Business Development. Sustainable Development (IJEFSD), 6(1). https://doi.org/10.31149/ijefsd.v6i1.5163
Ding, X., Sheng, Z., Appolloni, A., Shahzad, M., & Han, S. (2024). Digital transformation, ESG practice, and total factor productivity. Business Strategy and the Environment. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3718
Dye, J., McKinnon, M., & Van der Byl, C. (2021). Green gaps: Firm ESG disclosure and financial institutions’ reporting Requirements. Journal of Sustainability Research, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.20900/jsr20210006
Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2012). The impact of a corporate culture of sustainability on corporate behavior and performance (Vol. 17950, Issue 1). National Bureau of Economic Research Cambridge, MA, USA.
Escoto, X., Gebrehewot, D., & Morris, K. C. (2022). Refocusing the barriers to sustainability for small and medium-sized manufacturers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 338, 130589. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130589
Gawusu, S., Zhang, X., Jamatutu, S. A., Ahmed, A., Amadu, A. A., & Djam Miensah, E. (2022). The dynamics of green supply chain management within the framework of renewable energy. International Journal of Energy Research, 46(2), 684–711. https://doi.org/10.1002/er.7278
Huang, Z., Shi, Y., & Jia, M. (2024). Greenwashing: A systematic literature review. Accounting & Finance. https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.13352
Indriastuti, N., Prilliandani, N. M. I., Sutadji, I. M., Setiyaningsih, T. A., & Gunawan, A. (2024). Opportunities and Challenges: Implementation of Sustainable Business Practices in MSME’s. Proceeding: Islamic University of Kalimantan. https://doi.org/10.31602/piuk.v0i0.15423
Jacqueminet, A. (2020). Practice implementation within a multidivisional firm: The role of institutional pressures and value consistency. Organization Science, 31(1), 182–199. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2019.1284
Karneli, O. (2023). The role of adhocratic leadership in facing the changing business environment. Journal of Contemporary Administration and Management (ADMAN), 1(2), 77–83. https://doi.org/10.61100/adman.v1i2.26
Koberg, E., & Longoni, A. (2019). A systematic review of sustainable supply chain management in global supply chains. Journal of Cleaner Production, 207, 1084–1098. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.033
Kühn, A.-L., Stiglbauer, M., & Fifka, M. S. (2018). Contents and determinants of corporate social responsibility website reporting in Sub-Saharan Africa: A seven-country study. Business & Society, 57(3), 437–480. https://doi.org/10.1177/0007650315614234
Lahti, T., Wincent, J., & Parida, V. (2018). A definition and theoretical review of the circular economy, value creation, and sustainable business models: where are we now and where should research move in the future? Sustainability, 10(8), 2799. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10082799
Lyon, T. P., & Montgomery, A. W. (2015). The means and end of greenwash. Organization & Environment, 28(2), 223–249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026615575332
Martínez-Ferrero, J., & García-Sánchez, I.-M. (2017). Coercive, normative and mimetic isomorphism as determinants of the voluntary assurance of sustainability reports. International Business Review, 26(1), 102–118. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2016.05.009
Mehta, M., Pancholi, G., & Saxena, A. (2024). Organizational resilience and sustainability: a bibliometric analysis. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2294513. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2294513
Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations: Formal structure as myth and ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340–363.
Misztal, A., & Ratajszczak, K. (2025). Possibilities of Using Contemporary Quality Management Methods and Tools for the Sustainable Development of the Organization. Sustainability, 17(2), 617. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020617
Ogutu, H., El Archi, Y., & Dénes Dávid, L. (2023). Current trends in sustainable organization management: A bibliometric analysis. Oeconomia Copernicana, 14(1), 11–45. https://doi.org/10.24136/oc.2023.001
Oliver Yébenes, M. (2024). Climate change, ESG criteria and recent regulation: challenges and opportunities. Eurasian Economic Review, 14(1), 87–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40822-023-00251-x
Otero, H. J., & Castillo, J. P. A. (2025). La empresa como potencial sistema para el desarrollo regional sostenible y la paz: El Caso de FEDECOCO en la Costa Pacífica de Nariño. Telos: Revista de Estudios Interdisciplinarios En Ciencias Sociales, 27(1), 164–181. https://doi.org/10.36390/telos271.13
Parzhanova, A. (2025). Human resource management–sustainable practices. Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology, 9(1), 1100–1110. https://doi.org/10.55214/25768484.v9i1.4325
Purnomo, Y. J., & Ausat, A. M. A. (2024). The Role of Value-Based Leadership in Shaping an Organizational Culture that Supports Sustainable Change. Journal of Contemporary Administration and Management (ADMAN), 2(1), 430–435. https://doi.org/10.61100/adman.v2i1.165
Sewpersadh, N. S. (2023). Disruptive business value models in the digital era. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-022-00252-1
Shuang, Q., Lu, J., Wang, S., Callari, D., & Cucari, N. (2024). Exploring the power of informal institutions: How does social trust affect corporate’s greenwashing strategy. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(8), 9098–9115. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3964
Shyam, & Job, D. (2023). Factors Influencing Sustainable Development of Healthy Organization: A Review. Available at SSRN 4474098. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4474098
Simanjuntak, R. (2024). Navigating the Dynamics of Corporate Financial Management for Sustainable Growth. Advances in Economics & Financial Studies, 2(2 SE-Articles). https://doi.org/10.60079/aefs.v2i2.172
Solal, I., & Snellman, K. (2019). Women don’t mean business? Gender penalty in board composition. Organization Science, 30(6), 1270–1288. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2019.1301
Tapscott, D., & Ticoll, D. (2003). The naked corporation: How the age of transparency will revolutionize business. Simon and Schuster.
Unruh, G., Kiron, D., Kruschwitz, N., Reeves, M., Rubel, H., & Zum Felde, A. M. (2016). Investing for a sustainable future: Investors care more about sustainability than many executives believe. MIT Sloan Management Review, 57(4).
van Bommel, K. (2018). Managing tensions in sustainable business models: Exploring instrumental and integrative strategies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 196, 829–841. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.063
Xu, X., & Sun, M. (2025). Digital Transformation, Internationalisation and ESG Performance of Multinational Companies. Managerial and Decision Economics. https://doi.org/10.1002/mde.4496
Yang, P., Hao, X., Wang, L., Zhang, S., & Yang, L. (2024). Moving toward sustainable development: the influence of digital transformation on corporate ESG performance. Kybernetes, 53(2), 669–687. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-03-2023-0521
Yu, E. P., Luu, B. Van, & Chen, C. H. (2020). Greenwashing in environmental, social and governance disclosures. Research in International Business and Finance, 52, 101192. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2020.101192