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As commonly accepted, the stakes of sustainable development (SD) are altogether highly serious, complex, and diverse, spanning from changing living standards to the very future of mankind. Although it has long been argued that such complexity warrants radical change in the way “good” knowledge is conceived of and produced, it appears that much of sustainability research – including its grounding in social sciences – has yet to extend beyond the institutionalized precepts of natural science with regard to validity and credibility. In this context, this paper argues that crucial insights can be developed by opening social sciences’ theorizing process to undervalued forms of knowledge including art in general, and science-fiction literature in particular. To support this argument, current non-scientific productions of knowledge are reviewed in light of alternate conceptions of epistemological value. The potential of science fiction as thought experiments and inspiration for both problematizing and theory building in the social sciences is explored. In particular, certain science-fiction texts are thoroughly examined to illustrate how current problems pertaining to firm theories and management practice may be “discovered” (or made visible) only through science-fiction hindsight . Ultimately, the research shows how this hidden potential may be employed by social research to radically stimulate theoretical imagination and benefit sustainability research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goals of this opening paper of the Special Issue are threefold: First, it offers a brief review of the relevant extant literature on the drivers and barriers affecting climate change and the impacts of the organizational changes of MNEs required to face challenges posed by climate change. Then, it provides a comprehensive outline of the papers included in this Special Issue. The papers included in this Special Issue develop a range of topics, such as the contextual factors that influence the design of MNEs' strategies and practices related to climate change, interconnected and critical barriers to MNEs' green business models, the indirect effects of climate change impacts on MNEs, a multilevel framework for assessing strategic organizational responses to climate change, sustainable innovation practices developed by MNEs, and determinants and long-term performance outcomes of corporate carbon strategies, to mention a few. Finally, it proposes some potential avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability discourse has largely played out in the domains of natural sciences and technology, with recent contributions from the social and political sciences. These contributions have been significant and our understanding of sustainability challenges has improved greatly over the past three decades. However, our individual, organisational and collective actions have lagged behind and the actual problems of sustainability have become worse in the same period. In this paper we argue that we can get better action and behavioural commitments to sustainability by using the arts, art-based methods, and aesthetics to develop passion and emotional connection for sustainable organising and living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]