Search

Civilian-led, non-police crisis response services – which attend mental health crises that previously had received uniformed police response in many jurisdictions – have multiplied substantially alongside widespread calls for 'de-tasking' of police. Yet, these services inevitably engage in forms of 'policing' in both practical and sociological terms, if we understand policing to involve reducing harms and maintaining order under the shadow of police (state coercive) power. Seeing the rapid expansion of these services as the birth of a new organisational field, following organisational and institutional theories, this paper delineates possible futures of these services as they coalesce into increasingly isomorphic forms. The paper then considers the potential bases of legitimacy, organisational ethos and accountability that will develop around these services, and sets out challenges that the organisational field will face if it is to avoid becoming an extension of 'the police'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the institutional dynamics that contribute to educational inequality within Nordic cities. The persistent issue of social inequality in education remains a prominent challenge for the Nordic welfare states. By investigating the gaps between educational policies and their practical implementation, this study sheds light on the mechanisms that drive educational inequality. Through the application of qualitative methods, the research examines the impediments to achieving educational equity within three distinct municipalities in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The study identifies several contributing factors to the prevailing educational inequality, encompassing housing policies, urban spatial segregation, diverse principles governing school choice and marketisation, and variations in organisational models intended to promote equity. The research not only offers novel insights into the gaps between educational policy formulation and implementation but also underscores their pivotal role in both generating and perpetuating educational inequality. In the subsequent discussion, the study addresses these identified gaps and outlines their potential implications for future policy-making and practical implementation in Nordic education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public organisations are increasingly practising open innovation. Declining budgets, demand for greater participation and growing complexity of today's social problems are forcing public sector employees to integrate external agencies into their organisational processes. While this eagerness to open up is well-documented, the effects of openness of public organisations on innovation outcomes are not well understood. This article addresses this crucial gap by analysing the extent of involvement of external sources in the innovation process of public sector workplaces and examining the relationship between such involvement and innovation outcomes. The findings suggest that openness and external knowledge is associated with positive organisational returns. Findings also show that public sector workplaces utilise external knowledge to generate product or service innovations, but not to generate organisational process changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do some types of evaluation use prevail in certain contexts and not in others? The aim of this article is to advance knowledge about organisational factors of evaluation use, that is, determinants of evaluation use grounded in organisational theories. We critically review existing frameworks of organisational factors of evaluation use, highlighting key differences between them and pointing out discrepancies with empirical insights. We discuss the merits of two potential areas for future research that can help concretise theoretical stances: considering organisational legitimacy as a potential direct determinant of evaluation use and incorporating a dynamic perspective in organisational frameworks of evaluation use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the editorial note is to introduce the scope of this special issue (SI). We explain our editorial approach and provide a brief summary of eight articles included in the SI following multiple rounds of reviews. Finally, we outline future research questions which stemmed out of the discussions of this SI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrary to more rudimentary espionage networks created by rulers (and their rivals) in various parts of early modern Europe, by the sixteenth century, early modern Venice had created a remarkable, centrally organised state intelligence organisation, the Venetian secret service. This was built on a rigid organisational hierarchy and branched out into distinct communication networks. This article describes, in detail, the structure and function of the Venetian secret service, dwelling on how it was administered and managed by the Council of Ten, Venice's infamous spy chiefs. To explore the early modern organisational and managerial practices on which this service was premised, the article borrows theoretical concepts deriving from the disciplines of Intelligence Studies, Sociology, Organisation Studies, and Management, which it weaves together with archival sources and relevant literature. In doing so, the article explores some of the methodological challenges of studying the phenomenon of early modern intelligence organisation. Ultimately, the article puts forth the argument that systematised intelligence and espionage are not 'modern' phenomena, as conventional wisdom dictates, but date back to the early modern era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of the mid-sized enterprise arguably facilitates the resilience and stability needed for a thriving economy, even though such firms are comparatively overlooked or underrepresented in the scholarly literature. Further, the process of how mid-sized firms grow is seemingly unexplained. We address this gap in the literature through qualitative research and unveil a growth process model for mid-sized enterprise, illuminating the interaction of relationship and resource variables that are orchestrated by managers to achieve growth. Results from our research capture formative interactions and how they are developed, exploitative strategies coupled with galvanised relationships and integrated relationship and resource complexity as drivers to state-dependent growth. We unpack which variables foster growth as well as how, where and when they do so and contribute to literature with finer-grained description and prescription for growth objectives in mid-sized firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increasing proportion of UK healthcare delivered by independent sector providers (ISPs) it is important that performance data is reviewed with a similar rigour as within the public sector. However, there is a relative paucity of work considering quotients of performance in the independent healthcare sector. This study sets out to measure organizational health within ISPs in the UK and juxtapose this with contemporaneous data taken from public sector NHS organizations. Survey data was tested for construct validity with fit of the existing factor structure of the Healthcare-OH survey examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Multiple-group CFA was used to establish measurement invariance to permit comparison of latent sum scores between ISP and NHS organizations. Measurement invariance analysis evaluated the fit of sequential invariance models, proceeding iteratively to establish partial metric and scalar invariance. Latent sum scores comparisons demonstrated ISPs outperformed NHS trusts across all elements of organizational health. This is the first time organizational health has been measured in ISPs explicitly for comparison with results in the public sector. Comparative measurement and analysis in this way is novel and has the potential of fostering a two-way learning process for the ultimate benefit of both NHS and ISP organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing populations and range of large wild mammals in Europe, wildlife governance has grown in importance and provoked social conflicts, pressuring policy-makers to provide adequate policy responses. Some countries chose decentralised approaches, while others retain traditional top-down mechanisms. However, evolutionary mechanisms behind those changes and their impact on steering have attracted relatively little attention. We investigated the evolution of the governance of three wildlife species (European bison, moose, and wolf) in Poland (1945–2020) to map their existing paths and explore external and internal factors influencing steering patterns. The results suggest that despite the persistent dominance of state-centred governance and top-down hierarchical instruments characteristic for a post-socialist country, steering involved intense and often informal communication with influential actors. A growing diversity of actors and discourses in wildlife governance increased the state’s steering options and improved conservation outcomes. Concurrently, the government’s steering shifted from concrete policy results to managing tensions and interests within the field. These transformations helped to retain the effectiveness of steering in the changing context, while retaining state-dominated governance.

This presented study explores the ongoing Uni Connect Programme run by the UK government to widen participation among underrepresented young people. The research focused on one specific local authority that delivers Uni Connect activities, gathering data from eight in-depth interviews (project manager N = 2, activity coordinators N = 6) and the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT). Analysis of the data was used to critically examine the practices of activity providers and activity coordinators involved in the local authorities Uni Connect initiative. The data was analysed using thematic analysis drawing from concepts of organisational flattening and the delegation of authority. The paper makes an original contribution by presenting a theoretical model that highlights organisational asymmetry in delivering educational outreach programmes when entrepreneurial activity designers are forced to operate within hierarchical systems. This is important to understand as systematic and impersonal issues within the organisation lead to poorer outcomes for students who require specific outreach, even when stakeholders recognise the needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past five-ten years, the international health systems agenda has a noticeable new emphasis, that on resilience. The topic of resilience has gained significant attention among policymakers, international organisations and health system researchers, the 2008 global economic crisis and the Zica and Ebola outbreaks catalysing this effect. It is already considered an essential aspect of health system performance and strengthening. Much of the knowledge in resilience is informed by insights from other fields that have embraced it as a research topic. Having originated as a construct in mechanical engineering and psychology, the resilience approach has been borrowed comparatively more recently by a variety of other fields. The aim of the current study is to explore the concept development on a broader level that goes beyond the health care sector. A comprehensive literature review was carried out in April-May 2019. Searches for peer-reviewed articles were conducted in the databases Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and WHO library. An additional grey literature search was conducted with a focus on publications by international, non-governmental organisations and think tanks. Among the plethora of fields approaching the concept, three strands stand out as underlying the more recent health systems resilient thought – ecological and social-ecological systems, climate change and disasters and organisational theory. The study traces the development of the concept of resilience in these different ‘schools’ and its impact on health systems resilience theory.

Globally, financial system regulators are susceptible to deliberate and inadvertent influence by the industry that they oversee and, hence, are also susceptible to acting to benefit the industry rather than the public interest – a phenomenon known as 'regulatory capture'. Australia, arguably, has an optimal model of financial system regulation (a 'Twin Peaks' model) comprising separate regulators for prudential soundness on the one hand, and market conduct and consumer protection on the other. However, the current design of the Twin Peaks model has not been sufficient to prevent and address prolonged and systemic misconduct that culminated in a public Royal Commission of Inquiry into misconduct in the industry. Subsequent to the Royal Commission and other inquiries, the Department of Treasury has proposed legislation to establish an Assessment Authority to assess the effectiveness of the Twin Peaks regulators. The proposal includes enquiries by an Assessment Authority into the regulators' independence, so as to identify instances of, and thereby mitigate, their capture. As with all financial system regulators, the Assessment Authority itself may be susceptible to regulatory capture, either by the Twin Peaks regulators, or by the financial industry. Thus, this paper poses the question: how can the new Assessment Authority be optimally constituted by legislation, and operated, to effectively oversee the effectiveness of the regulators, but itself remain insulated from the influence of the regulators and industry? We analyse the primary sources of influence over financial system regulators that the Assessment Authority will likely face and recommend ways in which a robust design of the Assessment Authority can mitigate those sources of influence. In doing so, we adopt an inter-disciplinary approach, drawing upon not only regulatory theory but also for the first time in relation to this question, organisational psychology. Our findings address gaps in the proposed legislation currently before Federal Parliament and propose methods by which those gaps may be filled, in order to ensure that this important reform to Australia's financial regulatory regime has the greatest chance of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited academic literature has explored the responsibilities of Provincial and Territorial Child and Youth Advocates in Canada. This paper analyses the responsibilities that constitute the role of Canadian Provincial and Territorial Child and Youth Advocates, as well as the forces that impact and shape these responsibilities. A total of 17 participants, including current and former members of the Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates (CCCYA) as well as their staff members are included in the study. Findings reveal that individual advocacy, systemic advocacy, investigations into critical injuries and child deaths, as well as educational outreach, constitute the primary responsibilities of the CCCYA. Additionally, at the provincial and territorial level, it is important for advocates to navigate the historical, cultural and political factors that inform discourses surrounding childhood as these factors impact the way advocacy is understood and carried out within these organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing populations and range of large wild mammals in Europe, wildlife governance has grown in importance and provoked social conflicts, pressuring policy‐makers to provide adequate policy responses. Some countries chose decen‐ tralised approaches, while others retain traditional top‐down mechanisms. However, evolutionary mechanisms behind those changes and their impact on steering have attracted relatively little attention. We investigated the evolution of the governance of three wildlife species (European bison, moose, and wolf) in Poland (1945–2020) to map their existing paths and explore external and internal factors influencing steering patterns. The results suggest that despite the persistent dom‐ inance of state‐centred governance and top‐down hierarchical instruments characteristic for a post‐socialist country, steer‐ ing involved intense and often informal communication with influential actors. A growing diversity of actors and discourses in wildlife governance increased the state’s steering options and improved conservation outcomes. Concurrently, the gov‐ ernment’s steering shifted from concrete policy results to managing tensions and interests within the field. These transfor‐ mations helped to retain the effectiveness of steering in the changing context, while retaining state‐dominated governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For international organisations in the global education policy field, legitimacy is based in large part on the supposed techno-rational basis of these organisations and their ability to credibly produce knowledge and policy expertise. However, as the present article demonstrates, there are clearly a range of macro–micro organisational dynamics driving the production of knowledge and the policy ideas that are advanced. By revealing the way that a particular policy emerged and was promoted within the World Bank, this article seeks to expose the way that policy innovation is produced by the iterative interplay of agentic activity and particular organisational circumstances – and how this process is used to maintain and extend the influence of international organisations and the individuals who represent them. By drawing on Stewart Clegg's 'circuits of power' approach, we seek to theorise the internal dynamics of international organisations, and, in so doing, to move beyond the dominant coercive and normative perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research question: To what extent are dynamic capabilities present in, and drive the performance of, U.S. Olympic National Governing Bodies (NGBs)? Research methods: Guided by a critical realist perspective we used qualitative semi-structured interviews with the CEO or Executive Director of four U.S.-based NGBs of sport. We examined the effect of dynamic capabilities on the so-called '3M' (members, medals, and money) performance of four purposively selected NGBs. Results and findings: Our findings indicate that NGBs with varied performance in outcomes relating to membership, medals and money had notable differences regarding their approach to innovative leadership, organisational learning, market alignment and resource acquisition and mobilisation. The historical structural context also plays an important role in influencing the behaviour of NGBs. Implications: This paper identifies how frameworks such as Dynamic Capabilities can be applied and further examined in order to drive sustained innovation and enhanced organisational performance specifically within NGBs of sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on the aesthetics of organisations, conducted for several decades, has led to organisations being no longer regarded as aesthetically neutral entities, but as forms of expression, susceptible to several aspects of human perception, interpretation and reaction. This approach can be of particular importance for supporting creativity, innovativeness, knowledge conversion, and for critical reflection on the theory of management and managerial practice. In order to take full advantage of the potential of this cognitive perspective, one should turn to applied practices (e.g. the work of designers and artists) combined with theory (of perception, design or art), which have thus far remained beyond the purview of mainstream organisation and management theory.

Abstract Background Despite the relative abundance of frameworks and models to guide implementation science, the explicit use of theory is limited. Bringing together two seemingly disparate fields of research, this article asks, what can organisational theory offer implementation science? This is examined by applying a theoretical lens that incorporates agency, institutional, and situated change theories to understand the implementation of healthcare knowledge into practice. Methods Interviews were conducted with 20 general practitioners (GPs) before and after using a resource to facilitate evidence-based sexual healthcare. Research material was analysed using two approaches – researcher-driven thematic coding and lexical analysis, which was relatively less researcher-driven. Results The theoretical lens elucidated the complex pathways of knowledge translation. More specifically, agency theory revealed tensions between the GP as agent and their organisations and patients as principals. Institutional theory highlighted the importance of GP-embeddedness within their chosen specialty of general practice; their medical profession; and the practice in which they worked. Situated change theory exposed the role of localised adaptations over time – a metamorphosis. Conclusions This study has theoretical, methodological, and practical implications. Theoretically, it is the first to examine knowledge translation using a lens premised on agency, institutional, and situated change theories. Methodologically, the study highlights the complementary value of researcher-driven and researcher-guided analysis of qualitative research material. Practically, this study signposts opportunities to facilitate knowledge translation – more specifically, it suggests that efforts to shape clinician practices should accommodate the interrelated influence of the agent and the institution, and recognise that change can be ever so subtle.

Family firms are known for having a strong culture and shared values, which arise from the ways in which family traditions and dynamics influence the business. Value congruence is known for having positive effects on employees' affective commitment, which is strongly connected to organisational performance. Thus, one can assume that a strong family influence on a business entails strong congruency between employees' and firms' values. To explore this topic in more depth, the present paper employs theoretical strands from family business research and person-organisation- fit theory. To examine the relationship between family influence, value congruence and their effect on affective commitment, this study conducted an online survey among 15 family firms that were categorized according to their family influence. The paper compared firms with weak and strong family influence in terms of employees' value congruence and their affective commitment, as well as considered potential influencing factors such as leadership, management stewardship, and tenure. Different methods were used to analyse the data. The findings indicate that family firms with a strong family influence have higher levels of perceived value congruence and affective commitment among employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many methods have been developed for organisational change, depending most often on a one-time grand event to bring change. While these events take and produce initial energy, employee engagement oftentimes is not sustained. Earth's nature provides key examples of interrelated stable systems, such as the water cycle and independent ecosystems, which should be harnessed for use for organisational development. No current organisational model or system adequately demonstrates the same power that bonds between atoms in a molecule do. Following the examples in the natural world, connections between people in an organisation can be augmented and strengthened, leading to more adaptable organisations. This conceptual sustainable method herein described involves an intentional matrix of pairing employees in an organisation to create or strengthen the connections and communication between them. The key design elements are offered along with a model of how facilitation would be implemented. Based on principles from the natural world, this organisational chemistry method allows companies to develop stronger employee bonds and sustain long-term growth, change, and adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the distinctive value of literature inside organisational theory, and how using narratives as possible future scenarios can help both academics and managers consider the consequences of mental health problems, the (mis)use of drugs, and the division of labour in the workplace. The paper adopts Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World for this purpose. Another contribution of the paper is providing a model that offers managers a step-by-step action plan of how to use literary texts to study sensitive workplace issues, generating new knowledge which would ultimately help them to envision ways to act appropriately and develop future strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork in an Indian advertising agency, this paper demonstrates that brand mascots are more than advertising glitter designed to cajole consumers. When they become the basis for the collective rallying of organisational members who converge around a tangible manifestation of their firm's unique character, brand mascots operate as organisational totems, helping concretise and reproduce an organisation's identity in a foreign context. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As in most countries, Norwegian and Danish media houses struggle to adjust to new technological, economic and political realities. Photo departments have seen their budgets cut and people have been let go. It looks, however, as if the organisational response to the crisis is more nuanced than it may seem at first glance. We have examined three media organisations, with a reputation for an above average interest in photojournalism, through the filter of organisational psychology. By looking at the conjunction between organisational culture, the present climate, and what we may call visual editorial competence, which relates to a photo department’s relative power within the organisation, we try to shed some light on when and why photo departments are able to implement their own crisis management and thus influence their own situation. Our findings suggest that photo departments with a strong culture are more resilient to a climate marked by disruptive change. The overall visual editorial competence does, however, impact their manoeuvring space within the organisation.

Organisational emergence is of key interest in organisational theory. Most of the present studies, however, analyse the emergence of changes in already existing phenomena such as, for example, how strategies or organisational routines are subject to change. In contrast, previous research in organisational theory has rarely addressed organisational emergence in essence (i.e., from scratch) and might benefit from looking beyond the confines of one's own discipline. To address this void, we draw on the case of digital emergent self-organised organisations as an exemplary form thereof. Emerging organisations in digital environments appear to be created much more spontaneously, and multiple processes occur simultaneously. So, probing into a digital environment allows us to get a fresh perspective on organisational emergence and to advance previous theorising by incorporating notions from the fields of leadership and entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digitalisation of adult and continuing education involves both a societal challenge and a policy demand to harness digital media for effective adult and continuing education provision. Therefore, this article adopts an organisational perspective on adult and continuing education, raising the question of what management knowledge is needed to support the introduction of digital learning formats in public and community-based adult and continuing education organisations. An international literature review is then performed. As a result, the author draws a picture of the current state of adult and continuing education digitalisation in Switzerland and Germany. Based on this 'state of the German-speaking landscape', he identifies that information technology-infrastructure, staff development and management/leadership are the most relevant challenges for implementing digital media in adult and continuing education organisations. These are taken as a structure for reviewing international studies and developing a research agenda. The proposed research agenda frames these three fields of investigation by the state of research. The conclusion outlines questions of strategy development and strategy implementation within an organisational theory framework as relevant fields for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to present the storytelling analysis methodology and reveals its relevance for marketing research from an organisational perspective. Although marketing has considered different theoretical approaches to storytelling, its methodological dimension remains largely overlooked; exceptions are organisational disciplines of management science, especially organisational theory from which it originated. However, it appears to be a fertile methodology for the study of various research topics and qualitative data in marketing. The storytelling analysis methodology is a way to tap into deeper realities by exploring the symbolism conveyed by stories. This article illustrates its implementation step by step and develops its appeal for marketing research through an investigation of discourses flourishing in organisations. Recommendations, practical tools and a research agenda are suggested for marketing academics interested in the analysis of marketing in its organisational dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transnational migration, especially the growth of forced migration is unsettling the literature on widening access to university education. Equity definitions and understandings that frame social inclusion have presumed stable domestic populations within nations and targeted redressing historic internal social inequalities. Refugees and people seeking asylum have high aspirations to access to university education to gain recognition or update qualifications. University access for refugees and people seeking asylum is hampered by restricted funding entitlements that privilege citizens and admissions criteria that position them in the international student market and favour language and cultural requirements that reflect the dominant national culture. A qualitative narrative-based case-study of the admissions practices in one university in Australia explored the opportunities and blockages experienced by those seeking access and the dilemmas recognised by the admissions' gatekeepers. Employing organisational theory and Scott's three pillars of a neo-institutional framework, the regulative, the normative and the cultural-cognitive pillars, the article argues that homogenised institutional policies and practices to assess applications construct norms of access and equity, which create new exclusions for forced migrants. In revealing how some gatekeepers sought to 'workaround' these practices of exclusion, the article provides hope that informal learning within organisations can lead to organisational change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Motivation to act on climate adaptation exists in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. • External influence and workplace environment affect motivation and capacity to act. • Inadequate staffing and budget dispensation promote reliance on donor funds. Abstract Government ministries are increasingly mainstreaming climate change adaptation within policies and plans. However, government staff in key implementing ministries need to be empowered to ensure effective delivery of policy goals. Motivation to act on climate change, combined with the capacity to make decisions and apply resources to programmes, is crucial. Informed by theories of motivation and workplace environments from social psychology and organisational theory, this paper reports findings from a questionnaire of government staff (103 respondents) in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. The questionnaire was designed using self-determination theory to investigate the role of external influences, institutional structures and resources and how these, in turn, affect staff motivation and capacities to design and implement new policies and strategies. The study finds that whilst external influences and hierarchical structures are recognised, these do not have a strong direct influence on staff motivation, but they do appear to inhibit capacities to act. The results show that lack of staff and limited government-allocated budget reduce the ability of ministries to be self-determined and set their own agendas. Instead they are dependent on donor-determined projects which may be selective in the aspects of climate change adaptation plans and policies they support and even divert focus away from government priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article tackles the question of how bureaucratic structures condition frontline implementers' use of European Union (EU) migration law. Adopting an organisational perspective, the study expects that only under discretion do implementers draw independently on original EU law. Empirically, the article draws on qualitative interviews with migration law implementers in the Netherlands and the German Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia. The analysis reveals that in the nondiscretionary Dutch structure, frontline implementers only rely on EU law when receiving instructions from higher administrative levels. The use of EU law is more diverse in the German discretionary structure. Under legal tension, several German frontline implementers use EU law parallel to national law. However, not all German respondents feel comfortable in interpreting original EU law and jurisprudence. Although structural discretion conditions uses of EU law, the variation of the German case suggests that microlevel factors complement explanations for frontline uses of EU law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for theory building in environmental supply chains has been at the centre of many discussions in recent years. Existing research, however, does not typically consider methods that aim at theory generation. Current methods such as econometric modelling or structural equation modelling face challenges related to how causality is established due to potential issues regarding cross-sectional data sets. To address this gap, this paper suggests a total interpretive structural modelling based approach. We use graph theory logic to synthesize expert interpretations in the form of a theoretical supply chain model. This method may prove to be an alternative method to econometric based modelling or structural equation modelling. We provide an application of the method in exploring the drivers of low carbon supply chain and their relationships. Limitations and future research opportunities are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate sustainability has recently been challenging traditional business models that have been based on value proposition, creation and capture. There has been a steady increase in publications using the term "sustainable business models"; however, there have been few that have theoretically defined or characterized the term, and in most cases, they just apply the term. Seven peer‐reviewed papers were selected that aimed to define and explain sustainable business models and that have been widely cited. The papers were analyzed by assessing the elements and activities covered using the corporate sustainability framework, and by comparing them against four approaches to explain organizations. The paper proposes a definition and framework for more sustainable business models aimed at integrating organizational approaches, the company system, stakeholders, change and sustainability dimensions, thus providing a more holistic and systemic approach to discourses on sustainable business models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]