SDGs and HRM from a changing purpose of the firm perspective

Within the business logic of shareholder capitalism, concerns about the effectiveness of corporate strategy and financial performance have tended to be prioritized over questions of ontology and purpose (Ocasio, Kraatz and Chandler, 2023). However, in recent years, organizational purpose and in particular the role of business organizations in society have become more important in the management literature, especially considering the challenges of sustainability and social legitimacy and changing understandings of value creation (Chua et al., 2024; George, Haas, McGahan, Schillebeeckx and Tracey, 2023). In fact, the debate around the dynamic relationship between traditional business aims and demands for enhanced corporate ecological and societal responsibility has been called a ‘game changer’regarding redefining organizational purpose (Ferrarini, 2021). This is reflected at an organizational level in the …