Annamaria Di Fabio - Cross-cultural Perspectives on Well-Being and Sustainability in Organizations

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Sustainability is an important challenge for humanity and is receiving a wide attention from international bodies, scientific disciplines, governments, NGOs and society in general during the last half a century. It has been briefly characterized as the capacity for continuance into the long-term future (Martin, 2003) although often different disciplines have provided their own definitions (ecology, economics, biology and sociology) focusing on specific facets. A comprehensive view of sustainability is lacking and the concept is becoming fuzzy and confusing (Faber et al. 2005). In an effort to provide a systematic and comprehensive view, the Brundtland Commission pointed out that, beyond the physical needs and economics, sustainability requires views of human needs and well-being that incorporate such non-economic variables as education and health enjoyed for their own sake, clean air and water, and the protection of natural beauty. It must also work to remove disabilities from disadvantaged groups, many of whom live in ecologically vulnerable areas (WCED, 1987).

Sustainable development is considered the process to achieve sustainability. Thus, the Brundtland Commission characterizes it as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (WCDE, 1987). Three main pillars of sustainable development are considered: economic growth, environmental protection and social equality. In practice, conceptualizations of sustainable development cover even a broader spectrum. Lozano (2008) has distinguished five types of conceptualizations: the conventional economists perspective; the non-environmental degradation perspective; the integrational perspective, i.e. encompassing the economic, environmental and social aspects; (4) the inter-generational perspective; and (5) the holistic perspective (Lozano 2008). More recently, Bolis, Morioka and Sznelwar (2014) developed a model with an axiological perspective. It proposes that sustainable development can be seen as development aimed at improving the well-being of society as a whole (including future generations), enabled by an axiological perspective in decision-making processes, considering the limitations of environmental resources. The model explicitly includes a value-based mindset in the concept of sustainable development (p. 7). It highlights the relation of sustainability with peoples well-being, considering also future generations, and emphasizes the decision-making processes with the tension between individual and functionalistic drivers on one end and the axiological collective driver on the other one. Then, the model considers subjective and emotional components and values such as cooperation, equity and equality, including a collective, intergenerational and axiological approach.

During the las decade, psychology has paid growing attention and awareness to the processes of sustainable development. In this way, the European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, in an editorial article recently published (Di Fabio and Rosen, 2018), declares a new frontier consisting in opening the black box of Psychological Processes in the science of sustainable development.

The UN General Assembly approved, on 12 September, 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals and the agenda 2030. The goals aim to stimulate action in the five critical areas: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. The declaration included 17 goals with 169 targets establishing, for the first time, shared goals concerning all the countries around the world and not just the developing ones, as it was the case for the Millennial Goals. This has been seen as a novel approach of global governance by goal setting (Biermann, Kanie & Kim, 2017). They are integrated and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development. The goals are primarily included in one of the five P areas: People (goal 1: No poverty; 2: Zero hunger; 3: Good health and well-being; 4: Quality education and 5: Gender equality), Planet (goals 6: Clean water and sanitation; 12: Responsible consumption and production; 13: Climate action; 14: Life below water; and 15: Life on land), Prosperity (goals 8: Decent work and economic growth; 9: Industry innovation and infrastructure; 10: Reduced inequalities and 11: Sustainable cities and communities), Peace (goal 16: peace, justice and strong institutions) and Partnership (goal 17: partnership for the goals).

Organizations and work are then explicitly dealt with in goal 8 and are mentioned in several targets of different goals. The goal 8 aims to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth full and productive employment and decent work for all. Its targets include issues such as decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises. They also aim to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. Moreover, they pursue to reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training