ESG IN ACTION: A JOURNEY TOWARD ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

Abstract

Stakeholder pressure has led organizations to revise their management models, adopting ESG practices without disregarding economic results. Many companies face difficulties in harmoniously integrating the three ESG dimensions—an essential condition for promoting organizational sustainability. This study aims to propose an adaptive framework for organizational sustainability in SMEs through the balanced integration of ESG dimensions. The qualitative research was conducted according to the Design Science Research methodology, combining a literature review, interviews with representatives of SMEs from France, Spain, the United States, and Brazil, and expert verification of the framework using the Delphi method. The results reveal that although organizations adopt ESG practices, an isolated and reactive approach prevails, focused on the visible aspects of sustainability, such as certifications and reports, to the detriment of intangible dimensions such as culture, purpose, and ethical values. As its main product, the study developed the Hurricane Framework 2.0, an adaptive structure composed of seven interconnected levels that support the adoption of ESG practices for organizational sustainability—a conceptual and operational framework capable of supporting diagnosis, planning, and strategic sustainability management, applicable across multiple organizational contexts. Additionally, it advances the literature by empirically demonstrating that unbalanced ESG approaches do not promote organizational sustainability; expands understanding of how organizations can align purpose, ethical principles, and sustainable development; and incorporates perspectives of healthy organizations and intergenerational equity.