Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M15 6BH UK
  • 2 Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, Campus I-BR 285, São José, Passo Fundo, RS 99052-900 Brazil
  • 3 Laboratory of Sustainability Engineering and Consumption, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil
  • 4 School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Campinas, Mendeleyev Street, 200, Campinas, Brazil
  • 5 Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
  • 6 School of Economics, Business Administration and Accounting at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Avenida dos Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, 14040-905 Brazil
  • 7 Department of Law, University of Macerata, Piaggia dell'Università 2, 62100 Macerata, Italy
  • 8 UFP Energy, Environment and Health Research Unit (FP-ENAS), University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), Praça 9 de Abril 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
  • 9 Leadership and Strategy Department, John Gokongwei School of Management, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines
  • 10 CSIR-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute, Bunso, Ghana
  • 11 Department of Geomatics Engineering Technology, Yanbu Industrial College, Yanbu, 41912 Saudi Arabia
  • 12 Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and International Relations, Autonomous University of Baja California, Tijuana, Mesa de Otay, 22390 Baja California, Mexico
  • 13 Graduate School of Humanities and Social Science, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS), Hiroshima University, 1-3-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Japan
Sustain Sci, 2022;17(6):2615-2630.
PMID: 36032314 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-022-01204-0

Abstract

Social sustainability is a work field characterised by an emphasis on social aspects, e.g. equity, ethics, health, gender balance, or empowerment, within a broader sustainability context. Although the concept seems to be reasonably well established and deemed worthy of pursuing, some obstacles prevent its wide dissemination. Through a bibliometric analysis focusing on the literature on social sustainability at institutions, with a focus on companies, this paper aims to investigate and describe some of the barriers associated with social sustainability implementation. Apart from identifying that sustainability reporting, environmental disclosure and financial performance play a central role in successfully achieving social sustainability, in the context of which gender-related issues seem more tangential, the results indicated some solutions commonly reported for overcoming barriers and obstacles to a company's social sustainability implementation within different sectors. These solutions have to do, among many other factors addressed in this study, with strengthening communication transparency and trust, contributing to awareness, using technology to document and promote social sustainability. Thus, empowering organizations and citizens, recognized as essential factors to social development, and addressing the challenges in a multi-dimensional way.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.