Bridging Worlds: A Multilevel Framework for Integrating Societal and Organizational Well-Being in the Sustainability Domain

This research aims to systematize knowledge on the social well-being dimension within the sustainability domain and its associated indicators within a comprehensive framework. The literature on well-being is highly fragmented, with the concepts of societal well-being and organizational well-being often treated as separate domains. However, the growing prevalence of remote work and other emerging work modalities increasingly blur the boundaries between work and personal life, necessitating a more integrated approach. Furthermore, the Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) literature underscores the importance of examining the effects of HR and management practices, including those related to well-being, both within and beyond organizational boundaries. This calls for a multilevel perspective that extends to the societal (extra-organizational) level, recognizing the interconnected nature of organizations and the broader social systems they operate within. To address these gaps, we employ a bibliometric-systematic review to systematize the concept of well-being within the sustainability domain. This review forms the foundation for the development of a comprehensive theoretical framework that bridges the societal and organizational research streams. By adopting an extended multilevel approach, we account for organizations as open systems where management practices influence citizens’ well-being beyond workplace boundaries, while societal policies reciprocally shape employees’ experiences. This interconnected perspective emphasizes the potential of businesses to actively contribute to societal wealth, health and resilience, particularly in the face of global challenges such as digitization, social risks, and shifting economic paradigms. The study underscores the importance of aligning business practices with broader societal purposes, prioritizing human-centric management and inclusivity. Our findings aim to provide a systematic framework of well-being definitions, measures, and factors to guide both policymakers and organizations in crafting sustainable well-being policies. Ultimately, we propose the development of a social intelligence system, validated through a citizen science approach, to operationalize and refine the theoretical framework for broader societal impact.