Addressing Big Societal Challenges in HRM Research: A Society–Actors–Processes–Policy Framework

Abstract

The paper advances a new ‘Society-Actors-Processes-Policy’ (SAPP) framework to aid policy makers and management scholars in addressing big societal challenges. A new sensitizing framework is developed from evaluating and extending policy debates in top management journals linked to societal challenges. SAPP contributes to policy, practice and management theory by offering a novel perspective to conceptualize and examine the relationship between organizations, people management, policy making and big societal challenges across micro, meso and macro levels. The framework supports more meaningful theorizing to a wider public community by encouraging dialogue between academics, policy makers and other stakeholders. SAPP’s conceptual contributions link theory with policy and place management and HRM scholars in a stronger agenda-setting position to impact future equitable and sustainable policy making.