Organizational Growth Reconsidered: A Systems‐Based Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a significant increase in post‐ and degrowth research, which explores the social and ecological consequences of, and alternatives to, economic growth. To date, however, the debate has primarily occurred at the macroeconomic level, leaving a gap in our understanding of the role of organizational growth in a post‐growth context. Therefore, in this paper, we review the general management and corporate sustainability literatures, which have long investigated organizational growth, to gain insights into the inputs, processes, and outputs of organizational growth across multiple levels of analysis. Drawing on these findings and adopting a systems perspective, we devise a research agenda for future growth‐critical research at the organizational level. We suggest that studying emergence, adaptation, interdependence, and feedback in relation to organizational growth has significant potential to advance the fields of both corporate sustainability and post‐ and degrowth. Additionally, our integrative review offers practical advice for managers and policymakers seeking to guide organizations toward post‐growth pathways.