Integrated management systems and sustainability – a review on their relationships

Abstract

This study explores how integrated management systems (IMS) as business tools relate to organisations’ capability of achieving sustainable development, and what knowledge gaps are still existing. Further, it discusses if IMS is only an antecedent of sustainability, or if there is a vice-versa relationship. Therefore, a systematic literature review (SLR) is performed to provide a summary of existing literature. In addition, an exploratory review adds to the discussion of a vice-versa relationship. The work reveals that the research topic is characterised by multiple constraints, thus demanding more in-detail studies. The proposed research agenda entails eight future research questions directed at unfolding models in practice, producing large-scale and cross-regional empirical analyses, exploring more IMS components, and investigating how IMS helps organisations to incorporate sustainability concepts at the economic level. An overview on the connections between IMS and sustainability has been absent in the literature in such detail. The work implicates that in practice managers should consider implementing IMS for fostering corporate sustainability, and in academia future research should be directed at the identified knowledge gaps. Thereby, the justification of a vice-versa relationship adds a new viewpoint to academics’ understanding of the topic and the formulated research agenda sets the path for future studies.