Introduction

Socio-economic disparities lead to inequalities of access to health, education, water and sanitation, and pass on to the next generation. Ethical issues of intragenerational and intergenerational justice are therefore stronger than ever and seem inextricably linked to the nature of our social and economic systems. Tackling such grand challenges and their underlying interdependencies from a management and organisation studies perspective requires a concerted action of multiple stakeholders at different levels, including the private sector. It also requires rethinking current organisational models to leave space to new forms of organising. A socio-ecological, complexity-oriented perspective is increasingly necessary to appreciate the influence of factors at individual, community, organisational and policy levels, embedded in the natural environment. A wide range of literatures have, largely independently, discussed various ways organisations work towards a more sustainable world. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.