On the Intersection of Business Process Management and Sustainability

Abstract

Stakeholders' pressure for sustainability drives organizations to consider triple-bottom-line (TBL) (economy, ecology, and social) goals into business processes. While prior research has largely focused sustainability reporting, the integration of TBL goals into process improvement remains underexplored, particularly given the paradoxical tensions arising from competing stakeholder demands. Drawing on paradox theory, this study synthesizes existing research to examine how organizations address TBL tensions through Business Process Management (BPM). The authors conceptualize sustainable BPM by positioning BPM capability areas (strategic alignment, governance, methods, information technology, people, and culture) as enablers for balancing TBL. Using systematic literature review, they identify two complementary approaches: fragmented organizational practices and theory-driven response strategies. They also introduce two novel strategies—resolution-integration and resolution-performance optimization—and offer 7S conceptual framework to guide sustainability-driven process improvement.