A comprehensive three-dimensional sustainability measure: The ‘missing P’ of ‘people’ – a vital stakeholder in sustainable development

Sustainability depends on a balanced relationship of the triple bottom line – people, profit and planet. However, limited research exists on how employees comprise the people component as vital stakeholders. The advancement of sustainability research has been hampered by the lack of a comprehensive measure incorporating three dimensions. Hence, three studies were conducted to develop a measure. In Study 1, qualitative interviews with 16 sustainability executives and a literature review led to development of 41 items. In Study 2, exploratory factor analysis of the measure with 102 working adults confirmed three dimensions and reduced it to 34 items. In Study 3, confirmatory factor analysis of panel data from 119 human resource managers resulted in a fit with three dimensions. SEM analysis indicated an antecedent relationship with innovative culture, learning orientation, and a supportive and collaborative culture. The people dimension is related to organizational identification as an important outcome. Strengths, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.