Comparative Analysis of Organizational DNA Dimensions and Their Influence on Social Sustainability Performance: Evidence from the Egyptian Steel Industry

The growing emphasis on corporate sustainability has intensified the need to understand the internal organizational mechanisms that drive social sustainability outcomes. While previous studies have examined Organizational DNA as a holistic construct, limited attention has been devoted to investigating the relative influence of its individual dimensions on Social Sustainability Performance (SSP). This study addresses this gap by examining and comparing the effects of four Organizational DNA dimensions—Decision Rights, Information, Motivators, and Organizational Structure—within the context of the Egyptian private steel industry.

Using data collected from 553 employees across major private steel companies in Egypt, the study employs Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of Organizational DNA dimensions on SSP. Green Training is incorporated as a complementary organizational mechanism to better understand how internal organizational capabilities are translated into sustainability outcomes.

The findings reveal substantial differences among Organizational DNA dimensions. Organizational Structure emerged as the strongest predictor of Social Sustainability Performance, followed by Motivators and Decision Rights. In contrast, Information demonstrated no significant direct effect on SSP but exhibited a significant indirect effect through Green Training. The results suggest that sustainability performance is influenced not only by organizational resources and policies but also by the configuration of internal organizational systems that enable employee engagement, knowledge application, and sustainability-oriented behaviors.

This study contributes to organizational behavior and sustainability literature by providing a comparative ranking of Organizational DNA dimensions and identifying the most influential organizational levers for enhancing social sustainability performance in industrial organizations. The findings offer practical guidance for managers and policymakers seeking to accelerate sustainability transformation through organizational design and human resource development initiatives.

Organizational DNA; Social Sustainability Performance; Green Training; Organizational Structure; Sustainability Management; Steel Industry; Egypt

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