Comparative Analysis of Organizational DNA Dimensions and Their Influence on Social Sustainability Performance: Evidence from the Egyptian Steel Industry
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
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.
Downloads
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.
Al-Moaz, M., & Shahein, A. (2019). Organizational DNA and organizational effectiveness: An empirical investigation. Journal of Business and Management Studies, 5(2), 45–59.
Aust, I., Matthews, B., & Muller-Camen, M. (2020). Common good HRM: A paradigm shift in sustainable HRM? Human Resource Management Review, 30(3), 100705.
Aust, I., Matthews, B., & Muller-Camen, M. (2020). Common Good HRM: A paradigm shift in Sustainable Human Resource Management? Human Resource Management Review, 30(3), 100705.
Bombiak, E., & Marciniuk-Kluska, A. (2021). Green Human Resource Management as a tool for sustainable development. Sustainability, 13(8), 1–21.
Cohen, E., Taylor, S., & Muller-Camen, M. (2012). HR's role in corporate social responsibility and sustainability. SHRM Foundation.
Daily, B. F., Bishop, J. W., & Govindarajulu, N. (2009). A conceptual model for organizational citizenship behavior directed toward the environment. Business & Society, 48(2), 243–256.
Delery, J. E., & Roumpi, D. (2021). Strategic Human Resource Management, human capital and competitive advantage: Is the field going in circles? Human Resource Management Journal, 31(1), 1–21.
Ehnert, I. (2009). Sustainable Human Resource Management: A Conceptual and Exploratory Analysis from a Paradox Perspective. Physica-Verlag.
Ehnert, I., Parsa, S., Roper, I., Wagner, M., & Muller-Camen, M. (2023). Reporting on sustainability and HRM: A review and future research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 33(1), 100889.
Elsanhawy, M., & Badway, N. (2023). Organizational capabilities and sustainability performance: Evidence from Egyptian organizations. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 31(4), 1250–1268.
Elseoufy, A. A. (2025). Organizational DNA and Social Sustainability Performance. Independent Academic Publication.
Elseoufy, A. A. (2025). The Impact of Organizational DNA on Social Sustainability Performance through Green Training as a Mediating Variable: A Study on the Private Steel Industrial Companies in Egypt. Doctoral Dissertation.
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Pitman Publishing.
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Jabbour, C. J. C. (2013). Environmental training and environmental management maturity of Brazilian companies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 96, 331–338.
Jabbour, C. J. C., & Santos, F. C. A. (2008). The central role of human resource management in the search for sustainable organizations. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 19(12), 2133–2154.
Jabbour, C. J. C., de Sousa Jabbour, A. B. L., Sarkis, J., & Godinho Filho, M. (2022). Unlocking the circular economy through new business models based on Green Human Resource Management. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(1), 1–15.
Khan, P. A., Johl, S. K., & Akhtar, S. (2021). Firm sustainable performance through Green Human Resource Management practices: The mediating role of environmental performance. Sustainability, 13(16), 1–19.
Kramar, R. (2014). Beyond strategic human resource management: Is sustainable human resource management the next approach? International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(8), 1069–1089.
Neilson, G. L., Pasternack, B. A., & Mendes, D. (2005). The four building blocks of organizational DNA. Strategy & Business, 38, 1–11.
Pham, N. T., Tučková, Z., & Phan, Q. P. T. (2020). Greening Human Resource Management and employee commitment toward the environment. Sustainability, 12(10), 1–18.
Renwick, D. W. S., Redman, T., & Maguire, S. (2013). Green Human Resource Management: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(1), 1–14.
Roscoe, S., Subramanian, N., Jabbour, C. J. C., & Chong, T. (2020). Green Human Resource Management and the enablers of green organizational culture. Journal of Cleaner Production, 258, 120–134.
Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600–619.
Schein, E. H. (2017). Organizational Culture and Leadership (5th ed.). Wiley.
Sharma, S., & Henriques, I. (2005). Stakeholder influences on sustainability practices in organizations. Business Strategy and the Environment, 14(2), 87–98.
Silva, G. M., Gomes, P. J., Sarkis, J., & Motwani, J. (2023). ESG practices and organizational sustainability performance: A systematic review and research agenda. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(4), 2140–2161.
Social Exchange Theory and sustainability-related employee behavior: Recent perspectives. (2021). Human Resource Development Review, 20(3), 245–267.
Yong, J. Y., Yusliza, M. Y., Ramayah, T., & Fawehinmi, O. (2020). Nexus between Green Intellectual Capital, Green Human Resource Management, and Sustainable Performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 278, 123–156.
Yusliza, M. Y., Othman, N. Z., & Jabbour, C. J. C. (2019). Deciphering the implementation of Green HRM practices: A systematic literature review. Journal of Environmental Management, 231, 1181–1190.
Zaid, A. A., Jaaron, A. A. M., & Bon, A. T. (2021). The impact of Green Human Resource Management and Green Supply Chain Management practices on sustainable performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 204, 965–979.
Zhang, Y., Luo, Y., Zhang, X., & Zhao, J. (2022). Organizational capabilities and sustainability performance: Evidence from emerging economies. Sustainability, 14(11), 1–19.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles published in our journal are licensed under CC-BY 4.0, which permits authors to retain copyright of their work. This license allows for unrestricted use, sharing, and reproduction of the articles, provided that proper credit is given to the original authors and the source.