How can research contribute to the implementation of sustainable development goals? An interpretive review of SDG literature in management

Organizations often face challenges in incorporating the sustainable development goals (SDGs) into their strategic agendas. Despite availability of guidelines from leading practitioners, such guidance lacks scientific insights provided by academia. In this study, we examine integration scholarly management literature practical for achieving SDGs. To do so, first examined nine practitioner offered well-reputed consulting firms, multilateral organizations and non-profits, which identified four underlying general processes: prioritizing SDGs to most relevant contextualizing firms’ geographical industrial contexts, collaborating with other stakeholders make more impactful progress innovating via business process remodelling. Using these processes as an overarching framework, then conducted interpretive review mine highly cited development-related papers field covering 11-year period (2010–2020). From studies, derived novel connections all stages offer a robust scientifically informed process-based framework SDG adoption. We discuss multiple implications, including importance enhancing knowledge about various phases adoption model, developing research on understudied SDGs, expanding theoretical methodological approaches research. Additionally, provide grounded model significant implications.