From Raindrops to a Common Stream: Using the Social-Ecological Systems Framework for Research on Sustainable Water Management

Abstract

Sustainable water management is a growing concern worldwide. Nonetheless, despite the existence of water-related reviews in the business literature, the contribution of organization and management studies to sustainability challenges remains unclear. As systemic approaches are necessary to tackle sustainability challenges, we use Elinor Ostrom’s social-ecological systems framework to assess whether and how the current management literature on water contributes to our understanding of sustainable water management. Our review shows that management research is still far from making a significant contribution to this field, because of limited knowledge accumulation and theoretical development, and the lack of integration of environmental factors within social science research generally. The social-ecological systems framework helps us identify future research opportunities that would feed more effectively into a multidisciplinary effort toward sustainable water management.