Paradigms for Sustainable Development: Implications of Management Theory

We provide a framework for examining the trade‐offs between socio‐environmental, organizational, and managerial goals. Using this framework we examine management choices under agency and stewardship theories. We advance a theory of social stewardship to explain behavior inconsistent with both agency and stewardship. We illustrate that social stewardship behavior by managers and principals, while best from a societal perspective, is not a viable management approach under current business and regulatory conditions. This conclusion is vital to public policymakers who seek to foster socially desirable behavior by publicly traded companies.