Human Sustainability Leadership and Employee Wellbeing (Flourishing) in Organizations

ABSTRACT This qualitative case study research examines how designing for human sustainability leadership (HSL) affects employee wellbeing (flourishing) (HWBF) in organizations. It is undertaken at a university in the United Kingdom including academics and administrators. The analysis of 45 face‐to‐face interviews revealed the following main findings: leadership in the University is based on hierarchy, bureaucracy and a non‐inclusive top‐down decision making process, on an inadequate sharing of information and knowledge which discourages learning, on limited job security, pay, conditions and respect; HWBF is limited in the University primarily because of the type of hierarchical and bureaucratic leadership and structure, thus, limited care for employees, limited sense of meaning, inadequate sense of purpose primarily due to more specialized tasks for the administrators, more administrative tasks for the academics, high workload and enhanced stress for all, limited problem‐solving relationships with colleagues, especially with colleagues in other functions and fear of honest expression that is dealt with relationships with colleagues, especially within their function. Analysis suggests that human sustainability leadership affects wellbeing (flourishing). The conceptual framework developed in this study, could be used to examine human sustainability leadership and wellbeing (flourishing) in higher education and other sectors (i.e., retail. The present study is important because it examines human sustainability leadership, which encourages the literatures of human sustainability and leadership that need further effective research; it promotes the SDGs and the Global Flourishing Goals; it examines wellbeing (flourishing), which is often low in organizations, as well as its relationship to leadership.