Societal impact expectations are reshaping business school faculty work. While accreditation standards require integrating sustainability, ethics, and community engagement, little research examines their effects on workload, resources, and well-being. This article introduces the Societal Impact Demands–Resources–Meaning (SI-DRM) framework, integrating Job Demands–Resources and Conservation of Resources theories with meaningful work research. The framework identifies three pathways: role demand overload, meaning-driven overinvestment, and resource-buffered engagement. Five propositions guide empirical testing and offer practical insight. The SI-DRM framework explains why similar expectations produce divergent outcomes and how well-intentioned initiatives may unintentionally undermine faculty capacity.
Ward et al. (Tue,) studied this question.