| Abstract |
Objectives The predictive and sustainable development of society requires a standardized work approach. In the current social trends, organizations must use their knowledge to compete long-term, by applying business models and organizational processes, which embed the sustainability strategy into their business core models. To design organizational architectures with embedded sustainability topics, organizations must apply the right standard through analyzing the available ones and choosing the one that best fits their needs, strategy, mission and vision for the future. This paper aims to analyze and compare the globally recognized sustainability standards: IS026000, SA8000, AA1000, based on different criteria. Implication The authors applied the benchmark analysis on selected standards using basic criteria as scope, guiding principles, andfrequency ofuse in order to provide an overview of the standards. Secondly, it has been performed a comparative analysis ofthe standards using organizational criteria such as the organization type, different certification opportunities, the role of stakeholders in designing the social responsibility strategy, and the approaches of continuous improvement. Finally, to identO, the main guidelines on the sustainability areas, there has been identified the way in which the standards address the ecological, economic, political and cultural areas and their subareas. Originality Value, Although the scientific literature proposed some analysis ofcurrent sustainability standards (e.g. SA8000 and AA1000 comparison, and GRI G4 Guidelines and IS026000 in conjunction), there is a shortage of researches focused on analyzing the globally recognized standards in the view of the chosen criteria: basic (scope, guiding principles, frequency of use), organizational (type, certification, stakeholders, continuous improvement) and sustainability areas criteria. This paper offers useful findings for decisional factors interesting in designing the sustainable development of the current organizational business practices. |