Environmental Sustainability at Work: It’s Time to Unleash the Full Potential of Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Clara Kühner, Joachim Hüffmeier, and Hannes Zacher

Abstract: Humanity faces an unprecedented challenge in the necessity to rapidly change behaviors across various life domains to address multiple environmental crises, such as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. This includes the behavior of individuals at work and within organizations. Industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology is uniquely positioned to provide evidence-based recommendations for changing organizational decision-making and behavior toward greater environmental sustainability. Although a substantial body of research on this topic has emerged over the past decade, the discipline has yet to realize its full potential because the topic is currently not prioritized and the practical and societal impact of previous research is limited. This article aims to propel research on environmental sustainability at work forward. To do so, it (a) outlines the interconnections between organizations and environmental sustainability; (b) portrays previous research efforts on environmental sustainability at work, resulting in an integrative conceptual framework across micro, meso, macro, and magno levels; and (c) provides actionable recommendations for high-impact future I-O psychology research and practice related to environmental sustainability. Following an “impact-first” rationale, we identified 10 areas for future research across the four levels of the conceptual framework. For each area, we present relevant theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches, and connections to related disciplines. Finally, we provide suggestions for effective science–practice transfer. Overall, the article seeks to spark discussion on this crucial topic within the community and to inspire I-O psychology researchers and practitioners to contribute to environmental sustainability.