This study analyses the transformative role of strategic foresight and organizational learning on corporate governance, empowering boards to solve large-scale sustainability problems in dynamic contexts. The research, which delves into insights from purpose based boards like Unilever and Mars, focuses on how foresight driven approaches enable boards to regenerate systems and create joint value with stakeholders to support the net positive agenda.
The paper presents a broad discursive literature review of foresight, learning in the organization, action learning and governance of the board. Furthermore, it progresses a general model demonstrating how boards can leverage stakeholder voices by means of feedforward loops, institutionalize learning processes and materialize strategic foresight. Real-life examples of how sustainability is being brought to the boardroom level help contextualize these insights.
The framework exposes that boards that consistently embed organizational learning, action learning and a learning organization culture, with feedforward loops from stakeholders, become more adaptive, accountable and future-ready. Examples of Unilever and Mars provides illustration on how such governance practices, steered by strategic foresight, allow boards to go beyond compliance and help produce net positive impact and deliver Sustainable Development Goal alignment.
While it is a conceptual contribution, it merits empirical validation. Future research should investigate the applicability of the model across sectors and cultural contexts.
Foresight-oriented, sustainable decision-making can be fostered through board development initiatives, scenario workshops and action learning programs based on this model.
This paper combines foresight and organizational learning at the board level into a unique, practical model for improving governance capacity and resilience.
