Edinburgh Napier University

  Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a prologue to the issue of sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and human resource development (HRD). Although issues of sustainability and CSR have become an important topic of research, there are few studies on this topic in the field of HRD. To address this gap, we edited a special issue of European Journal of Training and Development that explicitly focuses attention on sustainability and CSR issues in HRD. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an overview of the conceptualisation of sustainability and CSR and their relevance for the concept of sustainable HRD. We then outline the contributions of the authors of the six papers that make up the special issue. Findings – There are issues related to the conceptualisation and measurement of sustainability, CSR and sustainable HRD. The role that HRD plays in contributing to sustainability and CSR in organisations is not well understood. Originality/value – The paper introduces the special issue on sustainability, CSR and HRD. It shows that this is an under-researched area. However, we propose that a focus on sustainability and CSR will serve to advance the field of HRD and contribute to enhancing practices within organisations.