Abstract

Sustainable development is the implementation of practices that meet the needs of the present without compromising those of the future. Though sustainability is often viewed as an environmental topic, the concepts of sustainable development can be used for strategic planning in societal and economic institutions such as an organization. A common application of sustainable development in business practices can be accomplished through adding some type of value to the organizational structure. One component of the organization structure that can be sustainably developed is the labor force. When an organization goes beyond simply providing financial value to a job and attempts to fill their employees’ desire for sociocultural justice, they address the needs surrounding belongingness in the workplace. This can foster positive effects on sustaining human capital due to higher rates of job satisfaction and therefore can increase employee retention. A proposed model for providing social exchange platforms for employees is through the use of accountability mentoring because of the rich social interaction formed in these partnerships. This study observes an employee wellness program that utilizes accountability mentoring. Workers with a desire to cultivate a regular exercise routine were paired with colleagues who already have an exercise regimen intending that the social interaction of the mentorship will strengthen the employees’ job satisfaction and their feeling of belongingness in their organizations. Findings provide some insights into how an organization may use such a mentoring program to satisfy needs beyond financial ones and attempt to foster a genuinely affable environment for employees to interact, become inspired and fulfilled by the jobs they do.

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