Strategic Management and Leadership Practices for Enhancing Employee Performance and Organizational Sustainability: Evidence from Cambodia

Abstract Cambodia’s public and private organizations are operating amid fast institutional change, digitalization pressures, and rising expectations for sustainability (environmental and social performance alongside economic results). This narrative review synthesizes ScienceDirect-indexed evidence on how strategic management (e.g., sustainability integration, capability building, governance alignment) and leadership practices (e.g., transformational, inclusive, responsible leadership) influence employee performance (job performance, engagement, commitment, citizenship behavior) and organizational sustainability (sustainable development outcomes, circular economy performance, eco-friendly behavior). Cambodia-focused empirical studies published on ScienceDirect show consistent “people-centered” pathways: leadership and HR systems shape employee engagement/commitment, which in turn predict sustainability-relevant behaviors and outcomes in public organizations and higher education. Specifically, evidence from Cambodia indicates that transformational leadership improves sustainability outcomes partly through digital transformation; green HRM strengthens employees’ eco-friendly behavior through organizational commitment; inclusive leadership enhances work engagement through affective commitment; and responsible leadership relates to employee satisfaction and institutional outcomes with context differences between public and private universities. These findings align with broader ScienceDirect reviews arguing that sustainability performance is strongest when strategy + HR systems + leadership are coherently aligned, rather than implemented as isolated initiatives. The review concludes with a practical framework for Cambodian organizations and a research agenda emphasizing multi-level designs, standardized sustainability-performance metrics, and expansion beyond public-sector samples. Keywords: Cambodia; strategic management; leadership; employee performance; sustainability; green HRM; inclusive leadership; responsible leadership; digital transformation; circular economy.