Risk Management as a Mediator in Strategic Management: Enhancing Operational Efficiency and Achieving Sustainability Goals: A Proposed Framework

Abstract

In today’s dynamic and uncertain business environment, organizations must simultaneously pursue operational excellence and long-term sustainability. Strategic management provides direction and competitive positioning, yet the successful realization of strategic objectives depends on effectively managing uncertainty. In increasingly volatile and complex business environments, organizations must simultaneously enhance operational efficiency and achieve sustainability goals. This paper proposes a conceptual framework positioning risk management as a mediating mechanism between strategic management and organizational outcomes—specifically operational efficiency and sustainability performance. Strategic management provides long-term direction, while risk management addresses uncertainty and potential disruptions. This review examines the mediating role of risk management in linking strategic management practices to operational efficiency and sustainability performance. Drawing on theoretical perspectives such as the Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities Theory and stakeholder theory, this paper synthesizes existing literature to develop a conceptual framework positioning risk management as a strategic enabler. The review concludes that risk management strengthens the effectiveness of strategic initiatives by reducing uncertainty, improving decision quality, aligning sustainability risks with corporate objectives, and enhancing organizational resilience. the framework explains how risk management translates strategic intent into measurable operational and sustainability outcomes. The proposed model offers theoretical grounding and practical guidance for future empirical validation.