Integrated Thinking, the management approach associated with Integrated Reporting, has been hailed as a way of improving organisational decision-making and internal communication, leading to sustainable value creation. Yet Integrated Thinking remains poorly defined and understood. By analysing and synthesising the findings from an emerging body of case study evidence, this paper brings new theoretical insights into how Integrated Thinking is conceptualised and practised and its unique relationship with Integrated Reporting. We reveal Integrated Thinking to bring considerable tension to organisations as managers attempt to adapt to conflicting stakeholder priorities. Organisations which manage this tension and experience some success with Integrated Thinking typically exhibit four ‘hallmarks’, namely: 1) a deliberate drive by the board and CEO to encourage Integrated Thinking, 2) an Integrated Strategy developed through extensive stakeholder engagement and understanding of value creation, 3) the creation, or enhancement, of an organisational culture of trust and collaboration, and 4) the development of Integrated Intelligence, comprising integrated Performance Management Systems (PMS) and the use of multi-functional teams for decision-making. We present a new conceptual framework of Integrated Thinking in practice, reflect on its relationship with developments in sustainable management practices more broadly and propose several avenues for future research.

综合思维是与综合报告相关的管理方法，被誉为改善组织决策和内部沟通、从而创造可持续价值的一种方式。然而，整合思维仍然没有得到很好的定义和理解。通过分析和综合一系列新兴案例研究证据的发现，本文为整合思维的概念化和实践方式及其与整合报告的独特关系带来了新的理论见解。我们揭示了当管理者试图适应相互冲突的利益相关者优先事项时，整合思维会给组织带来相当大的压力。管理这种紧张关系并通过整合思维取得一些成功的组织通常表现出四个“标志”，即：1）董事会和首席执行官有意鼓励整合思维，2）通过广泛的利益相关者参与和对价值的理解制定了整合战略创建，3）创建或增强信任和协作的组织文化，以及 4）开发集成智能，包括集成绩效管理系统（PMS）和使用多功能团队进行决策。我们在实践中提出了整合思维的新概念框架，更广泛地反思了它与可持续管理实践发展的关系，并提出了未来研究的几种途径。