Abstract
This article aims to shed light on mechanisms to integrate a strategy on Corporate Sustainability in companies. The analysis is based on a holistic method derived from organisation theory, organisational behaviour theory and strategic management theory. The process of integration into the organisational system is explored by analysing the coalescence of organisational continuous improvement, structure and culture. The coherent use of integration mechanisms is defined as key for a successful CS integration. The LEAPFROCS method is presented to capture the success of integration mechanisms and their application. The method is tested using empirical data from 2 case studies. The results of the data analysis – the patterns – were validated in discussion with company representatives. The results show that the process of CS integration is company-specific, as is the selection of patterns to create a self-reflection of companies on CS integration catalysing future corporate strategies for improving CS integration into the specific company’s organisational systems.
Highlights
Companies have increasingly attracted attention in the sustainability debate (Cannon, 1994; Elkington, 2002; Hart, 1997), since they play a major role in the generation of negative impacts on the environment, people, and their prosperity (Dunphy et al, 2006)
Corporate Sustainability (CS) research has changed from understanding the outputs of business activities which impact on triple P issues, towards understanding the outcomes of business activities resulting in effective strategies for transformative change of the organisational system and how these can be spread out and controlled throughout the organisation (Epstein and Widener, 2010) to favourably influence the output of processes and products (Witjes et al n.d.)
This study aims at contributing to an understanding of the functioning of interventions into the organisational system by analysing the integration of CS through a holistic method based on organisation theory, organisational behaviour theory, and strategic management theory
Summary
Companies have increasingly attracted attention in the sustainability debate (Cannon, 1994; Elkington, 2002; Hart, 1997), since they play a major role in the generation of negative impacts on the environment, people, and their prosperity (Dunphy et al, 2006). To understand CS integration, methods for analysis should include the setup of corporate processes (i.e. developing the structure of the organisation), performance measurement, and reward systems to measure success and to provide internal and external accountability (i.e. ensure continuous improvement of the organisation) (Maas et al, 2016b), and the leadership, culture, and peoplés attitudes or values (i.e. the socio-cultural elements of the organisation) to support CS integration (Epstein and Buhovac, 2010) These methods need to include cross relations between different theoretical perspectives (Sorge, 2004), often linked to a specific disciplinary background, each stressing their own specific viewpoint on the process of CS integration in time (Székely and Knirsch, 2005). The study finishes with conclusions and proposals for future research
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