Factors influencing the implementation of an integrated corporate sustainability and business strategy

Abstract

Many companies consider sustainability issues important and have separate corporate sustainability and business strategies. However, many companies fail to combine business success and the advancement of sustainable development. This paper presents the integrated strategy perspective, which refers to a business strategy aligned with sustainability principles and aiming to solve global sustainability challenges relevant for the company. Through an integrated strategy, a company can advance sustainable development while doing business. An in-depth case study was conducted to explore the factors influencing an integrated strategy implementation process in a global horticulture company during 2020–2021. The identified factors are organization-related and employee-related success conditions, internal and outward activities advancing implementation, and market-related conditions. The findings were synthesized into a conceptual framework for conditions and activities influencing the implementation of an integrated strategy. The objective is for other companies to be able to use the findings as guidelines when implementing their integrated strategy in practice and to avoid some of the pitfalls that have formerly led new sustainability strategies to fail.