Linking Sustainability Strategy to Operations Strategy

Abstract

IIn the literature on sustainability, most scholars refer to sustainability strategy at the corporate level; what is discussed at the operational level are practices rather than strategy. Although corporate level sustainability strategy plays a key role in organizations by creating a culture of sustainability, sustainability at the operational level plays a more critical role by practically paving the way toward implementing sustainability. It appears that to date, no research has been conducted identifying the characteristics of sustainability strategy at the operational level that explains how operational strategy might be linked to sustainability strategy. In this study, we conduct a content analysis of nine Dow Jones industry leaders in order to fill this gap and offer a framework of operational sustainability strategy. Relying on sand cone model of cumulative capabilities, this study also investigates the sequence of competitive capabilities within the operational sustainability strategy.