The constant report: Everything, everywhere, all at once?

Abstract

This article critically examines the contemporary notions of sustainability reporting in the digital ecology. Using an extended case study of IKEA’s sustainability communication, the article scrutinizes authenticity in CSR efforts and investigates how digital ubiquity transforms sustainability reporting. The article advances the concept of the constant report, a kind of communication infrastructure comprised of four key features—visibility, connectedness, personalization, and pluralization—that enable organizations to curate and manage sustainability efforts. The study then delves into the consequential outcomes of the constant report, namely performativity and promotionalism as integral byproducts. The article concludes by discussing the complex interplay between authenticity and promotionalism within this evolving landscape, creating a kind of authentic babble that emphasizes appearance and curation over quality and substance in an era of digital ubiquity.