Abstract
Operationalizing sustainability in corporations remains challenging. Existing studies are predominantly niched and focus on sustainability professionals or top-level managers to comprehend the practical hurdles experienced in sustainability projects, overlooking broader perspectives. Therefore, this research examined the viewpoint of practitioners from various levels and departments within a multinational corporation (MNC) to unveil challenge patterns encountered in sustainability projects, as well as potential implications for the organization. Through a systems lens, this research dives deeper into system structures that promote such challenge patterns, as well as on mental models that generate such structures. Overall, the results highlight the dynamic and interconnected nature of the identified challenges. Results also indicate that the proliferation of symbolic activities is an important practical implication of the challenges presented in this study, being rooted in system structures that are boosted by the focus on short-term benefits. In general, this study offers an interdisciplinary and integrative perspective on barriers to the implementation of sustainability in a corporate context, emphasizing the need for a systems approach to better comprehend the interplay between company and individual factors in business transformations towards sustainability.
Impact on science and/or technology
Overall, this study employs an interdisciplinary and systems approach to better comprehend the factors that hinder corporate sustainability transformations. Therefore, this research advances and integrates knowledge of the fragmented academic field of corporate sustainability. Importantly, the results provided by this research support the future development of frameworks and theories based on the so-called “real world” challenges.
Impact on innovation (companies)
While companies are increasingly engaged with sustainability-related topics, the actual implementation of sustainability strategies remains challenging, even for experienced consultants. This research draws attention to the important interplay between individual perceptions and company structures during a corporate sustainability journey. This draws the attention to practitioners (either employees, consultants or managers) to the need of a systems and multilevel approach for more assertive decision-making when addressing challenges related to sustainability transformations in a corporate context.
Impact on society
This research sheds light on the perspectives of stakeholders that are still overlooked in the academic literature: employees from different levels, departments, backgrounds and continents of a MNC. Bringing to academia their perspectives on the challenges they experience in sustainability-related projects can support the development of future studies and frameworks that are potentially more impactful, realistic and applicable in practice. Considering that employees are the key driving force behind the operationalization of sustainability strategies, the future applications of the results obtained in this research can ultimately facilitate sustainability transformations in corporate settings.
Visual Summary – Poster
