Stakeholder Demand for Sustainability Reporting: Changing the Direction of Norwegian Energy Companies
Master thesis
Permanent lenke
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3009827Utgivelsesdato
2022Metadata
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Sammendrag
Purpose: The environment is deteriorating, and businesses are one of the main causesalongside energy consumption. This will require action sooner rather than later and this paperaims to answer questions related to the sustainability reporting and how it can be leveraged toimprove strategic performance as well as improving the level of sustainability within thecompany. Our paper builds on accepted theory within the fields of stakeholders, strategy, andsustainability, but shines a fresh light on the topic as it combines the fields rather thanresearching them separately.Method: We conducted a qualitative semi-structured interview of six informants from sixdifferent Norwegian energy companies. This cross-sectional study was conducted over a threeweek period using the communication tool Microsoft Teams where we had ten preparedquestions and two interviewers sharing the semi-moderation of the interview process. Theresearch was exploratory in nature as its aim was to further academic research without concretefoundations being laid beforehandFindings: This paper took on the demand for sustainability reporting for Norwegian energycompanies. Stakeholders’ roles are discussed in terms of who are influencing and areinfluenced by a company’s sustainability reporting. Our main findings were as following:Investors are perceived as the most pressuring stakeholder. However, customers, NGOs andemployees are some of the major stakeholders that increasingly demand sustainabilityreporting. The research found evidence that good sustainability reporting increases thecompany’s differentiation from competitors, sustainable companies can attract higher levels ofcompetencies from new employees as it is viewed as attractive.Limitations/value: The paper seeks to provide value to scholars interested in furtheringacademic research in the field of sustainability reporting, stakeholders, and strategy.Additionally, the findings presented holds value for sustainability managers within energycompanies, while we argue the relevance for all companies facing the challenge ofsustainability.