| dc.description.abstract | Purpose: The environment is deteriorating, and businesses are one of the main causes
alongside energy consumption. This will require action sooner rather than later and this paper
aims to answer questions related to the sustainability reporting and how it can be leveraged to
improve strategic performance as well as improving the level of sustainability within the
company. Our paper builds on accepted theory within the fields of stakeholders, strategy, and
sustainability, but shines a fresh light on the topic as it combines the fields rather than
researching them separately.
Method: We conducted a qualitative semi-structured interview of six informants from six
different Norwegian energy companies. This cross-sectional study was conducted over a threeweek period using the communication tool Microsoft Teams where we had ten prepared
questions and two interviewers sharing the semi-moderation of the interview process. The
research was exploratory in nature as its aim was to further academic research without concrete
foundations being laid beforehand
Findings: This paper took on the demand for sustainability reporting for Norwegian energy
companies. Stakeholders’ roles are discussed in terms of who are influencing and are
influenced by a company’s sustainability reporting. Our main findings were as following:
Investors are perceived as the most pressuring stakeholder. However, customers, NGOs and
employees are some of the major stakeholders that increasingly demand sustainability
reporting. The research found evidence that good sustainability reporting increases the
company’s differentiation from competitors, sustainable companies can attract higher levels of
competencies from new employees as it is viewed as attractive.
Limitations/value: The paper seeks to provide value to scholars interested in furthering
academic research in the field of sustainability reporting, stakeholders, and strategy.
Additionally, the findings presented holds value for sustainability managers within energy
companies, while we argue the relevance for all companies facing the challenge of
sustainability. | |
