| dc.description.abstract | In a world going through immense challenges at rapid speed, organizations are a vital puzzle piece in a world fighting for more sustainable solutions. In a battlefield of climate change, wars, poverty, increasing differences, and let us not forget about a global pandemic, organizations are pressured to take sustainable action. The core of sustainability, according to the Brundtland Commission, tackles how the current generation should be able to consume, use, and develop today's resources without it being at the expense of future generations' needs. The role of organizations in a macro- perspective is of huge importance. However, the micro-perspective of a specific organization can contribute with equally important insight into how sustainability is addressed internally, and further address the organization as part of a value chain. Organizations can create social value for external stakeholders such as customers and suppliers.
This thesis raises the question of how sustainability is integrated in an organization, addressing three scientific bodies of knowledge: sustainability, organizational structure and organizational culture. Investigating how the organizational members perceive the term sustainability gives insight into the organization's sustainable direction. Furthermore, the organizational structure lays the foundation for how sustainable initiatives can be executed including the crucial role of leadership and its communication with the rest of the organization. Lastly, the organizational culture impacts to what degree sustainability is a part of the organization's DNA and how successful the results of the efforts actually are.
The impact of an organization's integrated sustainable solutions is not necessarily as determined by the if and the when, as it is by the how. The study of this thesis contributes to the matter within the field of sustainability, in the environmental, social and economic aspect. The key finding is equally as complicated as it is simple: communication. | |