Communicating Sustainability A qualitative analysis of corporate communication of sustainability in the ICT-sector
Original version
Bornø, J.T. (2021) Communicating Sustainability A qualitative analysis of corporate communication of sustainability in the ICT-sectorAbstract
The purpose of this thesis is to gain a richer understanding of how an IT corporation view, value
and communicate sustainability, with regards to stakeholders. This is based upon an increased
focus on sustainability and sustainable development in society. There is a lot of academic
studies concerning the concept of sustainability or organizational sustainability, furthermore
there is extensive research with regards to Green IT and how this can contribute to a sustainable
future. However, this thesis position itself in between, exploring the effects of communicating
sustainability specifically in the IT industry. This study is based upon one medium-sized IT
corporation with Norwegian owners.
In total, 12 interviews were conducted. These were qualitative interviews, performed based
upon a structured/semi-structured method, and further analyzed with thematic analysis. The
study based itself on sustainability theory, stakeholder theory and corporate communication
theory.
The study provide support for sustainability theory. Financial sustainability seemed to be one
of the main drivers. As of now, profit still seems to be the stronger sustainable factor, compared
to people or planet, however the study showed willingness and understanding from informants
and corporation strategy that all dimensions need to be supported for a sustainable future. The
study also showed support for stakeholder theory, however with an increased focus in
communication towards contractual stakeholders, compared to community stakeholders.
The study showed that even though the corporation has increased its focus on sustainability,
several employees, especially those not in the management, had less knowledge about the green
shift and sustainability. This can be an indication that corporate identity and corporate strategy
has not been communicated thoroughly
Description
Master´s thesis in Social Communication (KOM501)