Internal effects of corporate decision to externally report sustainability
Katariina Heikkilä; Oana Apostol; Leena Jokinen; Marileena Mäkelä; Maria Höyssä
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2021042720137
Tiivistelmä
The effects of sustainability communication on internal and external stakeholders have been examined to some extent but the implications for organizations have not been devoted much attention. We are interested to examine how the organisational dynamics and the discursive spaces within organizations are altered by the decision to communicate sustainability externally. This is of importance for any organization, as the cultural climate in which employees work may ultimately determine whether responsible actions are successfully implemented.
We examine the internal organizational dynamics associated with the decision to externally communicate sustainability. We look at what happens within a case organization that has never communicated its sustainability deeds to the public but which intends to start doing so. Our case company operates within an industry that manufactures complex industrial products and have multiple social and environmental impacts. We conducted interviews with representatives of the case organization and we were able to have participatory observations during project meetings with the case company.
Our preliminary results indicate a discursive change occurring in organization after the decision to communicate was taken. The organization was for long the space for multiple, fragmented discourses, all of which emphasised excellency, e.g. excellent occupational health care, excellent products, excellent technologies etc. What happens is that all these "micro-discourses" are reframed and re-aligned to suit the notion of sustainability. While discursive harmonization may not be a harmful phenomenon per se, we warn on the dangers associated with the intention to commercialize sustainability for the purpose of enhancing competitive advantage.
Kokoelmat
- Rinnakkaistallenteet [19207]