Hur hållbart är hållbart? - en studie av hållbarhetsbegreppets innebörd och tillämpning

Sammanfattning: Title: The Business of Sustainability – A critical study of the concept of sustainability and its practical applications Seminar date: 2012-06-01 Course: Master thesis in Business Administration, 30 University Credit Points (30 ECTS). Authors: Adam Hjort & Klara Kingsvik Advisor: Jens Rennstam Five key words: Sustainable development, Sustainability in practice, Strategy, CSR, Discourse analysis Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study how the concept of sustainable development has been in-corporated in organizations and corporations, what their opinions and attitudes are and in extension how they work towards accomplishing it. The purpose of the study is also to analyse and give insight into tensions, from a sustainability perspective, between different parties. Methodology: The study uses a social constructivist approach, and the concept of sustainability is inter-subjectively defined with an ontological outlook in combination with an epistemological outlook when we are trying to identify how the concept of sustainability is interpreted in different contexts. We have interviewed nine consultancy firms with regard to their relation with their clients. The consultancy firms illuminate the attitudes, perceptions and driving forces of their clients. The analysis is based on language, symbols and metaphors inspired by Deleuze & Guattaris desire-production theory. Theoretical perspectives: Legitimacy theory, organisational change theory, Deleuze & Guattaris desire-production theory, discourse theory. Empirical foundation: Semi-structured interviews with nine sustainability consultants, chosen with regard to their principal operation. Conclusions: 1) The concept of sustainability is undergoing process of stabilisation where economic growth is central, 2) There is an apparent tension between growth and sustainable practice in today’s corporate landscape, 3) The sustainability efforts of a corporation are often limited by the institutional circumstances.