Den Onde, Den Gode, Den Sminkade ...och de tre små strategierna

Sammanfattning: Sustainability is frequently communicated throughout the society as it’s perceived to represent something positive and desirable. Sustainable actions are supposed to serve for the good of society but the fact that the term is difficult to comprehend is problematic. Multinational corporations can adjust the term after their own intentions and aims, rather than aligned with what sustainability should stand for. Sustainability lacks a clear definition but can be understood if looked at discursively through the adaption of specific cases and by how the term is communicated. This study shows that a multinational corporation’s approach to sustainability, to a great extent, is constructed discursively. Local discourses have an impact on both the approach to sustainability and the communication of it, as they are adapted to the opposition against global businesses. Therefore, local discourses are prioritized ahead of the global ones to demonstrate that the multinational corporation considers the local society. Furthermore, local discourses create a framework for the construction of sustainability. A multinational corporation approaches this framework through strategies that aim to counter the perception of them as a global actor. These strategies create the perception of the sustainable business as being conducted locally and by the employees. They also illustrate their willingness to develop the society and their approach to sustainability together and aligned with other groups of the local society, which altogether are considered to create a good reputation.