How are firms motivated to adopt sustainability initiatives? A cross-case study between firms operating in Australia and Sweden

Sammanfattning: The thesis aims to qualitatively understand the way in which motivational drivers facilitating sustainability initiatives (within firms engaged in energy intensive industries in Australia and Sweden) interact to influence an organisation’s committed sustainability initiatives. A cross case study between firms operating in Australia and firms operating in Sweden has been conducted to support the isolation and identification of relevant motivational drivers and their impact upon sustainable initiatives.  The following list of motivational drivers facilitating organisational committed energy sustainability initiatives in Australia and Sweden have been identified as being particularly relevant in context of this study; these motivational drivers are encompassed by the aggregate themes of public interest, self-interest, public commitment and self-commitment.  Boundaries associated with each aggregate theme were also identified which frame a safe operating space within which firms can continue to function and evolve: Profit driven motivation Competitiveness driven motivation Supply chain security driven motivation Stakeholder driven motivation  Reputation driven motivation Governance driven motivation A conceptual framework of committed sustainability has subsequently been developed to present the interrelation of the aggregate themes (and associated motivational drivers) based upon the findings from the literature review and interviews. Finding an appropriate trade-off balance between the self-interest serving motivators of profit, competition, stakeholder pressure and supply chain security, and the public interest serving motivators of governance and stakeholder pressure is effective in positively influencing an organisation’s committed sustainability initiatives in the short and medium term. Failing to act in the interests of the public risks a firm crossing a boundary typified by a lack of social license to continue to operate; failing to act in the firm’s own interests risks a firm crossing a boundary typified by a lack of profitability.  As the public, stakeholders and customers’ expectations from firms continue to increase in the longer term, an appropriate balance between the public commitment motivators of reputation and stakeholder and the primary self-commitment motivator of reputation is needed to continue to effectively influence an organisation’s committed sustainability initiatives. Failing to make public commitments risks a firm crossing a boundary typified by a lack of creditability; failing to balance public commitments with complimentary self-commitments risks a firm crossing a boundary typified by a lack of target ownership. The conceptual framework of committed sustainability is further intended to provide a practical basis against which the current and potential contributions by firms, organisations and other entities toward sustainable development can be analysed and interpretated, and potential trade-offs or dilemmas identified. Game theory as well as simplified push and pull effects are fundamental perspectives adopted within this framework to illustrate the dynamics affecting economic, societal and environmental dilemmas. The framework is intended to allow for more effective development and implementation of sustainability initiatives