HR - en nyckelspelare för lyckat CSR - En kvalitativ fallstudie i offentlig och privat sektor

Abstract

As the social aspect of CSR and sustainability has gained more space in the HR-related research area, the authors of this paper study two large Swedish companies where they have an established experience with CSR and sustainability. The study aims to increase the understanding of the HR role within organizations work with CSR and sustainability. The authors map how the HR-departments work with CSR and sustainability and also examine the related outputs by using a model that explains how HR-inputs, outputs and organizational outputs are linked. The companies studied consists of one private and one public, to examine how this phenomenon is expressed in two different contexts. To provide support to the mapping HR:s role the authors review the fundamental theoretical concepts, which then merges into previous research regarding the relationship between HR, CSR and Sustainability. The study is a qualitative multiple case study and the data has been collected by semistructured interviews and secondary data. Three employees at each company have been interviewed to a total of six interviews. In addition the authors also had a conversation with a strategist at the public company. At the public company, the authors conducted interviews with one HR-specialist, one line manager and one senior manager. At the private company, the authors conducted interviews with one HR-specialist, one senior manager and one CEO. The interviews were transcribed and then it was analysed thematically. Beyond the interviews both companies provided the authors with secondary data. The authors found that there were many similarities between the both organizations, despite the very different contexts. One cause is that the overall HR-processes are implied and therefore are part of the CSR and sustainability strategy. However the authors found some ambivalence regarding the underlying motives to CSR and sustainability. Furthermore the findings of this study point towards the difficulties in the straight connection between HR:s work with CSR and sustainability and organizational outputs. Despite this, this study also found that HR plays an important role in the work with CSR and sustainability.