Breaking the Status Quo? - An Analysis of Sustainability Managers' Change Efforts

Abstract

Societal expectations towards corporations to include social, environmental and ethical considerations have grown in importance, and corporations largely depend on so-called sustainability managers to help them meet these expectations. This thesis provides one of the first studies into how sustainability managers work and asks: how do sustainability managers work to change their organisation for a more sustainable future? Through interviews with 18 senior sustainability managers and an analysis of the empirical findings through institutional entrepreneurship and institutional logics theory, this study identifies sustainability managers as individual actors who adopt strategic approaches and work practices similar to institutional entrepreneurs and shows their efforts to institutionalise sustainability by hybridising it with the perceived dominant market logic and by establishing legitimacy. The thesis also sheds light on the institutional complexity faced by sustainability managers and uncovers previously unrecognised activities, such as building strong business knowledge to operate as a cross-functional facilitator, seeking compromise, and striving for small successes.