Developing a Shared Environmental Responsibility Vision: Leveraging Organizational Culture and Internal Stakeholder Engagement

Abstract

Environmentally responsible behavior by corporations has become more than just academic theory, altruistic practice or a public relations activity to protect brand image. It has become a critical consideration to maintain a company’s license to operate. External drivers, including regulatory, business, and societal expectations provide a strong business case for implementing environmental responsibility programs. Internal drivers, including an ethical concern for the environment, profit, organizational cultural expectations, and a desire to recruit and retain talented workers are also factors influencing companies today. The cultural aspects of implementing sustainability programs have increasingly become a focus area in academic studies. Numerous researchers, particularly in the business, business ethics and organizational dynamics fields, have examined how the cultural environment of an organization can either help or prevent the institutionalization of economic, social or environmentally beneficial practices. Understanding these implications and adapting strategies to incorporate or influence the cultural characteristics of an organization is critical to implementing sustainability programs and maintaining their effectiveness over time. This paper presents a strategy for developing a shared vision of environmental responsibility in a multinational organization with a non-hierarchical, collaborative culture.