A Sustainable Strategy rather than a Sustainability Strategy

Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to expand the knowledge of how CSOs can increase their performance in the change toward sustainable businesses in the Swedish context. To investigate this, the study will focus on successful CSOs chosen by specific criterias in order to gather up-to-date insights from relevant CSOs operating in the leading sustainable country. More precisely, the study intends to increase the understanding of how CSOs should operate, what competencies they need to create sustainable businesses, and what context is most fruitful. Thereby, this study aims to contribute with additional empirical insights to the literature regarding change management in the role of the CSO. Research Question: How do CSOs implement change toward sustainable business? Literature Review: The authors based the literature review on change drivers in regards to change management, sustainability and CSOs to create a preliminary theoretical framework from the three factors; individual, contextual and operational. Methodology: A qualitative study based on an abductive approach was utilized by deductively following the created theoretical framework. This pre-structured the interviews with the CSOs and then inductively revised the framework based on the empirical findings. Conclusions: The findings both confirmed and contrasted the preliminary theoretical framework and were the foundation for an updated framework. The individual aspects were found to be holistic combined with a need for knowing when to pick your battles. The contextual aspects suggested it to be beneficial to act in a regulated industry, have a decentralized organization and to be placed in the executive group. The operational aspects highlighted the importance to integrate sustainability into the overall vision, to create curiosity for sustainability among the employees and to communicate from the perspective of the receiver. Three overarching themes were further found which are the complexity of the role, the importance of business understanding, and to fully integrate sustainability by having a sustainable strategy rather than a sustainability strategy.