This master thesis is divided into three major parts: The first part of my thesis offers the theoretical background on which is based theempirical research I have conducted as part of this thesis. Therefore, this section consists, for a major fraction, in a review of Dutton and her colleagues’ work. The section begins with an overview of the literature on issue selling to top management followed by a review of the cognitive categorization theory. Using these two major theoretical sources as well as other relevant findings from the academic literature, I then suggest a general model linking organizational context, top management’s interpretation and emotional response to
environmental sustainability issues and the subsequent organizational response to those issues. The theoretical background and my individual extension to the existing literature will be the basis for the second part of my work. The second part of my thesis consists in an empirical research based mostly on Dutton and her colleagues’ framework that I have extended to the specific issue of environmental sustainability. The goal of this research was to identify the elements of the
organizational context playing an important role in the prediction of top management’s interpretation of environmental sustainability issues. The research involved two consecutive
studies. The first study (Study 1) consisted in few semi-structured and repertory grids interviews to distinguish what elements from the organizational context might help to
foresee how top management would interpret an environmental sustainability issue. Hypotheses on how the organizational context could help to predict top management’s categorization outcome were then designed according to the results. The second study (Study 2) consisted in a short online questionnaire sent to a large poll of top managers in order to verify the hypotheses elicited by study 1 on how (and which) contextual elements
predict top management’s interpretation of green issues. The third part of my thesis represents a general conclusion on my final year thesis. It includes my research question, a general overview of the different theories I used to answer it, the different findings and the limitations of my empirical research.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Part I: A View of the Literature
Chapter 1: Selling Issues to Top Management: A Review of the Literature
1.1. Theoretical Background of Dutton & Ashford (1993)’s framework
1.2. Dutton & Ashford (1993)’s framework
1.3. Conclusion Chapter 1
Chapter 2: Categorizing Strategic Environmental Issues
2.1. Review of the Literature on Cognitive Categorization Theory
2.2. Categorizing Environmental Issues: From Labeling to Organizational Actions
2.3. Conclusion Chapter 2
Chapter 3: Top management’s Interpretation and Response to Environmental Sustainability Issues: Creation of a General Model
3.1. The Model – Explanation & Justification
3.2. Implications of the Model for Issue-Selling
3.3. Conclusion
Part II: Empirical Research
Introduction
Chapter 1: Study 1
1.1. Goal of Study 1
1.2. Method
1.3. Discussion
Chapter 2: Study 2
2.1. Goal of Study 2
2.2. Method
2.3. Discussion
Conclusion of This Master Thesis
Research Objectives & Core Topics
This master thesis aims to identify the organizational context factors that influence how top management interprets and categorizes environmental sustainability issues, specifically whether they perceive these issues as "opportunities" or "threats." By understanding these cognitive processes, the research provides insights for "issue-sellers" on how to strategically frame environmental topics to gain top management support.
- Theoretical foundations of issue-selling and cognitive categorization theory.
- Development of a model linking organizational context to managerial interpretation.
- Empirical study (Study 1) using semi-structured interviews and repertory grid techniques.
- Large-scale empirical verification (Study 2) using online surveys and statistical regression analysis.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1. Theoretical Background of Dutton & Ashford (1993)’s framework
In order to “develop and embellish” her understanding of the issue-selling process, Dutton and Ashford have used three different literatures, namely social problem theory, impression management and upward influence (Dutton & Ashford, 1993).
Each one of these literatures analyses the issue-selling process from a theoretically different point of view, highlighting consequently other facets of the selling. A review of their basic insights is therefore a first but important step to ground the knowledge necessary for a good understanding of the issue-selling literature.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Selling Issues to Top Management: A Review of the Literature: Provides the theoretical grounding for issue-selling by reviewing social problem theory, impression management, and upward influence frameworks.
Chapter 2: Categorizing Strategic Environmental Issues: Examines cognitive categorization theory and applies it to how top managers label environmental issues as either threats or opportunities.
Chapter 3: Top management’s Interpretation and Response to Environmental Sustainability Issues: Creation of a General Model: Integrates previous literature into a cohesive model explaining how organizational context influences top management's responses to environmental issues.
Chapter 1: Study 1: Details the exploratory empirical phase using semi-structured interviews and repertory grids to identify key organizational context variables.
Chapter 2: Study 2: Describes the quantitative testing of hypotheses via a structured online survey of Alumni to statistically validate the influence of identified context factors.
Keywords
Issue-selling, Top Management, Environmental Sustainability, Cognitive Categorization, Strategic Management, Organizational Context, Impression Management, Upward Influence, Threat-Opportunity Taxonomy, Green Identity, Corporate Environmental Strategy, Managerial Perception, Empirical Research, Decision-Making, Sustainability Issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The research examines how employees can successfully "sell" environmental sustainability initiatives to top management by understanding and influencing the organizational context that shapes executive decision-making.
What are the central research themes?
The study revolves around issue-selling, organizational behavioral factors, cognitive psychology (specifically categorization theory), and corporate environmental strategy.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The main goal is to identify which organizational context elements enable an issue-seller to successfully frame an environmental issue as an "opportunity" rather than a "threat" in the eyes of top management.
Which methodology does the author use?
The author uses a dual-methodological approach: an exploratory qualitative study using repertory grids and semi-structured interviews, followed by a quantitative phase using sequential multiple regression analysis on survey data.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical frameworks of issue-selling, a review of cognitive categorization theory, the proposal of a model for top management interpretation, and the execution of two empirical studies to test context-related hypotheses.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include issue-selling, cognitive categorization, environmental sustainability, organizational context, and strategic management.
How does the "threat-opportunity" taxonomy impact environmental strategies?
The thesis argues that framing environmental issues as opportunities leads to proactive, voluntary actions, whereas framing them as threats often results in reactive, compliance-based strategies.
Why are employees' perceptions important in this model?
Employees' common interests and their perceived "green identity" are shown to be significant indicators that influence whether management will view environmental initiatives as valuable organizational opportunities.
- Citation du texte
- Maxime Dessy (Auteur), 2009, How Can We Create the Right Organizational Context to Sell Environmental Sustainability as a Strategic Issue to Top Management?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/145284
