This study examines how sustainability leadership drives strategic sustainability by using four large Brazilian organisations as a sample to analyse how this relationship happens, and the implications of it. The results show that there is a positive influence from this leadership towards corporate sustainability strategies when three main factors are in place: (1) Support of top leadership through its projection of vision, motivation and risk-taking in a innovative way; (2) Skilled leaders which are highly knowledgeable about their business and sustainability as well being able to possess emotional competence; (3) Leadership with a system thinking approach, comprising a holistic vision and co-participation of different actors. The main implication of this study is that developing the leadership in the mentioned factors would lead to improvement of these organisations’ sustainability practices, and possibly towards more transformational ones. Therefore, it is suggested that leadership programmes work to develop the elements found in the model proposed systematically. Eventually, this model and these recommendations can be adapted to the realities of other organisations that resonate with the characteristics found in the group.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: This project
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Aim and objectives
1.3 Research Question
1.4 Significance and inspiration
CHAPTER 2: Literature Review
2.1 Part A Strategic Sustainability
2.1.1 Evolution and motivations
2.1.2 Causes of inefficiency
2.1.3 Transitional and transformational
2.1.4 Sustainability Value Framework
2.1.5 SVF through transformational approaches
2.1.6 Evaluation of SVF's
2.1.7 Corporate sustainability in Brazil
2.2.4 Part A summary
2.2 Part B Sustainability leadership
2.2.1 New ways to lead are required
2.2.2 Definition of sustainability leadership
2.2.3 Streams of sustainability leadership
2.2.3.1 Behaviour orientated leadership
2.2.3.2 Technical-instrumental or task oriented
2.2.3 Trends in sustainability leadership
2.2.4 Part B summary
2.2.5 Gaps in the literature
CHAPTER 3: Methodology
3.1 Chapter introduction
3.2 Overview of research methodology
3.3 Samples
3.4 Data Collection process
3.4.1 Interviews
3.4.2 Case study method
3.5 Data analysis
3.6 Chapter summary
CHAPTER 4: Findings
4.1 Chapter introduction
4.2 Case studies presentation
4.2.1 Duratex SA
4.2.2 Votorantim Metals
4.2.3 AES Brasil (Eletropaulo)
4.2.4 Tetra Pak
4.3 Data analysis process
4.4 Summary of key findings
4.6 Chapter summary
CHAPTER 5: Discussion
5.1 Chapter introduction
5.2 Discussion of the drivers and supporting findings
5.2.1 Strategic sustainability
5.3 Implications of this study
5.4 Limitations of this study
5.5 Recommendations for further research
4.6 Recommendation for the organisations
Conclusion
References
Project Goals and Research Focus
The primary aim of this research is to investigate how sustainability leadership drives strategic sustainability within large Brazilian organizations. By analyzing case studies of four major corporations, the study identifies critical leadership factors, mindsets, and strategies that enable organizations to transition from traditional business models toward more sustainable, long-term strategic practices that address social, environmental, and economic challenges.
- The influence of top-level leadership and governance structures on sustainability outcomes.
- Identification of core competencies and attributes of effective sustainability leaders.
- The application of system-thinking and co-participation in organizational change.
- The role of local context and stakeholder engagement in driving sustainable innovation.
- Evaluation of transitional versus transformational sustainability approaches in the Brazilian corporate sector.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.3 Transitional and transformational sustainability
Even tough scholars agree that many important advances were made since sustainability started to be incorporated into business strategies. One of the most important discussions today is about how organisations can act by doing more than just reducing problems they create, through using less raw materials or preventing pollution, but being regenerative to environment and to tackle social problems such as poverty, food, water, jobs, education and high consumption patterns (Blowfield, 2013). Traditional approaches of reuse, reduce and recycle are not meeting those last issues, but rather, just “doing less bad”. Hence, some responses include a shift from transitional approaches to transformational ones (McDonough and Braungart, 2002, p. 45). Stead and Stead (2010) defend that restorative organisations should be seen from the perspective of close loops systems, incorporating waste back to production, since they are part of an open loop, coexisting with society and environment. Thus, in this permanent interaction with other systems, instead of generating outputs that ecosystems cannot assimilate or social consequences that society alone cannot deal with, companies should be able to learn how to cohabit by making a business ecosystem dedicated to sustainability as the superior purpose.
This superior purpose is observed in Hart (1997) as reaching a superior performance by developing a unique value preposition, which is “valuable, rare, difficult-to-imitate and non-substitutable” (Hart, 2010, p. 45). From these viewpoints transformational approaches allow organisations to develop new capabilities through breakthrough strategies that generate new markets oriented to solving social and environmental problems while operating, rather than merely decreasing impacts of its operations (Hart, 1997; Hart, 2010; Stead and Stead, 2010).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1: This project: Introduces the research topic, context, objectives, and the significance of sustainability leadership in addressing global challenges and corporate transformation.
CHAPTER 2: Literature Review: Examines key theoretical concepts of strategic sustainability and sustainability leadership, identifying gaps in current academic discourse and establishing a framework for the study.
CHAPTER 3: Methodology: Details the qualitative research design, including the use of semi-structured interviews and case studies to gather and interpret data from Brazilian corporations.
CHAPTER 4: Findings: Presents the case studies of Duratex, Votorantim Metals, AES Brasil, and Tetra Pak, and summarizes the core drivers of sustainability leadership identified through the analysis.
CHAPTER 5: Discussion: Analyzes the research findings in the context of existing literature, discussing the implications for organizations and identifying recommendations for further academic exploration.
Keywords
sustainability leadership, strategic sustainability, leadership development, action-logics, transitional sustainability, transformational sustainability, Brazil, sustainable development, corporate governance, stakeholder engagement, system thinking, organizational change, business intelligence, ecological worldviews, circular economy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this dissertation?
This study focuses on understanding the relationship between sustainability leadership and strategic corporate sustainability, specifically exploring how leaders drive these initiatives within large Brazilian organizations.
What are the primary thematic fields covered in this research?
The research bridges the fields of organizational behavior, strategic management, and sustainability, focusing on leadership styles, organizational culture, and systemic change management.
What is the main research question of the project?
The central question is: "How does sustainability leadership drive strategic sustainability?" This is complemented by the secondary question: "Which sort of sustainability leadership has been used to address strategic sustainability?"
Which research methodology was employed?
The project employs a qualitative, interpretive methodology using semi-structured interviews and multi-case study analysis to gain a nuanced understanding of leadership behaviors in real-world business contexts.
What topics are addressed in the main chapters?
The main sections cover the literature review of sustainability frameworks, the methodology of the empirical study, the detailed findings from four specific Brazilian case studies, and a final discussion of the implications of these leadership drivers.
Which specific keywords define the study?
Key terms include sustainability leadership, strategic sustainability, Brazil, organizational change, system thinking, action-logics, and transformational sustainability.
How does this study contribute to the existing academic literature?
It helps bridge the gap between leadership theory and sustainability practice, specifically by introducing an integrated framework that accounts for context, emotional intelligence, and systemic co-creation in addition to traditional leadership traits.
What are the practical implications for corporations according to the author?
The author recommends that companies should invest in leadership development programs that emphasize holistic, systemic, and emotional intelligence, and that they must move from top-down command structures to more decentralized, co-participative models.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Cássia Ayres (Autor:in), 2015, Sustainability Leadership towards Strategic Sustainability. Examining Brazilian Organisations, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/506000
