”LET’S CHANGE THE WORLD!”... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

- P R O C E S S D Y N A M I C S A N D M A N A G E M E N T I M P L I C AT I O N S O F C O R P O R AT E E N G A G E M E N T I N S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y C O L L A B O R AT I O N

DIST LUNCH SEMINAR, 5 NOVEMBER, 2013

The CSR hype: Let’s transform! The potential is tremendous!

“How to reinvent capitalism and unleash a wave of innovation and growth.”

(subtitle)

“The potential for impact is tremendous. The time to act

is now.” (p.8)

But what happens in practice when companies team up with ‘society’ to ‘transform’ and ‘create shared value’?

1. What are the process dynamics of corporate engagement in ‘sustainability collaboration’? 

• How are ’sustainability initiatives and solutions’ negotiated and defined? • How do company and non-company actors act, react and interact?• How are problem definitions, project visions and solutions arrived at and how are these framed and

reframed during the process? • Which interests are included and excluded and how are interests aligned – or not?  

• How are ‘sustainability initiatives and solutions’ evaluated and valuated? • What counts in a company’s decision to invest in a ’sustainability collaboration initiative’, how does

it count and how is it made count?• What counts in definition of collaboration initiatives and ’sustainability solutions’, how does it count

and how is it made count? • How are ‘shared value’ propositions negotiated, defined and enacted?

 2. To which extent and how can such processes be managed?

An embedded case-design

2013/March 14

2014/March 15

2015/March 16

The ‘Sustainable Communities’ project

Green energy – Denmark

Public health - Brazil

Test of management

approach

Case characteristics

The ‘Sustainable Community’ project • A CSR ‘innovation project’ that attempts to ‘maximise positive impact and value creation’

through the initiation of sustainability partnerships in local communities• Inspired by Porter and Kramer’s ‘shared value’ concept• A project ‘on the edge’

The energy and health pilots • Attempt to contribute to ‘transformational change’

• From fossil fuel to green energy (Denmark)• From treatment to prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) (Brazil)

• Collaboration between multiple actors• Focus on ‘making the business case’• Uncertainty and controversy

Economics

Education

Infrastructure & transport

Nature & resources

Housing & built environment

Health

6

The ‘Sustainable Community’ framework

Economicgrowth

Social equality

Environmentalprotection

Governance

People & culture

Engaging in dialogue with local authorities

7

Policy makingPublic administration

Public services

Diversity & demographics

Community mind-set

Culture & sports

Water & energy (as ressource)

Nature

Waste

Urban environment

Architecture & designPlanning

Primary educationSecondary education

Higher education & research

Public health and healthy living

Health care

Safety & security

Occupation

Business

Wealth & equality

Energy, water & sewage

Internet & ITTransportation

Current

Desired

From ‘black’ to ‘green’ energy

Press release, June 2012: Green district heating from biomass in BioTown. The Municipality of BioTown’s waste and biomass from both industry, agriculture and households will be converted to green energy and heating. • This is the vision for a new cooperation between energy company, industry partner 1,

industry partner 2, the local utilities company and the municipality. • The basic idea is that the local Power Station must be converted to combust for

instance locally produced biogas from slurry, straw, sewage sludge and household waste. Moreover, two new technologies developed by the energy company and one or more biogas plants will be part of the project.

• “The project….can lead to an innovative concept which will be the first of its kind at a global level”, says EVP of energy company.

Literature review

The topic Process analysis Management

Business in society  Inter-organisational collaboration (Sustainability) innovation

ANT

(E)valuation

Project management

Community development Decision-making

Negotiation

Learning

Wicked problems

Risk management