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A longitudinal analysis of the knowledge and application of sustainability management tools in large German companies

Author

Listed:
  • Stefan Schaltegger

    (Leuphana Universität Lüneburg Centre for Sustainability Management Lüneburg Germany)

  • Sarah Elena Windolph

    (Leuphana Universität Lüneburg Centre for Sustainability Management Lüneburg Germany)

  • Christian Herzig

    (Nottingham University Business School International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (ICCSR) Nottingham UK)

Abstract

The operationalisation of sustainability on the corporate level is recognised to be a management task and implies the choice and application of management tools. Although researchers have proposed a large number of sustainability management tools in the literature, little is known about their acceptance and implementation. This paper extends the existing literature on the dissemination of tools. It discusses which sustainability management tools are known and applied in practice, and conducts a longitudinal analysis based on three empirical surveys among large German companies carried out in 2002, 2006 and 2010. One important result is that the knowledge and the application of sustainability management tools are positively related. Furthermore, the application of sustainability management tools has increased throughout the period of the surveys. A main conclusion drawn from the empirical results is that increased knowledge, for example through the promotion of approaches and professional education, may be a driver of more frequent application and the dissemination of sustainability management tools, and may foster sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefan Schaltegger & Sarah Elena Windolph & Christian Herzig, 2012. "A longitudinal analysis of the knowledge and application of sustainability management tools in large German companies," Society and Economy, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 34(4), pages 549-579, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:aka:soceco:v:34:y:2012:i:4:p:549-579
    Note: We are grateful for the financial support of PwC while collecting part of the data analysed in this paper. The authors would like to thank the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the Federation of German Industries, and Econsense, Forum for Sustainable Development of German Business, for funding a project which also provided data analysed in this paper. Many thanks to Roger Burritt, Dorli Harms, Jacob Hörisch and Joanne Tingey-Holyoak who contributed with very valuable comments to this paper.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Deegan, Craig & Islam, Muhammad Azizul, 2014. "An exploration of NGO and media efforts to influence workplace practices and associated accountability within global supply chains," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 397-415.
    2. Rebekka Küchler & Birte Maja Nicolai & Christian Herzig, 2023. "Towards a sustainability management tool for food manufacturing small and medium‐sized enterprises—Insights from a Delphi study," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(2), pages 589-604, March.
    3. Anna Katharina Provasnek & Erwin Schmid & Bernhard Geissler & Gerald Steiner, 2017. "Sustainable Corporate Entrepreneurship: Performance and Strategies Toward Innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 521-535, May.
    4. Stefano Pogutz & Monika I. Winn, 2016. "Cultivating Ecological Knowledge for Corporate Sustainability: Barilla's Innovative Approach to Sustainable Farming," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(6), pages 435-448, September.
    5. Arnold, Marlen, 2015. "The lack of strategic sustainability orientation in German water companies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 39-52.
    6. Matthew P. Johnson, 2015. "Sustainability Management and Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: Managers' Awareness and Implementation of Innovative Tools," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 22(5), pages 271-285, September.
    7. Yunjae Bae & Kyungsuk Lee & Taewoo Roh, 2020. "Acquirer’s Absorptive Capacity and Firm Performance: The Perspectives of Strategic Behavior and Knowledge Assets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-28, October.
    8. Matthew Johnson & Friederike Redlbacher & Stefan Schaltegger, 2018. "Stakeholder Engagement for Corporate Sustainability: A Comparative Analysis of B2C and B2B Companies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(4), pages 659-673, July.
    9. Jacob Hörisch & Matthew P. Johnson & Stefan Schaltegger, 2015. "Implementation of Sustainability Management and Company Size: A Knowledge‐Based View," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 765-779, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Corporate social responsibility; corporate sustainability; implementation; management system; sustainability management; tools;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility
    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General

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