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Consultants as Change Agents for Sustainability: A Qualitative Study of ESG Services

Dufailly, Florence LU and Nordstrand, Alexander Hernandez (2024) SMMM40 20241
Department of Service Studies
Abstract
This thesis examines the role of consultants as external change agents for sustainability, exploring how they address the grand challenges of our generation through the provision of ESG services. Interviews with fifteen consultants and sustainability services providers located in Sweden and Denmark were conducted to map how ESG services are framed as a service offering in Scandinavia. Additionally, the challenges and opportunities associated with providing different ESG services as change agents for sustainability were investigated.

The findings of our thesis suggest that consultants frame their service offer as 'sustainability services'. These services allow consultants to transfer knowledge to their corporate clients and provide them... (More)
This thesis examines the role of consultants as external change agents for sustainability, exploring how they address the grand challenges of our generation through the provision of ESG services. Interviews with fifteen consultants and sustainability services providers located in Sweden and Denmark were conducted to map how ESG services are framed as a service offering in Scandinavia. Additionally, the challenges and opportunities associated with providing different ESG services as change agents for sustainability were investigated.

The findings of our thesis suggest that consultants frame their service offer as 'sustainability services'. These services allow consultants to transfer knowledge to their corporate clients and provide them with the necessary quantitative data to comply with the new environmental regulations of the EU. While consultants contribute to corporations’ efforts to address the grand challenges for sustainability, there are instances where organizational processes, such as budget and project timing, as well as internal actors, such as upper management, hinder the achievement of sustainability initiatives. This thesis therefore highlights companies’ adoption of sustainable business models as an opportunity for consultants to facilitate the corporate sustainability transition. (Less)
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author
Dufailly, Florence LU and Nordstrand, Alexander Hernandez
supervisor
organization
course
SMMM40 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Consultants, ESG, Sustainability Services, Service Management, Sustainability Management, CAS, Change Agents, Sustainable Business Models
language
English
id
9171058
date added to LUP
2024-08-05 14:00:46
date last changed
2024-08-05 14:00:46
@misc{9171058,
  abstract     = {{This thesis examines the role of consultants as external change agents for sustainability, exploring how they address the grand challenges of our generation through the provision of ESG services. Interviews with fifteen consultants and sustainability services providers located in Sweden and Denmark were conducted to map how ESG services are framed as a service offering in Scandinavia. Additionally, the challenges and opportunities associated with providing different ESG services as change agents for sustainability were investigated.

The findings of our thesis suggest that consultants frame their service offer as 'sustainability services'. These services allow consultants to transfer knowledge to their corporate clients and provide them with the necessary quantitative data to comply with the new environmental regulations of the EU. While consultants contribute to corporations’ efforts to address the grand challenges for sustainability, there are instances where organizational processes, such as budget and project timing, as well as internal actors, such as upper management, hinder the achievement of sustainability initiatives. This thesis therefore highlights companies’ adoption of sustainable business models as an opportunity for consultants to facilitate the corporate sustainability transition.}},
  author       = {{Dufailly, Florence and Nordstrand, Alexander Hernandez}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Consultants as Change Agents for Sustainability: A Qualitative Study of ESG Services}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}