Structure eats sustainability for breakfast: An analysis of how rigidness and job functions problematize sustainability efforts.
(2025) BUSN49 20251Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- RQ: What is the relationship between organizational structure and its sustainability efforts, and how do perceptions of sustainability efforts vary across different job functions within a company?
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to better understand the current state of sustainability
efforts in large organizations. Especially to recognize how the structure of the company might
pose issues with the implementation of sustainability efforts, and how these implications can be understood and portrayed among various job functions and employees.
Methodology: This thesis is of a qualitative character. We used an abductive approach and
the interpretive tradition, where we conducted 13 semi-structured interviews and four follow-up... (More) - RQ: What is the relationship between organizational structure and its sustainability efforts, and how do perceptions of sustainability efforts vary across different job functions within a company?
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to better understand the current state of sustainability
efforts in large organizations. Especially to recognize how the structure of the company might
pose issues with the implementation of sustainability efforts, and how these implications can be understood and portrayed among various job functions and employees.
Methodology: This thesis is of a qualitative character. We used an abductive approach and
the interpretive tradition, where we conducted 13 semi-structured interviews and four follow-up interviews.
Findings: We were able to see signs that, due to the companies adhering to a close resemblance of a machine bureaucracy and a divisionalized form, the implementation of sustainability is more challenging. This is mainly due to the need for structure and formalization associated with these structures. Under these circumstances, there is more hierarchy within the organization and towards the headquarters, leading to less knowledgeable people relying on their superiors to guide them. Lastly, due to the multifaceted understanding of sustainability, there were signs of system justification of the organization's less conventional practices. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9194992
- author
- Serra, Steven LU and Åkesson, Jonas LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN49 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Sustainability Mintzberg's Organizational Structure, Functional Stupidity System Justification Theory
- language
- English
- id
- 9194992
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-23 09:45:09
- date last changed
- 2025-06-23 09:45:09
@misc{9194992,
abstract = {{RQ: What is the relationship between organizational structure and its sustainability efforts, and how do perceptions of sustainability efforts vary across different job functions within a company?
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to better understand the current state of sustainability
efforts in large organizations. Especially to recognize how the structure of the company might
pose issues with the implementation of sustainability efforts, and how these implications can be understood and portrayed among various job functions and employees.
Methodology: This thesis is of a qualitative character. We used an abductive approach and
the interpretive tradition, where we conducted 13 semi-structured interviews and four follow-up interviews.
Findings: We were able to see signs that, due to the companies adhering to a close resemblance of a machine bureaucracy and a divisionalized form, the implementation of sustainability is more challenging. This is mainly due to the need for structure and formalization associated with these structures. Under these circumstances, there is more hierarchy within the organization and towards the headquarters, leading to less knowledgeable people relying on their superiors to guide them. Lastly, due to the multifaceted understanding of sustainability, there were signs of system justification of the organization's less conventional practices.}},
author = {{Serra, Steven and Åkesson, Jonas}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Structure eats sustainability for breakfast: An analysis of how rigidness and job functions problematize sustainability efforts.}},
year = {{2025}},
}