AN EXAMINATION OF THE FACILITATORS AND BARRIERS FOR IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PLANS INTO CORPORATE STRATEGY

Abstract

This study examined how organizations integrate environmental sustainability and corporate strategy, describing that intersection as strategic sustainability. The goal of the study was to use qualitative interviews of public American corporations to understand the facilitators and barriers to strategic sustainability. The study identified three facilitators (i.e., emerging regulations, customer demand, and leadership) and two barriers (i.e., data quality and education). These results suggest corporations leverage upcoming regulations, leaders who advocate for sustainability, and customer demand to embed sustainability while improving their education and data quality. Additionally, the research suggests more quantitative research and validation of the results.