Sustainability in organizational context: Reflections on the meanings attributed to the decision-making process and its strategic implications at Itaipu

Purpose - Discussions about sustainability in the organizational context present a blind spot. It appears when we ask if a company recognized as sustainable, keep what it means compatible with corporate sustainability premises and its values on the strategic decision process. In this context, the pu...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Luciano Munck, Maria Fernanda Tomiotto
Format: Article
Language:Portuguese
Published: Emerald Publishing 2019-01-01
Series:REGE Revista de Gestão
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/REGE-03-2018-0040
_version_ 1819034584552046592
author Luciano Munck
Maria Fernanda Tomiotto
author_facet Luciano Munck
Maria Fernanda Tomiotto
author_sort Luciano Munck
collection DOAJ
description Purpose - Discussions about sustainability in the organizational context present a blind spot. It appears when we ask if a company recognized as sustainable, keep what it means compatible with corporate sustainability premises and its values on the strategic decision process. In this context, the purpose of this paper is, on the light of sensemaking and the decision-making theory, to reflect on possible divergences between meanings attributed to sustainability, available on official documents, and the meanings identified in current actions and narratives related to sustainability goals in the researched organization. Design/methodology/approach - The research adopted a qualitative approach, characterized as descriptive, using as methods narrative analysis and documentary research, that were carried out from sensemaking theory. Findings - It was identified coherence between strategic statements and present sustainable actions. However, in view of theoretical reference used, it was identified an imprecision in sustainability perspectives of decision making. Inconsistency tends to promote internal resistance, difficulty to commit to all areas and prejudice long-term results. Research limitations/implications - Future studies should compare the decision-making meaning attributed to sustainability in companies of different market segments. Practical implications - The studied case shed light on the importance of managers having at their disposal a map that relates strategic objectives and actions aimed at sustainability. The lack of this compromises the organizational results focused on corporate sustainability. Originality/value - The understanding of the meanings attributed gives rise to perceptions of possible and relevant flaws in the alignment between the discourse and the practice of sustainability, supporting possibilities of the fine adjustments in strategic decision making.
first_indexed 2024-12-21T07:36:03Z
format Article
id doaj.art-3ae61ece66ab4e8a942272503c024d74
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1809-2276
2177-8736
language Portuguese
last_indexed 2024-12-21T07:36:03Z
publishDate 2019-01-01
publisher Emerald Publishing
record_format Article
series REGE Revista de Gestão
spelling doaj.art-3ae61ece66ab4e8a942272503c024d742022-12-21T19:11:27ZporEmerald PublishingREGE Revista de Gestão1809-22762177-87362019-01-01261223810.1108/REGE-03-2018-0040618824Sustainability in organizational context: Reflections on the meanings attributed to the decision-making process and its strategic implications at ItaipuLuciano Munck0Maria Fernanda Tomiotto1Centro de Estudos Sociais Aplicados, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, BrazilCentro de Estudos Sociais Aplicados, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, BrazilPurpose - Discussions about sustainability in the organizational context present a blind spot. It appears when we ask if a company recognized as sustainable, keep what it means compatible with corporate sustainability premises and its values on the strategic decision process. In this context, the purpose of this paper is, on the light of sensemaking and the decision-making theory, to reflect on possible divergences between meanings attributed to sustainability, available on official documents, and the meanings identified in current actions and narratives related to sustainability goals in the researched organization. Design/methodology/approach - The research adopted a qualitative approach, characterized as descriptive, using as methods narrative analysis and documentary research, that were carried out from sensemaking theory. Findings - It was identified coherence between strategic statements and present sustainable actions. However, in view of theoretical reference used, it was identified an imprecision in sustainability perspectives of decision making. Inconsistency tends to promote internal resistance, difficulty to commit to all areas and prejudice long-term results. Research limitations/implications - Future studies should compare the decision-making meaning attributed to sustainability in companies of different market segments. Practical implications - The studied case shed light on the importance of managers having at their disposal a map that relates strategic objectives and actions aimed at sustainability. The lack of this compromises the organizational results focused on corporate sustainability. Originality/value - The understanding of the meanings attributed gives rise to perceptions of possible and relevant flaws in the alignment between the discourse and the practice of sustainability, supporting possibilities of the fine adjustments in strategic decision making.https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/REGE-03-2018-0040SensemakingNarrative analysisStrategic decision-makingOrganizational sustainability
spellingShingle Luciano Munck
Maria Fernanda Tomiotto
Sustainability in organizational context: Reflections on the meanings attributed to the decision-making process and its strategic implications at Itaipu
REGE Revista de Gestão
Sensemaking
Narrative analysis
Strategic decision-making
Organizational sustainability
title Sustainability in organizational context: Reflections on the meanings attributed to the decision-making process and its strategic implications at Itaipu
title_full Sustainability in organizational context: Reflections on the meanings attributed to the decision-making process and its strategic implications at Itaipu
title_fullStr Sustainability in organizational context: Reflections on the meanings attributed to the decision-making process and its strategic implications at Itaipu
title_full_unstemmed Sustainability in organizational context: Reflections on the meanings attributed to the decision-making process and its strategic implications at Itaipu
title_short Sustainability in organizational context: Reflections on the meanings attributed to the decision-making process and its strategic implications at Itaipu
title_sort sustainability in organizational context reflections on the meanings attributed to the decision making process and its strategic implications at itaipu
topic Sensemaking
Narrative analysis
Strategic decision-making
Organizational sustainability
url https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/REGE-03-2018-0040
work_keys_str_mv AT lucianomunck sustainabilityinorganizationalcontextreflectionsonthemeaningsattributedtothedecisionmakingprocessanditsstrategicimplicationsatitaipu
AT mariafernandatomiotto sustainabilityinorganizationalcontextreflectionsonthemeaningsattributedtothedecisionmakingprocessanditsstrategicimplicationsatitaipu