Title: Extending the discourse in research on corporate sustainability

Authors: Johan Sandstrom

Addresses: Department of Business Studies (ESI), Orebro University, Orebro SE-701 82, Sweden

Abstract: This paper is based on the notion that the discourse of corporate sustainability is becoming institutionalised at a time when it is just getting started. It therefore attempts to contribute to research approaches that question and go beyond the dominant normative discourse of corporate sustainability. It poses the question of what would be some of the assumptions needed to open up the discourse and what would be some of the implications of doing that. It assesses a number of earlier reviews of the field, and undertakes a case study of The Natural Step, which, while claiming to open up a new discourse, may be understood as another means of institutionalising the narrative of corporate sustainability. Three areas for future research are outlined in this paper.

Keywords: sustainable development; corporate sustainability; discourse; critical; dialogic; Natural Step.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2005.008085

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2005 Vol.1 No.1/2, pp.153 - 167

Published online: 11 Nov 2005 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article