Title: Systems of values to build a sustainability-oriented culture for sustainability-oriented innovation

Authors: Carmen Abril; Mercedes Rubio-Andrés; Kiril Ivanov; Henning Breuer

Addresses: Faculty of Economics and Business, Complutense University, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Madrid, Spain ' Faculty of Economics and Business, Complutense University, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Madrid, Spain ' Centre for Sustainability Management, Leuphana University, Lüneburg, 21335, Germany ' Department of Business and Media Psychology, Media University of Applied Sciences, Ackerstraße 76, 13355 Berlin, Germany

Abstract: This study explores the specific system of values that effectively fosters a sustainability-oriented culture (SOC) within organisations. It investigates whether cultivating such a culture can lead to competitive advantages through sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI). Drawing on the competing values framework, we develop a conceptual model that illustrates how particular value systems give rise to an SOC, which in turn influences innovation focused on sustainability. Our findings confirm a positive relationship between SOC and SOI, highlighting the importance of fostering appropriate value systems as a foundational step in establishing both. In particular, the pronounced flexibility associated with the human resources (HR) and open systems (OS) dimensions of values emerges as a strong indicator for cultivating an SOC. This study contributes to the literature on organisational culture and sustainability by identifying the value systems that effectively support the development of a sustainability-oriented culture.

Keywords: SOC; sustainability-oriented culture; SOI; sustainability-oriented innovation; competing values; organisational values; systems of values; innovation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2026.151641

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2026 Vol.20 No.1, pp.1 - 26

Received: 04 Nov 2023
Accepted: 19 Feb 2025
Published online: 11 Feb 2026 *

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