Sustainable corporate culture

Sustainable corporate development - why it won't work without corporate culture.

Download Strategy Map for Sustainable Corporate Development

Developing a sustainable corporate culture

Sustainable corporate development - why it is not possible without corporate culture.

In a world of change, it all comes down to the right points of orientation

Numerous companies are adapting their value networks to the changed requirements of the circular and sustainable economy. In order to effectively anchor sustainable thinking and action in everyday organizational life, the most important thing is that the workforce internalizes and lives the changed values. A sustainable corporate culture is needed.

You would like to learn more? We would be pleased to present our concept and approach to you in a personal meeting. We are happy to call you back and arrange an online dialog via Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

What do we mean by a sustainable corporate culture?

Sustainability describes the principle of doing business and acting in such a way that no more resources are consumed than can be regenerated. Sustainable corporate development aims to create structures, processes, products, or services that comply with this principle.

According to our understanding, a sustainable corporate culture thus describes a culture that serves sustainable corporate development and generates and anchors an awareness of ecological as well as social and economic responsibility. Values, expectations, attitudes, and rules according to which action is taken are aligned in such a way that they enable and promote sustainable action. Sustainable action becomes part of everyday life, and environmental protection and social concerns are taken into account in all decisions as a matter of course.

How can a sustainable corporate culture be developed and what is the importance of corporate strategy in this context?

Does the strategy shape the culture or the culture shape the strategy?

Corporate culture and corporate strategy are interdependent and influence each other: Strategic goals are difficult to achieve if the corporate culture is not in line with them. On the other hand, existing cultural elements, such as the understanding of success or the type of cooperation in the management system, have a direct impact on strategy development and implementation.

It is therefore equally insufficient to consider sustainability in the strategy alone as it is to work on the corporate culture alone. An organizationally anchored, comprehensive understanding of sustainability and a vision of the future are needed to meaningfully bundle the company’s own initiatives and enable collaborative, credible action – and a culture that promotes relevant behavior.

Sustainable corporate culture: exemplary elements

There is no single path to a sustainable corporate culture or to sustainable corporate development. However, what makes sense in any case and is helpful for appropriate cultural and corporate development is an attractive future vision. A vision that, in addition to the “classic” economic perspective, also takes into account ecological and social aspects of the company’s own business model and brings them into greater focus.

Listed below are some elements commonly found in organizations with a sustainable culture:

A formulated and published CSR and sustainability concept that is more than just transparent lip service
Guidelines for sustainable purchasing – both in terms of ecological and ethical aspects – as well as responsible supply chain management
Regional and supra-regional cooperation agreements with environmental and occupational health and safety associations
CSR or sustainability officers who drive sustainable action within the organization and act as contact persons both internally and externally
An open approach to ideas and impulses for the further development of organizational sustainability activities from the workforce

It is not always easy to reconcile the different perspectives; sometimes they even contradict each other.

How can the sometimes paradoxical requirements in strategy development and implementation be managed? Contact us and find out how you can efficiently use our Strategy Map for sustainable corporate development, including the “four P’s”: PURPOSE, PLANET, PEOPLE, PROFIT.

Strategy Map for sustainable corporate development

Do you prefer to talk to us directly? Please feel free to make an online appointment with our consultants.

Consulting on cultural and organizational development

Systemic
Culture Compass

11 Success Factors
Culture Change

Future Vision
and Culture

Organizational
Transformation

Let's Talk

Talk to us about anchoring sustainability and important points of orientation in the process of cultural development.

In a constructive conversation, we identify your development needs and show you how you can effectively anchor sustainability in your company and develop a sustainable corporate culture. Following the conversation, we conceive a concrete intervention design for your organization to anchor a sustainable corporate culture that is aligned with your strategy.

Julia Kobert
Consultant for Corporate Communications

+49 4102 69 93 21

Frédéric Sedlák
Senior Consultant and Authorized Officer

+49 4102 69 93 22