Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

How can scientists and engineers contribute to organisational sustainability reform?

How can scientists and engineers contribute to organisational sustainability reform? This paper aims to explore how research and development (R&D) scientists and engineers can contribute to sustainability initiatives in their organisations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a critical case study methodology, focussed on a large Vietnamese company in which business leaders sought to engage R&D scientists and engineers in sustainability initiatives focussed on eco-innovation and eco-efficiency. Bourdieu’s theoretical lens of habitus, capitals and field facilitates a relational analysis of the findings.FindingsWhile R&D scientists and engineers adapted well to early changes aligned with eco-innovation, they struggled to engage with sustainability initiatives in the case firm. This study explains adaptions and constraints as scientists and engineers’ professional habitus and capitals, and their broader organisational field.Practical implicationsThis paper provides insight into how organisations might integrate professional acculturation and appropriate facilitators to promote the additional contribution of scientists and engineers to sustainability initiatives in the context of an organisation.Social implicationsAlthough eco-innovation and eco-efficiency are only potential dimensions of comprehensive organisational sustainability reform, this research provides insight into how engaging scientists and engineers with a broader social sustainability agenda might be advanced.Originality/valueThe study addresses calls for empirical insights into ways that scientists and engineers can commit to organisational sustainability practices based on the configurations of habitus, capital and organisational field. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Social Responsibility Journal Emerald Publishing

How can scientists and engineers contribute to organisational sustainability reform?

Download PDF
15 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/how-can-scientists-and-engineers-contribute-to-organisational-dDRLYkg3XQ

References (39)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1747-1117
DOI
10.1108/srj-10-2019-0360
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

This paper aims to explore how research and development (R&D) scientists and engineers can contribute to sustainability initiatives in their organisations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a critical case study methodology, focussed on a large Vietnamese company in which business leaders sought to engage R&D scientists and engineers in sustainability initiatives focussed on eco-innovation and eco-efficiency. Bourdieu’s theoretical lens of habitus, capitals and field facilitates a relational analysis of the findings.FindingsWhile R&D scientists and engineers adapted well to early changes aligned with eco-innovation, they struggled to engage with sustainability initiatives in the case firm. This study explains adaptions and constraints as scientists and engineers’ professional habitus and capitals, and their broader organisational field.Practical implicationsThis paper provides insight into how organisations might integrate professional acculturation and appropriate facilitators to promote the additional contribution of scientists and engineers to sustainability initiatives in the context of an organisation.Social implicationsAlthough eco-innovation and eco-efficiency are only potential dimensions of comprehensive organisational sustainability reform, this research provides insight into how engaging scientists and engineers with a broader social sustainability agenda might be advanced.Originality/valueThe study addresses calls for empirical insights into ways that scientists and engineers can commit to organisational sustainability practices based on the configurations of habitus, capital and organisational field.

Journal

Social Responsibility Journal – Emerald Publishing

Published: Jan 10, 2020

Keywords: Eco-efficiency; Eco-innovation; Sustainable development; R&D scientist; R&D scientists and engineers; Sustainability initiatives

There are no references for this article.