Moving Beyond Sustainability: Change Agents Perceptions on a Regenerative Transition
2021 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Sustainable development
Sustainable Development
Abstract [en]
Background: Climate change has become the most pressing challenge of our time. Current business approaches to sustainability are instrumental that may portray sustainability as a source of corporate profit rather than acting for change beyond mitigation and adaptation. A regenerative approach to sustainability challenges current practices and aims to create and strengthen environmental and social well-being.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to deepen the understanding of how change agents can be a part of a regenerative sustainability transition. This is done by investigating the attitudes of change agents to such a transition. The aim is to contribute to theoretical and practical implications of organizational change theory, addressing the phenomena of organizational regenerative sustainability.
Method: The paradigm of this study is of critical realist nature with an exploratory research design. An abductive model inspired the research approach, and semi-structured interviews were performed to collect primary data. A thematic analysis was then performed to draw conclusions from this study.
Results: The analysis uncovered both welcoming and reluctant attitudes toward a regenerative transition. The welcoming attitudes were inherently more optimistic toward a regenerative transition, whereas change agents with reluctant attitudes identified more challenges and barriers for implementing a regenerative transition simultaneously as their perspectives were more business-centered. When weighing the evidence, it appears that the welcoming attitudes are relatively more likely to have a positive impact on implementing regenerative change as well as succeed with the initiation.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2021. , p. 47
Keywords [en]
Organizational change, Change agents, Regenerative sustainability, Regenerative change
National Category
Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-52869ISRN: JU-IHH-FÖA-1-20211395OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-52869DiVA, id: diva2:1561789
Subject / course
JIBS, Business Administration
Supervisors
2021-06-282021-06-072025-10-13Bibliographically approved