dc.contributor.author | Apostol, Oana | |
dc.contributor.author | Mäkelä, Marileena | |
dc.contributor.author | Heikkilä, Katariina | |
dc.contributor.author | Höyssä, Maria | |
dc.contributor.author | Kalliomäki, Helka | |
dc.contributor.author | Jokinen, Leena | |
dc.contributor.author | Saarni, Jouni | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2021-07-12T10:50:48Z | |
dc.date.available | 2021-07-12T10:50:48Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2021 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Apostol, O., Mäkelä, M., Heikkilä, K., Höyssä, M., Kalliomäki, H., Jokinen, L., & Saarni, J. (2021). Triggering sustainability communication in a B2B context : combining action research and sensemaking. <i>Accounting, Auditing and Accountability journal</i>, <i>34</i>(4), 849-876. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/aaaj-08-2019-4125" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1108/aaaj-08-2019-4125</a> | |
dc.identifier.other | CONVID_51598248 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/77106 | |
dc.description.abstract | Purpose
The paper explores processes associated with the adoption of corporate sustainability communication in a B2B context. It employs a combined action research and sensemaking approach to document moments that precede the initiation of external sustainability communication.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is the outcome of an action research project, where we examine the case of one industrial company that was silent on its multiple sustainability-related practices, but recently decided to become more transparent to the outside world. A processual approach to sensemaking is adopted to show how organisational and non-organisational members actively participated in meaning co-construction.
Findings
Corporate silence can be disrupted by triggering events that cause moments of sudden realisation for organisational members, eventually leading to the initiation of sensemaking processes inside the organisation. Once this occurs, the possibility of externally communicating sustainability appears a feasible and strategic approach to pursue. We document how different actors are involved in meaning co-construction and how the entire process of sensemaking unfolds.
Practical implications
A sensemaking approach sheds light on the complexity of sustainability communication, where multiple actors are involved. This is a useful approach to consider in order to couple sustainability with other organisational practices. Moreover, sensemaking opens a window of opportunity for various societal actors' interventions to shape the role and content of sustainability communication.
Originality/value
The paper offers an original, theoretically informed methodological contribution to the literature on sustainability communication by coupling a sensemaking approach with action research. The approach is employed to examine the role of internal organisational actors in sustainability reporting processes, an area that has received scant attention. | en |
dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
dc.language.iso | eng | |
dc.publisher | Emerald | |
dc.relation.ispartofseries | Accounting, Auditing and Accountability journal | |
dc.rights | CC BY 4.0 | |
dc.subject.other | corporate sustainability | |
dc.subject.other | sustainability communication | |
dc.subject.other | sensemaking | |
dc.subject.other | action research | |
dc.subject.other | business-to-business | |
dc.title | Triggering sustainability communication in a B2B context : combining action research and sensemaking | |
dc.type | article | |
dc.identifier.urn | URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202107124291 | |
dc.contributor.laitos | Kauppakorkeakoulu | fi |
dc.contributor.laitos | School of Business and Economics | en |
dc.contributor.oppiaine | Yritysten ympäristöjohtaminen | fi |
dc.contributor.oppiaine | Basic or discovery scholarship | fi |
dc.contributor.oppiaine | Corporate Environmental Management | en |
dc.contributor.oppiaine | Basic or discovery scholarship | en |
dc.type.uri | http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle | |
dc.type.coar | http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_2df8fbb1 | |
dc.description.reviewstatus | peerReviewed | |
dc.format.pagerange | 849-876 | |
dc.relation.issn | 1368-0668 | |
dc.relation.numberinseries | 4 | |
dc.relation.volume | 34 | |
dc.type.version | publishedVersion | |
dc.rights.copyright | © Oana Apostol, Marileena Mäkelä, Katariina Heikkilä, Maria Höyssä, Helka Kalliomäki, Leena Jokinen
and Jouni Saarni. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. | |
dc.rights.accesslevel | openAccess | fi |
dc.relation.grantnumber | 320205 | |
dc.subject.yso | yritykset | |
dc.subject.yso | merkitys (tärkeys) | |
dc.subject.yso | yritysmarkkinointi | |
dc.subject.yso | kestävä kehitys | |
dc.subject.yso | yritysviestintä | |
dc.subject.yso | toimintatutkimus | |
dc.format.content | fulltext | |
jyx.subject.uri | http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p3128 | |
jyx.subject.uri | http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p7010 | |
jyx.subject.uri | http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p12743 | |
jyx.subject.uri | http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p8470 | |
jyx.subject.uri | http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p26122 | |
jyx.subject.uri | http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p182 | |
dc.rights.url | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
dc.relation.doi | 10.1108/aaaj-08-2019-4125 | |
dc.relation.funder | Research Council of Finland | en |
dc.relation.funder | Suomen Akatemia | fi |
jyx.fundingprogram | Strategic research programmes, AoF | en |
jyx.fundingprogram | Strategisen tutkimuksen ohjelmat STN, SA | fi |
jyx.fundinginformation | The authors wish to thank Tekes the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (grant
number 4116/31/2015) for funding this research. Oana Apostol acknowledges the financial support from
the Academy of Finland research project (decision no. 324215) under the leadership of Professor Eija
Vinnari. Marileena Mäkelä’s work was supported by the Strategic Research Council at the Academy of
Finland under Grant [320205], project CICAT2025. The authors thank Paul Healy and Kari Lukka for
their constructive suggestions on earlier versions of the paper. The authors also acknowledge useful
comments received at the following events: 1st Ireland Congress on Social and Environmental
Accounting Research Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Ireland, October 2016;
Interdisciplinary Accounting Discussion Group, University of Turku, December 2016; internal seminar
of the Department of Accounting and Finance, University of Turku, April 2019; seminar at the Royal
Holloway University of London in June 2019 and Respman seminar at Tampere University in September
2020. | |
dc.type.okm | A1 | |