Measuring corporate sustainability maturity : a case study of Valmet Automotive's personnel

Abstract

The automotive industry is undergoing a transformation process towards a more environmentally friendly and sustainable future. Nowadays, businesses recognize the increasing importance of staying ahead of competition in terms of sustainable development. Furthermore, the personnel are expected to have a mature understanding of sustainability issues. This prompts the question of how one can assess the extent of sustainability maturity within a company.

The primary objective of this Master’s Thesis is to develop a viable sustainability maturity framework tailored to a specific company. The theoretical aspect of this research involves a review and synthesis of four well-established assessment tools used to measure organizational sustainability maturity. The proposed sustainability maturity assessment framework is then tested to analyze the current level of Valmet Automotive’s sustainability maturity based on the employees’ understanding of the topic. The empirical foundation is based on the results of a pilot survey with a total of 210 replies. This research provides answers to two research questions:

RQ1: How to develop sustainability maturity measurement tool for Valmet Automotive? RQ2: What is the current level of sustainability maturity at Valmet Automotive, and how can it be improved?

The research findings indicate that Valmet Automotive’s employees already exhibit a strong level of sustainability maturity. However, some areas have room for improvement. Suggestions for concrete improving measures are provided.