Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This thesis investigates the relationship between the perception of sustainability and sustainability
performance within an organization. To understand how to fully integrate sustainability in an
organization, I have in this study found that knowing what is needed to link words to practice is key.
Even when sustainability values are incorporated in an organization, there can still be a dissonance
between what the values state and what the performance shows. With the aid of Practice theory I was
able to deepen the understanding of where this dissonance occurs. By rejecting the dualism of
perception and performance, I was able to investigate how perception and performance mutually
affect sense-making within an organization. I also found that the indefinability of sustainability need
not be a hinder, it need not mean the same for all. Instead, for full integration of sustainability, what is
important is that sustainability directives are translated into doable actions that are relevant for each
practice.