The purpose of this essay is to examine how four Swedish retail companies describe their information management in connection to ethical trade. My purpose is also to examine how this information management relates to organizational learning. My questions at issue are – “Which activities related to information management in connection to ethical trade is described by the companies?” and “How can these activities and statements be related to organizational learning?” My method of investigation is to perform qualitative interviews with representatives from the retail companies and relate the results to theories on information management and organizational learning, mainly theories of double-loop- and single-loop learning. The information management literature address issues such as information needs, information sources and information seeking. The information management in the companies mainly consists of two categories – one is where companies seek information in order to control, verify and compare information received and the other where companies inform other interested parties and co-workers about their activities related to ethical trade. The organizational learning manifests itself through a change in norms and new strategies and methods in relation to the companies’ activities in connection to ethical trade. / Program: Bibliotekarie

<p>Fairtrade is a certification of products that has grown from the criticism of conventional trade. By increasing the focus on the producers’ economic and social conditions, poverty can be fought and the producers’ voice in the marketplace can be strengthened. Fairtrade City is a certification for municipalities who wish to engage in ethical consumption.</p><p> </p><p>The purpose of this thesis is to understand the Fairtrade City concept and how this can be a tool for working towards sustainable development. To be more concise, we want to answer the following questions: Why does Örebro municipality work with the Fairtrade City certification and how can Fairtrade City be used as tool for working towards sustainable development? The thesis is based on qualitative interviews and e-mail interviews with members of the steering committee for Örebro Fairtrade City and on literature studies.</p><p> </p><p>We have in our thesis identified Örebro Fairtrade City as a result of 1) that Örebro municipality through Fairtrade City wants to change their surrounding environment by engaging in ethical trade 2) that the surrounding environment effects Örebro municipality through isomorphism regarding its way to deal with sustainable development 3) that the municipality through its work with ethical trade becomes legitimized by their surrounding environment. As a tool Fairtrade City is a prepackaged and easily implemented way for municipalities to work with sustainable development.</p>

Fairtrade is a certification of products that has grown from the criticism of conventional trade. By increasing the focus on the producers’ economic and social conditions, poverty can be fought and the producers’ voice in the marketplace can be strengthened. Fairtrade City is a certification for municipalities who wish to engage in ethical consumption.   The purpose of this thesis is to understand the Fairtrade City concept and how this can be a tool for working towards sustainable development. To be more concise, we want to answer the following questions: Why does Örebro municipality work with the Fairtrade City certification and how can Fairtrade City be used as tool for working towards sustainable development? The thesis is based on qualitative interviews and e-mail interviews with members of the steering committee for Örebro Fairtrade City and on literature studies.   We have in our thesis identified Örebro Fairtrade City as a result of 1) that Örebro municipality through Fairtrade City wants to change their surrounding environment by engaging in ethical trade 2) that the surrounding environment effects Örebro municipality through isomorphism regarding its way to deal with sustainable development 3) that the municipality through its work with ethical trade becomes legitimized by their surrounding environment. As a tool Fairtrade City is a prepackaged and easily implemented way for municipalities to work with sustainable development.