Corporate sustainability comes in a variety of shapes and the boundaries defining what can be called sustainability are disputed. This thesis explores the making of sustainability at a medium-sized company in Sweden, in this study called HygieneTech, that actively works with sustainability. Inspired by theories from science and technology studies (STS), the author discusses how different versions of sustainability are created in practices. The study is based on a theoretical approach, actor network theory (ANT), which understands reality as performed rather than observed, and since reality and its objects are enacted differently in diverse situations, reality and objects are considered multiple. Moreover, inspired by Maria Puig de la Bellacasa, “thinking with care” enables the study to tell new stories about how companies work with sustainability. This view of the actors as doing sustainability through care practice in a corporate setting paves the way for a caring analysis, exploring the different versions of sustainability as different matters of care. The enactment of sustainability is studied through participant observation, interviews and document studies. The most frequently enacted versions of sustainability are sustainability as saving resources, sustainability through standards/labels, sustainability as caring for people, and sustainability as a conscious choice. The study shows how some versions of sustainability in one setting can clash, such as when the employees at HygieneTech have to decide between caring for saving resources or caring for labelled products. Even so, in other settings versions of sustainability can be added together and thus enable the employees to care for sustainability both as a marketing device and as a conscious choice. Furthermore, the thesis shows that sustainability is sometimes made absent in relation to other matters of care, such as cleanliness and economy, while in other settings economy and sustainability can be added together. Finally, the thesis shows how sustainability, while enacted in several versions, still can cohere though professional tinkering. / Hur företag arbetar med hållbarhetsfrågor kan se väldigt olika ut och många gånger uppstår stridigheter kring vad som får kallas hållbart. Denna avhandling studerar hur hållbarhet iscensätts i ett medelstort företag i Sverige som arbetar aktivt med hållbarhetsfrågor. Företaget är i denna studie anonymiserat och kallas HygieneTech. Genom att använda teorier från studier av teknik och vetenskap (STS) studeras hur olika versioner av hållbarhet skapas i olika praktiker. Studien utgår från ett teoretiskt angreppssätt, aktör-nätverksteori (ANT), som genom en symmetrisk analys studerar såväl materiella som mänskliga aktörer. ANT anser att verkligheten och dess objekt görs snarare än upplevs och eftersom verkligheten iscensätts på olika sätt i olika situationer, är verkligheten och objekten multipla. Genom att studera hållbarhet som omsorgspraktiker, inspirerad av Maria Puig de la Bellacasa, skriv nya typer av historier kring hållarbetsarbete på företag. Att tänka med omsorg (”thinking with care”) ger forskaren möjlighet att istället för att återberätta den traditionellt återkommande historien om företaget som en vinstmaximerande rationell agent, lägga fokus inte bara på rationalitet, utan även affektion. Hur hållbarhet görs i praktiken studeras genom deltagande observationer, intervjuer samt dokumentstudier. Denna avhandling visar på att det finns ett flertal olika versioner av hållbarhet som iscensätts vilka ofta är sammanknutna i varandra. Några av de viktigaste versionerna av hållbarhet i HygieneTech handlar om hållbarhet genom att spara resurser, hållbarhet genom märkningar/standarder, hållbarhet genom omsorg om människor och hållbarhet som ett medvetet val. Vissa av dessa versioner kan adderas samman, men i andra situationer ställs de mot varandra. Studien diskuterar även exempel på när hållbarhet görs osynligt på grund av att andra värden såsom renlighet och ekonomi istället sätts i fokus, samt hur hållbarhet trots sina olika versioner hålls samman.

Title: Better products,   better world, better image: A study on the   interaction of corporate social responsibility, new product development and   brand image in the B2B sector Authors: Soraya Lima Silva & Noora Irina Miettinen Course: Marketing master programme final thesis, 30 ECTS, spring semester 2012,LinnaeusUniversity Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, sustainability, new product development, innovation, B2B brand image, B2B brand perception Purpose: Investigating how customer’s perception of brand image is affected by corporate social responsibility (CSR) and new product development (NPD) in the business-to-business (B2B) sector in the telecommunication and chemical industries. Method: Mixed methods research, cross-sectional research design Interviews with 4 supplier companies Qualitative content analysis on documents of 40 supplier companies Questionnaire to customer companies with 99 responses Findings: CSR and NPD were usually seen as separate and detached activities. Companies integrated CSR into their NPD process mainly for creating sustainable products helping their customers to minimize their impact on the environment without including the societal aspect of CSR. NPD affected the brand image perception in the telecommunication industry to a high degree by improving the perception of the quality of products, and   in the chemical industry to a low degree by motivating the companies to recommend their suppliers. The interaction of CSR and NPD had an effect on the brand image by creating reputation and competitive advantage. Companies that were seen as environmentally responsible were often also seen as technologically advanced. Being perceived as sustainable was very important to the chemical   companies, whereas being perceived as innovative was vital in the telecommunication industry. CSR affected the brand image perception in the chemical industry by enhancing customer satisfaction and reputation, but in the telecommunication industry the CSR of suppliers was important only when the demand for sustainability came from the customers’ own customers / Otsikko: Parempia tuotteita, parempi maailma, parempi imago: Tutkimus yritysten   yhteiskuntavastuun, tuotekehityksen ja brandi-imagon vuorovaikutuksesta   B2B-sektorilla Tekijät: Soraya Lima Silva & Noora Irina Miettinen Ohjaaja: Sarah Philipson Tarkastaja: Sarah Philipson Kurssi: Markkinoinnin maisteriohjelman päätöstyö, 30 opintopistettä, kevätlulukausi 2012, Linnaeus University Hakusanat: Yrityksen yhteiskuntavastuu, kestävä kehitys, tuotekehitys, innovaatio, B2B brandi-imago, B2B brandivaikutelma Tarkoitus: Tutkia miten yritysten yhteiskuntavastuu ja tuotekehitys vaikuttaa asiakkaiden kokemaan brandi-imagoon B2B-sektorilla telekommunikaatio- ja kemianteollisuudessa Metodi: Poikkileikkaava mixed methods -tutkimus 4 toimittajayrityksen haastattelua Laadullinen sisältöanalyysi 40 toimittajayrityksen dokumenteista Kysely asiakasyrityksille, jossa 99 vastausta Löydökset: Yritykset näkivät yhteiskuntavastuun ja tuotekehityksen erillisinä aktiviteetteina. Yritykset integroivat yhteiskuntavastuun osaksi tuotekehitysprosessia lähinnä luodakseen kestävää kehitystä tukevia tuotteita auttaakseen asiakkaita   minimoimaan ympäristöön kohdistuvaa vaikutusta, mutta eivät ottaneet   yhteiskunnallista aspektia huomioon. Tuotekehitys vaikutti suuressa määrin imagokäsitykseen telekommunikaatioalalla parantamalla käsitystä tuotteiden laadusta. Kemianteollisuudessa tuotekehitys vaikutti   vähäisessä määrin motivoimalla yrityksiä suosittelemaan toimittajia. Tuotekehityksen ja yhteiskuntavastuun suhde vaikutti imagoon lisäämällä mainetta ja  kilpailuetua. Yritykset, jotka nähtiin ympäristöystävällisinä, koettiin usein myös teknisesti kehittyneiksi. Kestävän kehityksen imagolla oli keskeinen merkitys kemianteollisuuden   yrityksissä, kun taas miellettävyys innovatiiviseksi oli oleellista   telekommunikaatioalalla. Yhteiskuntavastuu vaikutti imagokäsitykseen kemianteollisuudessa lisäämällä asiakastyytyväisyyttä ja parantamalla mainetta. Telekommunikaatioalan toimittajien yhteiskuntavastuu oli tärkeää vain, jos asiakkaat olivat kiinnostuneita siitä omien asiakkaidensa vaatimuksien motivoimana. / Titulo: Melhores produtos, melhor mundo, mellhor imagem: Um estudo sobre a interaçäo da responsabilidade social coperativa, desenvolvimento de novos produtos  e imagem de marca no setor de de negócios. Autores: Soraya Lima Silva & Noora Irina Miettinen Tutor: Sarah Philipson Examinador: Sarah Philipson Curso: Dissertaçäo final do programa de master em Marketing, 30 ECTS, semester da   primavera de 2012, Linnaeus University Palavras-chave: Responsabilidade social coperativa, desenvolvimento de novos produtos, innovaçäo, imagem de marca no setor de de negócios.  Objetivo: Investigar como a percepçäo de clients sobre a imagem de marca é afetada pela responsabilidade social coperativa (CSR) e o desenvolvimento de novos produtos (NPD), no setor de negócios (B2B). Métodos: Métodos de pesquisa misturados, design de pesquisa com setores interligados Entrevistas com 4 empresas fornecedoras Análise qualitative de documentos de 40 empresas fornecedoras Questionário com 99 clientes de empresas fornecedoras Resultados: CSR e NPD vistos como atividades separadas. Empresas integram CSR nos processos de NPD, especialmente para a criaçäo de produtos   sustentáveis, ajudando assim os clients a minimizarem seus impactos no meio   ambiente sem incluir aspectos sociais de CSR. NPD afeta muito a percepçäo da imagem de marca na indústria de telecomunicaçöes quando melhora a percepçào dequalidade. Na indústria química NPD afeta muito pouco a percepçäo de marca, ajudando somente recomendaçöes. A interaçäo de CSR e NPD afeta a percepçäo de marca criando efeitos   de reputaçäo e vantagem competitiva. Empresas vistas como responsáveis pelo meio ambiente, também säo vistas como tecnologicamente avançadas. Ser visto como sustentável é muito importante   entre empresas químicas, enquanto ser visto como inovador é vital na   indústria de telecomunicaçöes. CSR afeta a percepçäo da imagem de marca na indústria química, reinforçando satisfaçäo do consumidor e reputaçäo, mas em telecominicaçöes, CSR praticados por fornecedores somente é importante quando a demanda de sustenabilidade veem dos consumidores dos clientes.