Background: Scientists are more aware and concerned about society and have therefore pointed out an increased need for sustainable transformation. Due to unethical acts in the world, ethics have received a lot of attention recently. That is why we are studying different factors that push organizations to adopt ethical practices. Literature shows that stakeholders are the main factors that push organizations to adopt ethical practices, as well as organizational culture.   Purpose: The purpose of this study is to focus on the differences and similarities of internal and external factors pushing organizations to adopt ethical practices, the challenges of this, and how to overcome them between the private sector and the public sector.  Method: This study focuses on interpretivism philosophy with an inductive approach. This study is based on a qualitative study, with semi-structured interviews.  Conclusion: The results shows that there are both internal and external factors that push organizations to adopt ethical practices. There exist similar challenges due to this, as well as similarities on how to overcome them, with some differences as well

The amount of global greenhouse gas emissions needs to be significantly reduced in order to reach the Paris agreement target of 1.5°C by 2050. Contemporary representative political systems have failed so far in adequately addressing the complex problem of climate change. This study looks at potential alternative or complementary decision-making and knowledge producing methods, more specifically the deliberative democratic method of citizens’ assemblies. The three core concepts discussed in this thesis are citizens assemblies, wicked problems and sustainable transformation. By critically discussing and combining these three concepts, this thesis sets out to analyze a specific Citizens’ Assembly, namely the one held in Ireland 2016-2018. The thesis analyzes both the Irish Citizens’ Assembly model proper and its recommendations. The model is analyzed through the theoretical lens of wicked problems, in order to determine to what extent the salient characteristics of the Irish Citizens’ Assembly model address complexity. In addition, the theoretical concept of sustainable transformation is used to analyze the Assembly’s recommendations, in order to determine how strong or weak they are in relation to this theory. A directed content analysis was used to help categorize the recommendations. The result of the study shows that the Irish Citizens’ Assembly model exhibited positive aspects in relation to appropriately addressing complexity. The transdisciplinary approach to knowledge production and the deliberative aspect of the Assembly process enhanced the reliability of the knowledge produced. The Assembly’s recommendations are, however, concluded to be weak as seen from a sustainable transformation perspective. The limited amount of time given to the topic of climate change by the Irish Citizens’ Assembly as well as the narrow focus of the information provided to the Assembly members are important factors in influencing this finding. Additional research is needed on the link between citizens’ assemblies, wicked problems and sustainable transformation. On the basis of the research presented in this thesis it is argued that the citizens assembly model might play a crucial part in how people and communities can deal with complex problems in the future

Background: The arctic ice is melting, and the world is faced with the most significant societal challenge so far, climate change. Companies worldwide have a significant impact on carbon emissions, and therefore, sustainability reporting is an essential tool to increase transparency. Sustainability reporting has an increasing role in the societal context since requested by stakeholders; stakeholders are also more engaged in companies conducting sustainability reports.   Purpose: This thesis aims to explore a case company and the connection between conducting a sustainability report and the potential change in organizational culture that follows. Therefore, the research aims to answer the question of how the change is perceived within the company.  Method: The thesis was conducted in a qualitative approach with an interpretivism paradigm. A single case study was used to gain deep insight and knowledge from a company that had just started its sustainability reporting journey. The research context was based in Sweden. The findings were collected through semi-structured interviews; employees on all company levels were interviewed to get results that represent the whole company.   Conclusion: The findings showed that changes were occurring within the organizational culture when the organization started its sustainability reporting. The main changes were increased stakeholder engagement and increased internal communication. The organization has experienced much growth lately. However, sustainability reporting cannot be singled out to be the only driver for the major changes occurring in the company.

Work from home: A qualitative study of an altered working life in early 2020, takes the global spread of coronavirus and its impact on Sweden in early 2020, as its starting point. Restrictions limiting crowds, the closing of workplaces and universities are some among the many ways in which people and societal institutions are facing the pandemic. The purpose of this essay is to examine the participating individuals’ experiences of an altered working life, in regards of them working from home, using technology in order to do so. Research questions asked are: How do the participants experience working from home? In what ways have their everyday practices and routines changed? Based on the climate crisis being part of my research area of concern, an extending question is: What can be learnt from the experiences that are made during this time? The essay is based on questionnaires responded to by eight people, whereof six participated in in qualitative interviews. Analyses show how participants negotiate ideas of home and work as the two categories become integrated in one and the same place. Drawing on theory that emphasizes the agency of materiality and its entanglement with social practices, sociomaterial aspects of working from home are discussed. The participants partake in learning processes where they acquire knowledge that is useful when working from home. Basic digital skills become practical necessities when coping with technical difficulties during virtual meetings. Besides affecting individuals’ everyday experiences, to work remotely seems to have implications at an organizational level as well. Social and material relations are highlighted as constitutive of organizations and effected by the distancing of employees and workplaces. The concluding discussion reconnects to the initial attempt at bringing together individuals’ experiences of working from home with the need of transformation towards sustainable ways of life.

Leaders’ individual transformative capabilities, qualities and skills are critical to the sustainable transformation in organisations. This exploratory research aims to explore the inspiration from the creative process of craftsmen to enable inner development of sustainable leaders for promoting sustainable transformation. Taking experiential learning as an intermediate factor, the thesis asks two research questions. 1) How does the creative process of craftsmen contribute to experiential learning?2) What is the implication of experiential learning to inner development of sustainable leaders? The frameworks of the creative process, the Inner Development Goals and the Experiential Learning Cycle are used to analyse the potential of experiential learning observed through the craftsman's creativity process to enable inner development of sustainable leaders. The research is led in two parts. The first part is an inductive empirical research based on semi-structured interviews with selected craftsmen to understand how craftsmen engage in experiential learning during their creative process. The second part of the research is a deductive theoretical analysis to understand how experiential learning can facilitate inner development of sustainable leaders. The results suggest that engaging in experiential learning through creative process is an innovative pers for sustainable leaders to develop individual transformative capabilities, skills, and competences for their inner development. Theoretical implications and practical recommendations are provided based on the findings of the research.

Research Question: How can the concept of Greening Goliaths and Emerging Davids be applied to better understand the sustainabile transformation of the fashion industry?  Purpose: This paper sets out to analyze two approaches to sustainability within the fashion industry; A firm adopting CSR initiatives into their business strategy versus a sustainable brand. These approaches are explored within the framework of Greening Goliaths and Emerging Davids to recognize their contribution to the sustainable transformation of the fashion industry. Method: A qualitative approach to our case study was taken in which we analyze and measure the Swedish fast fashion company, H&M and an American eco-friendly fashion label, Reformation. A semi-formal phone interview with an expert on sustainability in the fashion industry gave us further knowledge of how the two approaches can be combined for the industry to become more sustainable. A model was developed that aided the analysis as well as the discussion of the empirical findings. Conclusion: Our conclusions found that the sustainable brand, Reformation can be categorized as an Emerging David and is in the Take-off stage. In order to gain a larger market share an contribute to the sustainable transformation of the industry Reformation will need to continue process innovation to lower their price point. H&M was initially categorized as a Greening Goliath however upon further analysis we believe they are shifting to become and Environmental David leading the sustainable transformation of the industry. In order for a sustainable transformation of the fashion industry there needs to be a co-evolution of both Greening Goliaths and Emerging Davids working together for a sustainable future.

One major societal issue in our time is regarding the creation of a sustainable society. Both international intergovernmental organizations such as the UN and EU, as well as nations, have goals that include climate neutrality and descriptions of measures for implementing societal transformations. This study aims to describe and analyse how textbooks in social studies portray the phenomenon of societal transformation, both based on the premise that a transformation is currently underway, and how past transformations are used for future guidance. The study applies an idea-analytical method by using systems theory, historical institutionalism, and historical consciousness. This, to conceptualize the textbooks' respective representations of societal transformations, from both contemporary and historical perspectives. The results show both similarities and differences regarding the textbooks' relationship to the phenomenon of societal transformation. Significant differences are found regarding the factors of speed and scale; only two of the five textbooks studied can be interpreted as closely aligned with the goals set by the UN, EU, and Sweden as a nation. The textbooks' use of historical perspectives demonstrates clear differences, as well as the types of measures presented and their impact on the societal system. Thus, there are inconsistencies regarding the depiction of society and its future, as well as the depiction arising from the empirical material

Many industries are following a trajectory where today’s production and consumption patterns are putting unsustainable strain on the health of our planet. One industry with particularly large impact is the animal-based food industry. More and more people are becoming aware of the severity of the situation, along with realizations of unjust animal treatment in these industries and personal health concerns. Actors in the plant-based food industry have experienced a rise in popularity in recent years. This study set out to explore what drivers lead to positive external stakeholder attitudes and increased market demand for plant-based dairy alternatives, and how these drivers could affect traditional food incumbents to adhere to sustainable transformation of the food industry through a case study design. Analysis of the empirical material led to five main themes: Sustainability, Animal Welfare, Environment, Health and Product, each with a number of subcategories showing what stakeholders expressed motivated them to choose plant-based dairy alternatives. Here the opinions of stakeholders were divided into general or brand specific opinions. By separating these it could be seen that some external stakeholders have such strong values that they compare plant-based brands against each other and would rather boycott specific brands even if they like their products if they do not feel like the brand aligns with their values. One additional theme, “Industrial Transformation,” aimed at demonstrating how stakeholders perceive the current industrial dynamics of the food industry, which showed some tension between Oatly and particularly the dairy industry, suggesting Oatly’s rampage could be a force for sustainable transformation of the dairy industry. / Många industrier följer en bana där dagens produktions- och konsumtionsmönster sätter ohållbar belastning på vår planets hälsa. En industri med särskilt stor påverkan är den djurbaserade livsmedelsindustrin. Fler och fler människor blir medvetna om allvaret i situationen, tillsammans med insikter om orättvis djurbehandling i dessa industrier och personliga hälsoproblem. Aktörer inom den växtbaserade livsmedelsindustrin har upplevt en ökad popularitet de senaste åren. Denna studie syfte är att undersöka vilka drivkrafter som motiverar externa intressenter att bidra till tillväxten av den växtbaserade mjölkproduktsindustrin och hur dessa drivkrafter kan påverka traditionella livsmedelsleverantörer att följa en hållbar omställning av livsmedelsindustrin genom en fallstudie. Analys av det empiriska materialet ledde till fem huvudteman, Hållbarhet, Djurskydd, Miljö, Hälsa och Produkt, var och en med ett antal tillhörande underkategorier som visade vad intressenterna uttryckte motiverade dem att välja växtbaserade mjölkprodukter. Här delades intressenternas åsikter i allmänna eller varumärkesspecifika åsikter. Genom att separera dessa kunde man se att vissa externa intressenter har så starka värderingar att de jämför växtbaserade varumärken mot varandra och hellre bojkottar ett specifikt varumärke även om de gillar deras produkter om de inte känner att varumärket stämmer överens med deras egna värderingar. Ytterligare ett tema, "Industriell Transformation", syftade till att demonstrera hur intressenter uppfattar den nuvarande industriella dynamiken i livsmedelsindustrin, vilket visade en viss spänning mellan Oatly och specifikt mejeriindustrin, vilket tyder på att Oatlys framfart kan vara en kraft för hållbar transformation av mejeriindustrin.

Background: Sustainable organizational change has become one of the greatest challenges facing contemporary businesses. The metal manufacturing industry is important in the transition, due to its impact on global GDP and the climate. SMEs covers a large portion of the metal manufacturing industry, where their transformation is crucial as well. Problem: Despite the importance of sustainable change, there is limited research on how manufacturing SMEs can effectively manage a sustainable transformation. This gap necessitates elucidating the context of SMEs in sustainability, and exploring methods for sustainable change management within these organizations.  Purpose: The aim of this research is to explore sustainability and organizational change in the context of manufacturing SMEs, to provide a deeper understanding on how manufacturing SMEs can sustainably transform their business activities through adequate methods and processes. Method: This research takes on the philosophical position of critical realism and utilizes a qualitative, explorative, and inductive approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten managers from manufacturing SMEs. A thematic analysis was also adopted to extend the previous research.  Conclusion: Manufacturing SMEs adopt various sustainability activities, in line with the triple bottom line. They are also going towards a more formal approach for sustainability. Economic performance and sustainability go together for manufacturing SMEs, whereas more knowledge is connected to higher altruistic motivations and clear sustainability strategies. A combination of continuous incremental and transformational change is evident. This research found a six-step process for SMEs sustainable change management, elucidating their more flexible and adaptive culture alongside specific advantages and challenges. Their capabilities of learning and an informal culture facilitates fast decision-making and the continuous improvement of their practices, facilitating economic performance and sustainable change.

In order for the aviation industry to meet the targets of the Paris agreement and reach net-zero by 2050, significant amounts of greenhouse-gas emissions are to be reduced. However, as the industry is essentially dependent on conventional jet fuel, it becomes necessary for alternative technologies to develop and phase out fossil-based fuels. The thesis aims to provide valuable insights into the challenges and potentials of alternative technologies, which include sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen, and electric-powered aviation. Additionally, the thesis investigated the Science-Based Targets initiative, and challenged the interim 1.5oC aviation pathway. The findings emphasize the crucial role of stakeholder cooperation in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Moreover, the thesis underscores the need for significant investments in alternative technologies, in order to enable growth and make the solutions increasingly attractive compared to conventional jet fuel. Collaboration and innovation are essential for attaining environmental targets while balancing economic growth. The thesis also highlights the urgency of policies and regulations to promote additional SAF production investments in order to vastly increase the supply. Furthermore, while the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is an effective means of securing airlines' commitment to the Paris Agreement, the thesis concludes that the SBTi 1.5oC interim pathway for airlines is overly optimistic. While the SBTi 1.5oC interim pathway’s SAF estimates for 2050 could be achieved, the thesis suggests around 2 to 4 times lower SAF supply for 2030 compared to the SBTi’s estimates. This further emphasizes the airlines' difficulties in following the 1.5oC pathway and the need for the industry to accelerate its transformation and make space for alternative solutions in order to meet the environmental targets. / För att flygindustrin ska nå målen i Parisavtalet och uppnå netto-nollutsläpp år 2050 måste betydande mängder växthusgasutsläpp minskas. Eftersom branschen är i grunden beroende av konventionellt flygbränsle blir det nödvändigt att utveckla alternativa teknologier för att fasas ut fossilbaserade bränslen. Avhandlingens syfte är att ge värdefulla insikter i utmaningarna samt möjligheterna med alternativa teknologier, vilket inkluderar hållbart flygbränsle (SAF), väte och elektriskt driven flygning. Dessutom undersökte avhandlingen Science-Based Targets-initiativet och utmanade det interimistiska 1.5°C-målet för flygindustrin. Resultaten betonar den avgörande rollen som samarbetande intressenter spelar för att uppnå netto-nollutsläpp år 2050. Dessutom understryker avhandlingen behovet av betydande investeringar i alternativa teknologier för att möjliggöra tillväxt och göra lösningarna allt mer attraktiva jämfört med konventionellt flygbränsle. Samarbetet och innovationen är nödvändiga för att uppnå miljömålen samtidigt som ekonomisk tillväxt möjliggörs. Avhandlingen betonar också brådskan med att införa policys och regleringar för att främja ytterligare produktion av hållbart flygbränsle (SAF) för att drastiskt öka tillgången. Medan Science-Based Targets-initiativet (SBTi) är ett effektivt sätt att säkerställa flygbolagens åtagande att uppfylla Parisavtalet, drar avhandlingen slutsatsen att SBTi:s interimistiska 1.5°C-mål för flygindustrin är alltför optimistiskt. Medan SBTi:s SAF-estimat för 2050 skulle kunna uppnås, föreslår avhandlingen en SAF-tillgång som är ungefär 2-4 gånger lägre för 2030 jämfört med SBTi:suppskattningar. Detta understryker ytterligare svårigheterna för flygbolag att hålla sig till 1.5oC målet samt nödvändigheten för flygindustrin att accelerera omställningen och skapa utrymme för alternativa lösningar för att uppnå miljömålen.