Organizing for Sustainability: Organization Structure, Roles, and Skills

As global concerns surrounding sustainability continue to escalate, organizations are recognizing the need for, and importance of, not only concentrating on financial gains, but also transforming their role into a more multifaceted one far beyond that, highlighting a renewed focus on Environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, social responsibility, and ethics. This thesis aims to explore organizational sustainability through ESG, focusing on structures, roles and skills required for its development and implementation by examining existing literature and theoretical frameworks. It will be divided into four main parts. The first part will provide a literature review on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) definition and principles, while emphasizing the concept and role of governance (G) within ESG frameworks. The second part will explore the structure within an organization to support and advance sustainable practices and goals. The third part will focus on the roles within sustainable organizations and how they are introduced and analyzed for responsibilities and contributions. The fourth part will explore the critical skills required (for individuals and teams) to effectively contribute to sustainable initiatives and practices within an organization. Finally, it will tackle the effectiveness of standardizing sustainable practices within organizational structures, supported by a professional’s hands on experience and insights. By addressing these objectives, a deeper and clearer understanding of organizing for sustainability in organizations and dealing with the complexities of the dynamic business environment will be provided. Through theoretical analysis, it will inform organization owners, leaders, stakeholders, and many others, about the importance of integrating sustainability into various areas and aspects of an organization for a meaningful change and a regenerative future.