ELS59206 Responsible Learning Organization for Sustainability
Lecture 1
Relation between CSR and Sustainability = CSR is the (management) strategy of a company
to become (more) sustainable or to work on sustainable development
Relevant predictors of CSR on different levels
● Institutional
○ e.g. country context, rules and regulations
● Organisational
○ e.g. a firm's instrumental motivation
● Individual
○ e.g. commitment from supervisors
Sustainability and responsible innovation
Dimensions of learning organisation
● Individual level
○ Create continuous learning opportunities
○ Promote dialogue and inquiry
● Group level
○ Encourage collaboration and team learning
● Organisational level
○ Create systems to capture and share learning
○ Empower people to a collective vision
○ Provide strategic leadership for learning
○ Connect the organisation to its environment
,Lecture 2
CSR vs. responsible innovation
Sustainability relevant innovation = innovations that have a better sustainability performance
than the alternative, but not by purpose or directional design choices. Sustainability is a
positive externality/ by-effect
Sustainability informed innovation = innovations that are informed by sustainability problems
and aim to minimise the negative impact created by the alternatives
Sustainability driven innovation = innovations designed with the purpose of helping to
resolve grand challenges and have positive environmental, social and economic value.
Dow Jones Sustainability Index Europe - best performing companies in their sector (60
sectors) in 2020
● Unilever in sector personal products
● Air-France KLM in sector aviation
DJSI Criteria
,Economic dimension
● Corporate Governance
● Code of Conduct, Compliance
● Risk and Crisis Management
● Customer Relationship Management
● Innovation Management
Environmental dimension
● Environmental Management System
● Environmental Performance
● Climate Strategy
● Product Stewardship
● Biodiversity
Social dimension
● Human Capital Development
● Talent Attraction and Retention
● Occupational Health and Safety
● Stakeholder Engagement
● Social Reporting
Corporate Sustainability ambition levels (Marrewijk and Werre, 2003)
Pre-CSR Do nothing
Compliance-driven CSR Do everything that is needed
Profit-driven CSR
Caring CSR Because a company wants to
Synergistic CSR Cooperate with partners
Holistic CSR Core business value is sustainability
Levels of Corporate Sustainability (v. Tilburg,v. Tulder, Marcken and Rosa)
● Inactive
● Reactive
● Active
● Proactive
Type of tension
● Goals
● Means
Cognitive frame
● Either/ or
● Both/ and
Situatedness
● In their work
● At their work
, Disengagement leads to:
● Proactivity
● Negotiation
● Disconnection
● Paralysis
HRM Proactivity = Flexibility, freedom, trust, autonomy, co-creation, empowerment, trainings
and workshops, leadership
Lecture 3
Human Resources Management = refers to all managerial attempts to influence employees
ability, motivation and opportunities to perform (Boxall & Purcell, 2008)
● a bundle of interlinked policies and practices that are explicitly targeted at attracting,
retaining, developing and rewarding employees in such a way that it results in
optimal employee and organisation performances (DeArmond, Shaw & Wright, 2009,
Runhaar, 2017)
Sustainable HRM = the ability of a society, an organisation or an individual to maintain,
strengthen and to develop itself (its resources, capital etc.) from within
AMO theory of performance (Appelbaum et al., 2001)
● Performance = Ability, Motivation and Opportunity
● AMOR - R = relationships
Traditional view on HRM - AMO as means to an end (performance, financial gain, market
share etc.)
Sustainable HRM - AMO as goals in themselves
HRM related to performance
Intended HRM = policies
Actual HRM = what is executed by team leaders
Perceived HRM = perception of employees - influences responses and performance