J. Ramanauskaitė “Antecedents of tensions of corporate sustainability maturity” doctoral dissertation defense

Author, Institution: Joana Ramanauskaitė, Kaunas University of Technology

Science area, field of science: Social Sciences, Management, S003

Scientific Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Eglė Staniškienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Management, S 003)

Dissertation Defence Board of Management Science Field:|
Prof. Dr. Asta Savanevičienė (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Management, S003) – chairperson
Prof. Dr. Žaneta Gravelines (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Management, S003)
Prof. Dr. Agnieszka Leszczynska Karman (Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Poland, Social Sciences, Management, S003)
Prof. Dr. Inga Minelgaitė (University of Iceland, Iceland, Social Sciences, Management, S003)
Prof. Dr. Monika Petraitė (Kaunas University of Technology, Social Sciences, Management, S003)

The dissertation defence was be at the Meeting room at Santaka Valley of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Baršausko 59 – A228, Kaunas)

The doctoral dissertation is available at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio g. 20, Kaunas)

Annotation: Driven by increasing requirements or internal interest, organisations are taking on sustainability initiatives to engage with sustainability challenges. This creates the environment for long-term, complex, resource-intensive changes that lead to tensions. The thesis analyses change through the lens of sustainability maturity, distinguishing four levels of corporate sustainability maturity. Tensions are defined and analysed in this research using the existing categorisation of tensions of corporate sustainability. The causes of tensions – antecedents – have not been widely analysed in scientific literature. Consequently, an innovative research methodology is proposed to enable the revelation why tensions emerge in organisations that are determined to respond to the sustainability challenges. The context of Lithuania as a transition economy was chosen for the empirical study and analysed using embedded multiple case study research method. Eighteen sustainability-oriented organisations were examined using various information sources such as websites, reports, and interviews with their representatives. The research revealed that the main antecedents of tensions of corporate sustainability maturity were culture and sustainability perception. Moreover, the findings also suggested that tensions emerged at all levels of corporate sustainability maturity; however, organisations with higher sustainability maturity levels were more likely to define the tensions and identify their causes.