Sustainability, performance and organizational strategy: an empirical analyses of public organizations

Citation

(2008), "Sustainability, performance and organizational strategy: an empirical analyses of public organizations", Strategic Direction, Vol. 24 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2008.05624had.004

Sustainability, performance and organizational strategy: an empirical analyses of public organizations

Article Type: Abstracts From: Strategic Direction, Volume 24, Issue 8.

Enticott G., Walker R.M. Business Strategy and the Environment, February 2007, Vol. 17 No. 2, Start page: 79, No. of pages: 4

Purpose to investigate the relationship between sustainable management and organizational performance in the public sector. Design/methodology/approach observes that prior research into the relationship has focused on the private sector, refers to the size of public sector organizations, and notes their potential for adverse social, economic and environmental impacts, mentioning the government’s strategy for sustainable development in the UK. Uses the terms “sustainable management” to describe organizational responsibilities for social, economic and environmental sustainability, and “sustainable performance” to indicate organizational performance in the three dimensions, employs a previously presented strategy typology of prospector, defender and reactor, and hypothesizes that sustainable management is positively associated with both organizational and sustainable performances, that prospector organizations will be positively associated with sustainable and organizational performance, that reactor organizations will be negatively associated, and that stakeholder strategy processes will be positively associated with the two performances. Tests the hypotheses by Likert-scale questionnaire survey of 902 staff, at corporate and service levels, employed in 72 local authorities, measures performance using the Audit Commission’s Core Service Performance Index, controls for political control, and for the quantity and variety of service needs in local authority’s areas. Findings finds no evidence that sustainable management is associated with organizational performance, reports that sustainable management is positively associated with a perceptual measure of sustainable performance, and confirms that prospector organizations are positively associated with superior performance. Practical implications highlights deficiencies in the Comprehensive Performance Assessment regime. Originality/value unusual in examining sustainability strategies in public organizations. ISSN: 0964473 Reference: 37AF205DOI:10.1002/bse.501

Keywords: Corporate strategy, Organizational performance, Public sector organizations, Sustainable development