Title: Greening the workplace: conceptualising workplaces as settings for enabling sustainable consumption

Authors: Elisabeth Süßbauer; Martina Schäfer

Addresses: Center for Technology and Society (ZTG), Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstr. 16-18, D-10623 Berlin, Germany ' Center for Technology and Society (ZTG), Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstr. 16-18, D-10623 Berlin, Germany

Abstract: This conceptual paper contributes to management studies on workplace-related pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) by combining approaches from social practice theory (SPT), the settings-based approach to health promotion as well as the literature on organisational learning. From these perspectives, sustainable consumption at the workplace is seen as being embedded in daily routines which are rarely reflected upon and cannot easily be changed. We argue that companies - instead of focusing on individual attitudes and knowledge of employees - should enable them to experiment with sustainable consumption practices, provide supportive organisational and material structures, and integrate their experiences and needs in a continuous process of co-designing such an 'enabling setting'. We present an analytical framework that can be used to identify weaknesses of existing entrepreneurial strategies to promote PEB among employees and to conceptualise comprehensive strategies for 'greening' the workplace.

Keywords: PEB; pro-environmental behaviour; workplace setting; sustainable consumption; social practice theory; SPT; employee participation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISD.2018.091521

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 2018 Vol.12 No.3, pp.327 - 349

Received: 12 Dec 2016
Accepted: 29 May 2017
Published online: 04 May 2018 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article