The role of organisational culture in organisational change towards sustainability: evidence from the garment manufacturing industry

Figures & data

Figure 1. Competing values framework.

Table 1. Demographic profile of the interview participants and data collection timeline.

Organisational position	Organisational representation	Interview duration	Data collection timeline
Senior Executive 1	Cluster 1	00.50.51	(i) Initial data collection including pilot study, field visits to four factories, and semi-structured interviews (from Nov 2013-Dec 2014) (ii) Two-factory visits and informal discussions with managers (2016–2017) (iii) Field visits to two manufacturing plants, informal discussions with managers and participation in a study workshop (Oct 2018)
Senior Executive 2	Cluster 2	00.56.02
Executive 1	Cluster 3	01.20.25
Executive 2	Cluster 1	00.47.32
Executive 3	Cluster 1	00.58.36
Executive 4	Cluster 1	00.48.51
Executive 5	Cluster 2	00.32.36
Junior Executive 1	Cluster 1	00.48.41
Junior Executive 2	Cluster 3	00.39.03
Junior Executive 3	Cluster 1	00.49.51
Junior Executive 4	Cluster 2	00.54.21
Junior Executive 5	Cluster 2	01.06.02
Junior Executive 6	Cluster 1	00.44.17
Junior Executive 7	Cluster 1	00.26.54
Junior Executive 8	Cluster 1	00.24.25

Table 2. Competing cultural values that enable sustainability changes.

Main themes	Key findings	Sustainability focus	Examples/quotes
Stability and control focus	Sustainability planning, policies, structures and procedures Sustainability data collection Online management information system Sustainability investment appraisals Sustainability budgeting Sustainability life cycle analysis Performance evaluation systems	Mainly environmental and economic dimensions	Focus on ISO14001 certification. Executive 4 indicates company’s intention: “… all factories to be … ISO14001 certified” Employees are trained in ISO standards Sustainability insights Use of “compliance and risk management framework…, international standards / practices…, (and) development of policies … to support workplace conditions” (COP 2012, p. 17)
Human resource development	Employee empowerment Sustainability training and development Employee involvement and participation in decision making People-oriented culture Top management support	Mainly social dimension Also, focussed on economic benefits	Family-owned business Manufacturing oriented focus changed to ‘people’ oriented culture Respect and recognition to ‘Juki girls’ ‘Women go beyond’ program (aimed at supporting female employees) Workers’ health, safety and wellbeing “Employees are empowered to achieve the KPIs…” (Executive 1)
Efficiency and productivity enhancement	Sustainability goals to improve efficiency and productivity Open communication as a medium of managing sustainability issues and information Motivation for rewards Decision making based on expertise recommendations	Mainly environmental and economic dimensions	The company’s customers include world-renowned brands and leading retailers (e.g. Nike, GAP, Adidas, M & S, H & M, Banana Republic and Victoria’s Secret among many others) Compliance with ISO 14001 Awarded LEED Platinum Certification Received ‘Best citizen’ award Reduced ‘energy and water’ consumption (e.g. by installing cooling towers the company expects to make “two to three per cent savings of our total energy bill”, according to Executive 4)
Growth and resource acquisition	Innovations and continuous improvements in responding to sustainability challenges Adaptation to change Sustainability and community engagement	Mainly environmental dimension Also, focussed on economic benefits	Experimentation of ‘Eco bra’ “Top management gives freedom to act with our ideas” (Junior Executive 6) ‘Eco go beyond’ program (aimed at providing training programs on sustainability to the school children) “… we also focus on the environment beyond our factory premises” (Junior Executive 7) Formation of two ‘Sustainability team’

Figure 2. A framework of sustainable organisational culture.

Table

Type of source	Time frame	Pages
United Nations Global Compact Communication on Progress Reports	2004–2018	555
Garment Manufacturing Organisation – Internal Magazines	2011–2013	124
Garment Manufacturing Organisation – Sustainability Case studies	2006–2013	295
Garment Manufacturing Organisation: Eco plant reports	2008–2010	20
Garment Manufacturing Organisation: web resources and news articles	2003–2019	69
Confidential reports: Sustainability planning; policies; performance evaluations; reviews; structures; processes and procedures	2010–2013	Viewed and extracted