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Exploring “Company Personas” for Informing Design for Sustainability Implementation in Companies

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  • Faheem Ali

    (Department of Design, Faculty of Architecture and Design, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
    Division for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Management Engineering (DTU MAN), Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark)

  • Raphaëlle Stewart

    (Department of Design, Faculty of Architecture and Design, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
    Division for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Management Engineering (DTU MAN), Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark)

  • Casper Boks

    (Department of Design, Faculty of Architecture and Design, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Niki Bey

    (Division for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment, Department of Management Engineering (DTU MAN), Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark)

Abstract

The need for understanding the context of the case company during Design for Sustainability (DfS) implementation has been a long identified need among the researchers in the field. Yet, studies on company context have primarily focused on studying, enlisting, and prescribing standardized solutions for companies or clustering companies based on similarities. Such approaches have not been able to overcome the organizational “soft side” challenges that have been long addressed in DfS literature. This explorative paper takes insights from 20 case interviews conducted in Norwegian and Danish manufacturing companies and with sustainability experts and uses the concept of persona from design studies to explore the potential of defining “company personas” to better define the context of the company. The interview analysis produced 14 dimensions, including both hitherto identified factual needs of companies and soft-side elements required to create a company persona, thereby informing practitioners and researchers to take a DfS implementation approach tailored to the company context.

Suggested Citation

  • Faheem Ali & Raphaëlle Stewart & Casper Boks & Niki Bey, 2019. "Exploring “Company Personas” for Informing Design for Sustainability Implementation in Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-30, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:2:p:463-:d:198403
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Elli Verhulst & Casper Boks, 2012. "The role of human factors in the adoption of sustainable design criteria in business: evidence from Belgian and Dutch case studies," International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 6(2), pages 146-163.
    2. Tobias Hahn & Mandy Scheermesser, 2006. "Approaches to corporate sustainability among German companies," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(3), pages 150-165, July.
    3. Kristen Skelton & Rikke Dorothea Huulgaard & Kirsten Schmidt, 2016. "Understanding ecodesign through a communities of practice perspective," International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 19(1), pages 40-58.
    4. Raphaëlle Stewart & Faheem Ali & Casper Boks & Niki Bey, 2018. "Architect, Catalyst, Advocate, and Prophet: A Four-Lens View of Companies to Support Ecodesign Integration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-27, September.
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