Understanding Sustainability DNA: An Exploration into the Dna of the Top 100 Sustainable Companies

Metaphorically, a company’s tendency toward sustainability is a result of its DNA. That is, there are properties that trigger or shape sustainability activities within the organization. The company DNA holds the deeply rooted set of values and beliefs that provide behavioral norms that trigger or shape sustainability activities. Crittenden et al. (2011) identified three properties within a company’s sustainability DNA: core ideology, dynamic capabilities, and societal engagement. Collins and Porras (1996) proclaimed that a company’s core ideology was the glue that held the company together—the enduring character of the organization. Trice and Beyer (1993, p. 33) defined organizational ideology as the “shared, relatively coherent interrelated sets of emotionally charged beliefs, values and norms that bind some people together and help them make sense of their worlds.” Since the core ideology does not change continually, the company’s sustainability efforts must fit clearly within the domain of the company’s purpose and values. Thus, according to Crittenden et al. (2011), the company’s core ideology is exemplified by its mission and shared values. Day (1994) refers to organizational capabilities as complex bundles that are deeply embedded in organizational routines. Schreyogg and Kliesch-Eberl (2007) refer to these organizational capabilities as dynamic capabilities which are complex processes across an organization that can be built in different fields and at different levels of organizational activity. As such, Crittenden et al. (2011) propose that sustainable products are more likely to come from companies purporting to be integrated cross-functionally and that value collaboration internally and externally. Societal engagement involves the proactive development of strategies that benefit stakeholders and the organization. The supposition is that a firm’s DNA has an embedded awareness of both societal issues and opportunities to create societal benefits as organizational resources are deployed for competitive advantage.