Embedding sustainability into a utility's business culture
Engagement with sustainability can be conceptualized as a journey in which initiatives involving management, employees, stakeholders, and the community gradually facilitate changes in direction and attitude that are in line with sustainability principles. This view holds that an organization's culture is a key point of leverage in any attempt to move to a business model more closely aligned with sustainability concepts. Building on this view, an approach was developed in which business decisions were analyzed in order to assess the sustainability culture of a water utility. This article presents an overview of this research, including background on how an organization's culture can influence decisions. A method for analyzing decision making from the perspective of sustainability policy is demonstrated using a case study undertaken with an Australian public water utility.