The impacts of the membership in a climate alliance : Impacts on the sustainable communication and CSR efforts of the members, using the example of the Climate Council Jönköping

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Master thesis, 15 hp

Media and Communication Studies

Supervisor: Paola Sartoretto Sustainable Communication Spring 2021 Examiner: Name

The impacts of the membership

in a climate alliance

Impacts on the sustainable communication and

CSR efforts of the members, using the example

of the Climate Council Jönköping

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JÖNKÖPING UNIVERSITY

School of Education and Communication Box 1026, SE-551 11 Jönköping, Sweden +46 (0)36 101000

Master thesis, 15 credits

Course: Sustainable Communication Term: Spring 2021

ABSTRACT

Writer(s): Katharina Kotynkowiecz & Nadine Vogt

Title: The impacts of the

membership in a climate alliance Subtitle: Impacts on the

sustainable communication and CSR efforts of members, using the example of the Climate Council Jönköping

Language: English

Pages: 44

Climate alliances like the Climate Council Jönköping have a big impact on combating environmental issues on a local level. Research shows that communication plays a crucial role in such cross-sector partnerships to enhance the collaboration between its members. This thesis wants to explore the impact of climate alliances on their members’ sustainable communication and CSR initiatives, using the example of the Climate Council Jönköping. Based on different theories, namely Communication Constitutes Organization Theorizing, the Model of CSR Implementation, and the Value Belief Norm Theory of Environmentalism, the aim was to contribute knowledge to the research fields of sustainable communication, CSR, and collaboration. To explore the existing research gap, twelve semi-structured interviews with experts from different member organizations of the Climate Council were conducted.

By applying qualitative content analysis, it became visible that the Climate Council’s impact on communication and CSR efforts differs among the members. On the one hand, it can be difficult to include the campaigns of the council into one’s own communication. On the other hand, the membership raises awareness about sustainability and environmental topics and enables collaboration and knowledge exchange through cross-sector partnerships.

Based on the findings, it can be recommended to the Climate Council to provide more communication material for the members for easy integration. Additionally, more events can increase the visibility of the council and raise awareness for local cross-sector collaborations to tackle environmental problems, enable new networking options, and establish innovative partnerships.

Keywords: Climate Alliances, Cross-sector partnerships, Climate Council of Jönköping, Sustainable Communication, Internal Communication, External Communication, CSR efforts

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List of abbreviations

AC: Awareness of Adverse Consequences AR: Ascription of Responsibility to Self BUS: Business

CC: Climate Council

CCO: Communication Constitutes Organization CEO: Chief Executive Officer

CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility e.g.: for example

et al.: and others etc: etcetera

ICLEI: International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives MCPA: U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement MNC: Multinational Corporation

n.d.: no date

NEP: New Environmental Paradigm NGO: Non-Governmental Organization n.p.: no page

NPO: Non-Profit Organization

p.: page

PS: Perceived Sustainability UL: Underwriters Laboratories VBN: Value Belief Norm

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Table of figures

Figure 1 Expert Sample 20

Figure 2 Universal content-analytical process model, Mayring, 2015, p. 62 24 Figure 3 Process model of content structuring, Mayring, 2015, p. 104 25

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VII

Justification

This master thesis is written by Katharina Kotynkowiecz and Nadine Vogt. The students contributed to the research in equal terms throughout all chapters, including the development of the code plan. If chapters had been divided per person to write, the other student proofread it to achieve a consistent writing style and to discuss the content. All expert interviews were conducted by the researchers together which entailed the possibility of taking notes and alternating the interviewer roles in order to ensure optimum attention and concentration. Since the time frame of the thesis was very limited, it was of great help to divide the following interview transcriptions. Both the code plan and transcription rules were developed by both students together, which ensured consistency throughout the transliteration and analysis process.

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1. Introduction

1.1. Problem

As climate change and threats to the environment are some of the greatest societal challenges of modern times, climate alliances must work together on a local and national level to address these problems. According to the United Nations, the environmental tipping point of global warming will soon be reached (United Nations, 2021). To avoid this, cooperation between state and non-state actors is a prerequisite. Cross-sector partnerships (XSPs) help to expand resources so that the actual outcome is greater than if a single actor tried to tackle the problems alone. Skills from different sectors can be helpful to achieve social solutions that do not only benefit the actors themselves but also society (Bryson et al., 2015).

As a collaborative organization with currently almost 60 members from different sectors, the Climate Council (CC) Jönköping acts as an example. It unites both private and non-profit organizations, municipalities, and authorities. Together, they pursue a common goal: A more sustainable future (Klimatrådet, n.d.a). Founded in 2011, the CC set the long-term goal of making Jönköping County a “Plusenergilän” (climate positive) by 2050 (Klimatrådet, 2019). The problem area of this research lies within the field of XSPs and sustainable communication. The previous research on local climate alliances appears very limited. Therefore, the focus of the thesis lies on the impact of the membership in such an alliance on the members’ communication and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts. The acronyms XSPs, CC, and CSR will be used henceforth in this thesis.

1.2. Aim

The presented research strives to add knowledge to the research fields of sustainable communication and XSPs. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the influence of XSPs on their members’ communication and CSR efforts. Therefore, the CC of Jönköping is used to acquire a deeper understanding of these partnerships on a local level in the field of sustainability. Such collaborations have been examined from different angles, yet not in connection to communication. It has for example been examined, how collaboration in XSPs works and which success factors are important, or if and how such climate associations support the realization of particular policies by their members (Selsky & Parker, 2005 & Krause, 2012). However, communication is a crucial part for XSPs to successfully reach their common goals

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2 through collective agency (Koschmann et al., 2012) and therefore deserves more research attention.

1.3. Structure

As a method of the theoretical part of this thesis, a comprehensive literature review is used. The thereby gained knowledge provides a solid base for the subsequently conducted empirical research.

The first chapter offers a brief introduction to the topic, the problem and research question, and the objective of the thesis. In chapter 2, current research results are presented and critically examined. The results outline the individual components of the research questions and reveal research gaps. The studies mainly refer to the topics of XSPs, sustainable communication, and CSR.

Chapter 3 sets out the theoretical framework. Therefore, Communication Constitutes Organization (CCO) Theorizing, the Model of CSR Implementation, and the Value Belief Norm Theory of Environmentalism are presented, followed by an explanation of central terms like climate alliance, XSPs, CSR, and sustainable communication. In this part of the thesis, an attempt is made to create links and identify connections between the different concepts to help answer the research questions.

Following, chapter 4 presents three research questions, derived from the gained theoretical insights, which serve as the foundation for the empirical research of this thesis. The research methodology is explained in chapter 5. The research design, expert interviews, interview guidelines, and qualitative content analysis are explained in more detail in the subchapters. After the procedure, the next empirical part of the thesis presents the results of the qualitative content analysis of the interviews. This is followed by giving answers to the research questions. Finally, a conclusion about the obtained results is drawn, limitations are explained, and an outlook for future research is given.

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2. State of research

The following chapter will explain how research about XSPs and CSR often excludes the factor of communication as an important part of collaboration. However, these disciplines are tightly connected. In order to communicate effectively, both internally and externally, multiple challenges have to be overcome, such as different interests and ineffective collaboration structures (e.g. Hahn & Pinkse, 2014). As we further argue below, knowledge exchange is one of the major advantages of XSPs. It follows that communication is essential as it enables interaction and reciprocal influence. This mutual process, however, naturally entails mediating elements, e.g. predispositions like attitudes and unconscious conflicts (Craig, 1999). Therefore, more research is needed that examines how collaboration can work towards sustainable communication. In the following, this research gap will be identified based on existing studies.

2.1. Current studies

2.1.1. Cross-sector partnerships

As their name already tells, cross-sector partnerships are partnerships between actors of different sectors, including the non-profit and for-profit sector, that strive towards a common goal (Selsky & Parker, 2005). They will be explained in more detail in chapter 3.2.1.

Information, resource, and knowledge exchange are factors of XSP’s success that have been identified by authors (Selsky & Parker, 2005). Koschmann, Kuhn, and Pfarrer (2012) hence see XSPs as a good strategy to approach complex social problems through collective agency. Information sharing and resource allocation are again mentioned as crucial factors. However, it can still be challenging to assess the real value of such collaboration. Therefore, the three authors developed a communication-based framework to explain the communicative constitution of an XSP. Communication is central for collaboration because it has the power to both build and sustain XSPs that express their value through collective agency (Koschmann et al., 2012). This is in line with CCO Theorizing which addresses the role of communication in an organization. The theory ascribes communication the power to structurally shape an organization in all of its development stages (Schoeneborn et al., 2019). For a more detailed explanation, it is referred to chapter 3.1.1. Actions of collective agency can positively impact people; hence they can actively take part in solving social problems like climate change. This is where the CC ties in. For an XSP to work most effectively, communication processes within the members are decisive for meaningful participation and creating an identity that eventually increases the potential to work towards a common goal (Koschmann et al., 2012).

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4 Besides communication, more factors play a role in the effectiveness of cross-sectoral collaboration. According to Ritvala et al. (2014), integration has to happen on several dimensions: organizational, institutional, knowledge and communication integration, and social networking. In partnerships with multinational corporations (MNCs), they have a special relevance since MNCs bring the factor of multinationality to the table, additionally to other factors such as different business sectors. Despite this additional challenge, a case study of the Baltic Sea Project outlines that it can be very beneficial for XSPs to collaborate with MNCs: Additional experiences and knowledge exchange can lead to innovative opportunities and promote social goods. To make the most out of this potential it is crucial to overcome friction in XSPs through social, ideational, resource, and organizing mechanisms (Ritvala et al., 2014).

The fact that local climate networks have an impact on their members has been demonstrated in a study from 2012. A case study of two American local climate networks (MCPA and ICLEI) examined if and to what extent the membership in these networks leads to the implementation of certain policies by the members (Krause, 2012). What has to be acknowledged critically is that the two networks are considerably bigger than the CC. Furthermore, sustainability might be handled differently in the United States. Yet, the study sheds light on the impacts of local climate associations on their members. Especially interesting is the fact that the study drew a statistical comparison to the case in which a city would not participate in such a network. The results show that the impact of a climate network is very dependent on the obligations that come with the membership. For instance, members showed a higher commitment if they had to pay a membership fee (Krause, 2012). In the CC of Jönköping, no such fee or similar obligations exist which raises the question about its actual impact and effectiveness. So far, there has not been much research that focuses on this question.

A common denominator becomes very obvious in all literature about XSPs: Collaboration comes with many challenges. Communication, as discussed before, is one of them. Different goals and competitiveness between the members are further ones. By combining institutional theory with literature from private governance, Hahn and Pinkse (2014) give insights into the interaction and competitiveness between the firms of XSPs, whereas most other studies focus on the relationship between Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and governments/ firms, etc (e.g. Koschmann et al., 2012; Faling et al., 2018; Forsyth, 2010). They suggest that an increasing number of companies participate in governance through XSPs. Yet, the purpose

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5 is often to create a strategic competitive advantage. Such egocentric thinking, however, can significantly limit the ability of the partnership in reaching an overarching goal and contributing to mitigating climate issues (Hahn & Pinkse, 2014). Since the CC is also constituted from firms of various sectors with differing interests, the study’s findings can contribute to our research.

2.1.2. Sustainable communication & CSR efforts

The line between sustainable communication and CSR efforts is very blurred as CSR efforts have to be communicated to the public somehow. However, so far little research has been devoted to the topic of sustainable communication itself but mostly in terms of how CSR efforts are conveyed to the public. The two disciplines are therefore closely connected and will be discussed together.

In contrast to widely spread assumptions on CSR efforts and their communication, Hawn and Ioannou (2016) identified in their study that many companies put more effort into internal than external CSR actions which consequently means that they do more than they communicate. This entails a loss of chances: Organizations do not take full advantage of their potential in attracting external stakeholders, particularly potential investors. In order to align internal and external efforts, the authors identified communication as crucial as it can influence a company’s market value very positively.

Important media to communicate a company’s efforts to the public are their website and sustainability reports. In relation to that, two main aspects have to be considered: The content and the placement of the information. Therefore, Guziana and Dobers (2013) explored these two factors as they provide key indicators to assess the importance for a company to communicate its undertaken CSR efforts. More specifically, they explored the communication of CSR issues with a focus on the environmental dimension. In the respective study, it became clear that the analyzed companies, which were all ranked as Global Supersector Leaders, were well aware of their environmental issues related to their products and production. Therefore, they often structured their environmental initiatives according to these topics or addressed them in their mission and policy statements. Especially, the websites of the companies provided much information about their CSR efforts as they often use them as the main platform to communicate the efforts.

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6 Mostly, this happens from the perspective of the respective company, not from the angle of stakeholders. However, since the goal of CSR efforts often is to attract new customers or partners, a consideration of their perspective can be very beneficial for a company, as a study reveals (Lee, 2020). It has to be critically mentioned that the study was conducted in Taiwan since differences in culture and business practices can cause a differing understanding of sustainability between Asian and European countries. Nevertheless, the challenge of effectively communicating CSR efforts exists for businesses worldwide. The researcher’s key findings suggest that many factors play a central role in an organization’s sustainable communication: For example, to which extent stakeholders believe in a company’s expertise in sustainability and the ability of an organization to mobilize customers to take environmental action. It follows that these factors determine the relationship between a consumer and a brand due to psychological bonds which eventually increase the consumer’s purchase intention (Lee, 2020). By putting the stakeholders in the center, this study can be beneficial to understand what people expect from CSR and why certain messages are communicated by an organization. Since every company is dependent on its customers, this is a crucial aspect to understand.

As outlined, previous research has shown that collective agency and cross-sectoral collaboration can help to solve social problems like climate change (Koschmann et al., 2012; Ritvala et al., 2014). Additionally, it was shown that climate networks can have an impact on their members and that every collaboration comes with challenges like communication (Krause, 2012; Hahn & Pinkse, 2014). Furthermore, sustainable communication and CSR efforts can be beneficial to mobilize customers to take environmental action and to attract new partners for collaboration (Lee, 2020; Hawn & Ioannou, 2016).

However, more research is needed about the impact of XSPs, especially climate alliances, on their members’ communication and CSR efforts. Since communication is a central aspect of successful and effective collaboration (Koschmann et al., 2012), this thesis aims to fill this research gap by conducting research that connects the fields of the XSPs and communication sciences.

2.2. Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the research to support the generation of knowledge in the fields of XSPs, sustainable communication, and CSR, and fill the identified research gap.

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7 The overarching question is the following: What impact does the membership in the CC of Jönköping have on the communication and CSR of the member organizations? This question can be split up in more detailed research questions:

RQ1: How do the members of the Climate Council perceive the role and impact of the council

on their external communication?

External communication describes an organization’s communication with its external stakeholders and therefore includes practices like marketing and public relations. This kind of communication is targeted towards external target groups like political, environmental, legal, technological, social, and economic bodies, as well as the organization’s suppliers, customers, and competitors (Welch & Jackson, 2007). Mostly, external communication aims to attract and please one’s customers. Corporations also use it to actively shape their external relationships according to their needs. This can happen through various channels, for example, print or television, but also ambassadors (Cheney & Christensen, 2011).

on their internal communication?

According to literature, there is no single definition of internal communication. However, it can be described as “strategic management of interactions and relationships between stakeholders

at all levels within organisations” (Welch & Jackson, 2007, p. 183) Internal stakeholders

include the employees of a company, all levels of management (day-to-day and strategic), and different work and project teams. Messages can be centered around information on projects, team briefings, roles and tasks, goals, and issues. Those topics can be communicated through various channels including newsletters, presentations, emails, and personal communication (Welch & Jackson, 2007).

on their CSR initiatives?

The CSR efforts include initiatives in accordance with the theoretical framework explained in chapter 3.2.2. Generally, these are efforts of organizations that exceed legal obligations in the fields of stakeholder, economic, social, voluntary, and environmental relations (Dahlsrud, 2008). Additionally, potentially mentioned actions that are classified as CSR efforts by the

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8 respondents are considered. They are independent of the frequency of execution or similar prerequisites and include efforts of any areas, e.g. environmental and social.

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3. Theoretical foundations

In this chapter, the theoretical foundations of the present work will be outlined. In the beginning, three relevant theories related to communication, organizations, and CSR will be explained, followed by the definition of the core areas of this thesis. It will be outlined how key concepts like communication and collaboration are relevant to answer the research questions.

3.1. Theories

3.1.1. Communication Constitutes Organization (CCO) Theorizing

The core of this scholarship is constituted by the question of “how organization happens in

communication” (Schoeneborn et al., 2019, p. 475). It states that communication shapes

organizations throughout their life, starting with their establishment, accompanying their transformations, and sustaining their existence. Communication is where an organization lives, rather than just reflecting deeper organizational structures (Schoeneborn et al., 2019). Furthermore, it represents the “process of meaning production and negotiation” (Schoeneborn et al., 2019, p. 476). Meaning comes from the engagement practices between both human and nonhuman actors (Kuhn, Ashcraft, & Cooren, 2017). Following this argumentation, communication is central to explain organizational phenomena (Schoeneborn et al., 2019). This is because actors aim to achieve a certain result through intentional communication wherefore their messages are central tools to transport meaning (Craig, 1999).

In light of the present thesis, this theoretical scholarship can contribute to a deeper understanding of the organizational structures of both the CC and its members, and how communication constitutes and shapes them. Since communication processes such as meaning production and negotiation are essential in an organization and influence its actions, CCO Theorizing can support the later interview analysis to answer the research questions.

3.1.2. Model of CSR implementation within the profit and nonprofit sector

According to the model of Seitanidi and Crane (2009), three phases structure the CSR implementation and partnership process within the profit and non-profit sector, including different management tasks. It begins with the partnership selection. In this stage it is decided about the association’s form and options as either Non-Profit Organization (NPO) or Business (BUS), and external and internal risks get informally assessed. The second task is called partnership design, which includes experimentation, adaptation, and operationalization, followed by the step of partnership institutionalization which is concerned with relationship

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10 mastering and personal familiarization. If the association is terminated, an exit strategy is the final task.

It is important to additionally review the partnership to adapt and improve it constantly. Done right, the partners can benefit from their alliance, especially when it comes to giving and receiving advice, initiating new ideas and helping with their implementation, and gaining new contacts through the partner’s network (Seitanidi & Crane, 2009).

This Model of CSR Implementation can be helpful to understand the processes behind the implementation of CSR efforts of the CC members. It could subsequently be used to investigate the processes behind the implementation of certain habits and messages in a member’s communication. Communication is also a central element of the just outlined management tasks that represent the stages of partnership processes, as can be seen in relation to CCO Theorizing. Only through communication the single tasks can be executed, as for example the partnership design and relationship mastering are based on discussions to reach a common denominator. Therefore, it can be argued that the implementation of CSR efforts is strongly connected to and dependent on communication.

3.1.3. The Value Belief Norm Theory of Environmentalism

The “Value Belief Norm (VBN) Theory of Environmentalism” is a further development of Schwartz’s “Norm-Activation Theory of Altruism”: The latter states that altruistic behavior arises from personal ideas of morality. In addition to this approach, Stern unites the Value Theory, Norm-Activation Theory, and New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) in his VBN Theory of Environmentalism. It is based on five indicators that determine behavior:

These indicators are firstly personal values, in particular altruistic ones, and personal norms for pro-environmental actions. Furthermore, the belief in NEP presumes that human actions and a fragile biosphere are inseparably connected. In addition to that, the “awareness of adverse consequences” (AC) can activate personal norms, when a person is convinced that specific conditions could be harmful for others, e.g. close people, appreciated nature, or similar. Lastly, the “ascription of responsibility to self” (AR) means that a person thinks he/ she is able to prevent these consequences through their personal behavior. A crucial component for values actually triggering deeds are the personality traits of a person. These determine if, e.g., animals are important for a person: If he/ she values them and is convinced about AR, he/ she is likely to act in a way that prevents animals from being harmed (Stern, 2000).

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11 Even though this thesis observes the CC and its members as well as their communication on an organizational level, this theory is valuable since personal and organizational values play an important role in becoming a member of an XSP. As Ritvala and colleagues found out, these values are the “key motivator for the individual managers” to participate in an XSP (Ritvala et al., 2014, p. 948). Therefore, it can be argued that they widely determine how engaged an organization is in an XSP and which messages it conveys to its stakeholders.

All three theories are important for this thesis because they connect the topics of communication in organizations, communication regarding CSR implementation, and the role of personal values regarding pro-environmental behavior. They will be used to discuss certain points of the empirical material. CCO Theorizing assists to find out how, e.g., members of the CC achieve certain results through intentional communication. The Model of CSR Implementation will be applied to see how CSR is implemented within and between the members and the potential benefits of partnerships. Moreover, the VBN Theory of Environmentalism will be used to discover personal values of the interviewees, since they particularly influence the internal communication about sustainability and determine if an organization joins a climate association.

3.2. Key concepts

3.2.1. Cross-sector partnerships

Definition

XSPs are experiencing great growth and aim to achieve a specific aspect of public policy, such as social innovation (Bryson et al., 2015 & Forsyth, 2010). Such partnerships between different types of organizations, e.g. non-profit and for-profit, are in the position to create social value by efficiently using the core competencies of the different partners. They link information, resources, and activities to achieve a common outcome. Mostly, this outcome cannot be achieved by only one organization separately (Selsky & Parker, 2005). Through XSPs, social opportunities can be identified and innovation can be generated (Le Ber & Branzei, 2010).

However, XSPs, like any other type of partnership, entail certain challenges. There may be a lack of mutual understanding due to a lack of knowledge about the characteristics of another sector as well as there may be difficulties in establishing governance structures for partnerships (Cairns & Harris, 2011). In some cases, there are unequal power relations as well and actors

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12 have different aspirations, which are difficult to reconcile and require complex solutions (Bryson et al., 2015). Nevertheless, complex problems in today's society, such as climate change, require complex solutions too, and the interdisciplinary approach of XSPs could support this.

Even though climate policy is also dealt with at the international level, it is best communicated at the local level to act effectively (Ostrom, 2012). Common values can be generated through the different resources of the organizations (Glasbergen, 2010).

Collaboration

Collaboration is a central process for organizations to develop a shared vision. Done right, synergies between the parties can create something that individuals cannot produce by themselves (Chandler-Olcott & Hinchman, 2019). A crucial component in this process is trust which is often seen as the core of collaboration. It can be built by resources and information sharing between the collaborating companies, as well as by good intentions and showing commitment (Bryson et al., 2015). This core component must be maintained constantly because it takes trust to address different perspectives of the partners (Van Vooren et al., 2020). Furthermore, project planning can support collaborative processes. In the beginning, goals and, above all, the responsibilities of the partners have to be defined. It is important that all actors feel heard and concentrate on their common goals rather than on their differences to ensure their engagement in the project (Bryson et al., 2015). To maintain commitment, intermediary results of a project should be communicated in meetings. This demonstrates progress and therefore motivates the partners (Van Vooren et al., 2020). Overall, open communication is central when working with different partners, not only to understand the goals and values of partner organizations but also to create liabilities in the collaboration (Van Vooren et al., 2020). Climate Alliances

Climate alliances can be seen as a form of XSPs, as they also consist of local companies and organizations from different sectors and have set themselves a common goal: to counteract climate change as best they can. The aim is to mitigate the problem and get it under control. The ability of cities to tackle climate change has become a priority. Therefore, ways are being sought to make cities ready for the coming climate challenges, e.g. with the help of climate alliances (Johnson, 2013). Collaboration in the form of climate alliances can combine data and opinions and set future priorities to fight against climate change. Especially in this topic, it is

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13 important to think globally but already tackle the individual problems on a local level. On the one hand, this contributes to global efforts, while on the other hand, it improves local conditions (Prudent et al., 2019).

Climate Council Jönköping

As a collaborative organization with currently almost 60 members from different sectors, the CC of Jönköping acts as an example for climate alliances. It unites both private and non-profit organizations, municipalities, and authorities, and represents the entire region of Jönköping. Together, its members pursue a common goal: a more sustainable future (Klimatrådet, n.d.a). Founded in 2011, the CC set the long-term goal of making Jönköping county a “Plusenergilän” (climate positive) by 2050 (Klimatrådet, 2019). The CC aims to achieve this through long-term cross-sector collaboration. It is important to notice that there is no CC as such, it is fully constituted by regularly meeting representatives of the member organizations. Most councilors come from prestigious positions in official authorities, politics, or economics. Additionally, working groups dedicated to certain areas of action, e.g. traffic, renewable energies, or communications, develop different campaigns about various topics (Klimatrådet, n.d.b). In the previous years, several projects have been done: Currently, the council is carrying out “Attract”, a project that aims to enhance the attractivity of employers in the region of Jönköping by at the same time reducing CO2 emissions caused by commuting. Previously, campaigns around water and solar energy had been carried out. All projects serve the same goal of inspiring people to live a more climate-friendly life. Therefore, the council does not only foster collaboration within its members but also works together with other climate associations all over Sweden (Klimatrådet, n.d.c).

3.2.2. CSR

Definition

The term Corporate Social Responsibility represents the responsibility of companies and organizations towards society that exceed legal obligations regarding economic, social, and environmental topics. It can be defined as “the company’s attitudes and behaviors with regards

to its perceived obligations and responsibility towards its stakeholders and society” (Diehl et

al., 2017, p.V) Profit maximization is not the main driver for it. However, it can earn companies a competitive advantage on the market: Sustainability, in general, has been an omnipresent topic with consumers becoming more aware of environmental and social threats. This is also because

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14 of globalization and social media – news, both good and bad, can spread worldwide within only a short period of time (Zhang et al., 2108). Furthermore, consumers trust companies more which they perceive as sustainable which consequently leads to a better reputation for an organization and again a competitive advantage (Bruhn & Zimmermann, 2017).

Practices

CSR appears in various forms, there is a lot of space for creativity. Since the primary goal of organizations is usually to maximize profits and attract new stakeholders, a marketing perspective has been chosen to explain CSR practices (Lee et al., 2012).Kotler and Lee (2005) came up with categories for CSR best practices. In the case of cause promotion, an organization promotes their CSR efforts to increase awareness. Cause-related marketing describes marketing initiatives concerning sustainability matters, whereas corporate social marketing stands for efforts that aim to create behavior change. The direct contribution to a sustainable cause is referred to as corporate philanthropy and community volunteering is applicable when an organization’s employees engage in the community. Finally, the term socially responsible business practices describes various practices dedicated to supporting a certain cause.

Most definitions of CSR include contributions that exceed legal obligations in the fields of stakeholder, economic, social, voluntary, and environmental relations (Dahlsrud, 2008). According to this, all practices of these five sectors that neither belong to the core activities of a company nor are legally mandatory can be interpreted as CSR. However, the line between CSR and greenwashing is thin, as will be explained in the next section.

Greenwashing

CSR and Greenwashing can be very similar and sometimes it is difficult to differentiate whether a company is practicing one or the other. However, the intentions are often different: Greenwashing describes misleading or entirely false claims of a company related to environmental or social sustainability in order to appear more sustainable. Often, the most effort is put into marketing rather than actual deeds. This is possible because of a lack of unified regulations around “green” marketing as every country has its own laws (Aggarwahl & Kadyan, 2014). To be able to identify both concepts in the later interview analysis, it is important to differentiate them. Therefore, the concept of Terrachoice is of great help. In 2009, the American environmental marketing consulting firm, which got acquired by UL, published the “Seven sins of greenwashing” that allow to identify such practices.

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15 Firstly, it is spoken of as a “Sin of hidden trade-off” if the transported message only focuses on the sustainable aspects of a product, whereas the negative consequences stay unmentioned. Similar to this, the “Sin of lesser of two devils” describes a claim regarding sustainability that is true but distracts from an overall negative impact of the practices or industry of a company. Furthermore, it is spoken of “Sin of irrelevance” when a claim is not necessarily false but unimportant regarding the environmental friendliness of a product or service. In contrast, the “Sin of fibbing” covers completely untrue “green” statements. Unsubstantial marketing claims that cannot be verified by independent parties are called “Sin of no proof”, while the “Sin of worshipping false labels” is applicable if the marketing message purports the existence of a label or certificate that actually does not exist. Lastly, the “Sin of vagueness” describes a statement that is very vague because of the use of misleading or broad environmental-related terms like natural, eco-friendly, etc. The message can be easily misunderstood and it is difficult for consumers to identify its real meaning (UL, n.d., n.p.).

This source has been widely used in scientific research about greenwashing. In line with it, Lyon and Montgomery (2015) define greenwashing as a communication strategy that misleads people. Such misleading communication can be done by applying different mechanisms, for example “Decoupling” which describes a disconnection between activities and structures. Similarly, “Mean/End decoupling” is applicable if goals and actions are disconnected and “Symbolic management” means that actions and promises get disconnected. If an actor discloses positive information and withholds the negative, it is called “Selective disclosure”. Lastly, “Astroturf lobbying” describes a convert funding of “front groups” to persuade policy-makers (Lyon & Montgomery, 2015, p. 227).

Lax legislation, weak political pressure, or the threat of regulation can be external or environmental drivers of greenwash. On the internal or organizational level, low visibility, large size, and growing firms can act as drivers (Lyon & Montgomery, 2015).

3.2.3. Sustainable Communication

Sustainable Development

An often quoted, short, and idealistic definition of sustainability is stated in the Brundtland Report: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without

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16 p. 41). However, many other definitions exist that attempt to describe the concept of sustainable development. According to Sandhu & Harris (2014), we must not deplete the earth's resources through our lifestyles faster than they can be replenished.

Sustainable development can be divided into three main dimensions: The ecologic dimension which stands for environmental responsibility, the economic one that reflects the efficiency of economic activities, and the social factor which represents social solidarity meaning equal opportunities for all people (Hedenus et al., 2018). All three dimensions are important for climate alliances like the CC since their common goal is to achieve a more sustainable future (Klimatrådet, n.d.a). Furthermore, Sandhu & Harris (2014) describe an ideal state for global sustainability in the sense of a collective, progressive, and cooperative activity that sees human communities as part of the environment and seeks to preserve and enhance it. This indicates that collaboration is needed when it comes to the goal of sustainable development.

Communication

In every field of life, communication is essential. According to Craig (1999), it can be seen as a process in which individuals interact with and influence each other. Through communication, we can transfer ideas, feelings, or even thoughts, and have the ability to create trust. Communication can take place both face-to-face and through technological media. It can be analyzed in many ways according to different communication scholars, such as semiotics or social psychology. In a society concerned with discourse about social injustice and change, critical communication theory is particularly important for communication. According to Waisbord (2019), research shows that both intra- and interdisciplinary communication are important to address major social problems like climate change (Pooley, 2021). This means that communication plays a vital role within climate alliances and also between their member companies. Making plans for sustainable action requires communication - not only internally, but also externally. People within an organization express themselves by using a wide variety of communication tools. This internal communication can take place between superiors, subordinates, or colleagues. For external communication with e.g. customers, a solid internal base is necessary. If internal communication is lacking, it can be difficult to introduce sustainable changes into an organization (Genç, 2017). To clarify the connection of communication to sustainable development, the term sustainable communication is explained in the following paragraph.

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17 Since communication plays a big role in development and social change processes, it is seen as a crucial factor in tackling the complex problems of today's world (Servaes & Malikhao, 2014). Sustainable communication in particular concerns sustainability issues. It is able to affect social change to a certain extent (McDonagh, 1998). According to McDonagh (1998), sustainable communication is determined by communicational actions related to sustainability issues and enabling environmental change. He also points out that its approach is more ecocentric than anthropocentric which means that it includes animal preservation and the planet in addition to humans (McDonagh, 1998). Sustainable communication aims to raise awareness of the great importance of the environment and to encourage sustainable consumption. Moreover, it intends to establish social transformation through knowledge generation and collaboration. Only then it becomes possible to develop lasting solutions for sustainability issues (Genç, 2017). However, this process is limited by various barriers, for example social, marketing, or organizational ones (McDonagh, 1998).

When applying sustainable communication, communicators need to be familiar with their audience's understanding of sustainability as well. This is crucial to understand how to most effectively spread the information and make it accessible for the respective audience (Allen, 2016 & Kilbourne, 2004).

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4. Methods

The following chapter will present the methodological foundations of the present thesis. Applying a qualitative approach, guided expert interviews constitute its research method. This is to get deeper insights into the CC’s influence on its members’ communication, sustainability, and CSR approaches. Therefore, twelve conducted interviews were analyzed following the procedure of Mayring (2015) as it provides clear rules for the content analysis of qualitative material.

4.1. Type of Research

Since the aim of this research design is to gain a deeper understanding of the potential influence of climate alliances on the communication and CSR efforts of their members, qualitative research is the most suitable approach for it. It emphasizes words and describes a topic rather than measuring it (Bryman, 2012). Through their insightful and interpretive nature, qualitative research methods allow to find out what people actually do and think (Tracy, 2019 & Berger, 2014). As a result, they can help to understand values, experiences, and relationships in a deeper and more detailed way. They aim to provide the best possible insight into the research field and to understand and interpret the messages of the respondents (Brennen, 2013). In contrast to quantitative methods, qualitative methods do not aim for representativeness. They are usually the starting point for identifying new problems or opportunities and are concerned with understanding certain areas or viewpoints (Bryman, 2012). In light of the conducted research, this fact is especially valuable to find out the deeper dynamics within and between the members of the CC. This can provide an understanding of the processes of collaboration and communication and allows to tie the results to the previously suggested theories for comprehensive analysis to answer the research questions.

4.2. Sample and selection

For this master thesis, the approach of judgment sampling was used which describes a purposive sampling method and is widely used in qualitative research (Marshall, 1996). It was identified as appropriate because the researchers were provided with a complete list of the CC member organizations and their contact persons which allowed an intentional choice of potential interviewees. Additionally, the procedure was complemented by the snowball sampling approach: Many initially contacted potential interviewees referred to another colleague whom they described as more knowledgeable in the topic of communication and sustainability. This characteristic is typical for the snowball procedure where “the researcher accesses informants

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19

through contact information that is provided by other informants” (Noy, 2008, p. 330). With

these two sampling methods, thirteen interview partners from twelve organizations were chosen. The interviewees R11 and R12 were interviewed together because they hold different, yet important positions at the same company – the marketing and sustainability department. Therefore, they suggested to combine their knowledge and answer the interview questions together. The thirteen cases were selected to be studied from a basic population. The basic population of this research is constituted by employees in member organizations of the CC, that hold certain positions in the fields of marketing, communication, and/ or sustainability. Presently, the CC consists of over 50 members from various sectors, including politics, business, regional authorities, and NGOs (Klimatrådet, n.d.d).

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20 Figure 1 Expert Sample1

4.3. Semi-structured interview

To fill the research gap, the method of semi-structured expert interviews was chosen. The interview counts as the most widely employed method in qualitative research despite its time-consuming nature. However, it enables flexibility and in-depth information and offers attractive advantages. In contrast to structured interviews, semi-structured interviews are more open and flexible which allows detailed insights into the respondents’ worldviews. They avoid limiting the response of the participants. Due to the encouragement of two-way communication, such interviews can be seen as a conversation between the parties of the interview (Bryman, 2012). The interviewer has a list of topics or specific questions laid out, which only works as an interview guide. Yet, the researcher can change the order of the questions or add new ones to the interview to pick up on an interesting fact or to go deeper into the respondent’s answer. The interviewer can keep an open mind about the process of the interview and ask further questions if needed (Harrell & Bradley, 2009).

Indeed, semi-structured interviews tend to take longer than structured ones because of their conversational nature. They bear the challenge for the interviewer to not get lost in the conversation but stay attentive and do not miss the chance to ask valuable questions. However, because of the method’s ability to provide detailed and in-depth information, it is of great value to answer the research questions of the present thesis (Harrell & Bradley, 2009). Additionally,

1_{Due to privacy reasons, the sectors cannot be more specified. Because of the limited number of members in the}

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21 this approach ensures a minimum level of comparability. For this reason, it is one of the preferred methods if more than one person carries out the interview, which can be the case in this research.

4.4. Expert interview

In the field of social sciences, expert interviews are a commonly used approach to conduct qualitative research. Typically, the aim is to obtain information about a specific field. The expert interview focuses on the knowledge of the expert in a specific field – in this research, the field of communication and sustainability. In order to be able to classify respondents as experts, it is necessary to define the term "expert". There are various approaches to this in the literature. However, most authors agree on one key issue: Experts are knowledgeable and can be identified based on their knowledge of a particular field (Döringer, 2021 & Bogner et al., 2009). Regarding the present research, knowledge in the field of communication, marketing, and sustainability was required. Therefore, an appropriate interviewee had to hold a key position in these fields, e.g marketing, communication, or sustainability manager. To ensure that the selected person was qualified, they received a short description of the interview topics beforehand which gave them the chance to either identify themselves as suitable or refer to a more knowledgeable colleague.

Connecting the method to the VBN Theory of Environmentalism, interviews can reveal the managers’ values and therefore their motivation for participating in the CC. Furthermore, the conversations can provide insights about communication habits within the council, according to CCO Theorizing. Additionally, conducting expert interviews can shed light on the processes of CSR and message implementation, following the Model of CSR Implementation. The outlined theories will provide a base for the later explained qualitative content analysis of the interviews.

4.5. Digital face-to-face interview via Microsoft Teams

The expert interviews with the selected persons were conducted via Microsoft Teams. Sound and video can be transmitted in real-time via this platform. These technologies are referred to as "VoIP" – Voice over Internet Protocol. Internet-based methods of communication allow researchers and participants to communicate with each other regardless of their physical distance. They do not have to be in the same room which is of great advantage considering the current Covid-19 pandemic. All it takes for the participants is an internet connection. With Microsoft Teams, the interviewee does not even have to download the program, but can simply

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22 join the conversation via a link in their browser. This flexible way of conducting interviews entails time and financial advantages (Olsen & Sheets, 2008). Furthermore, it is possible to record sound and video via the program to transcribe the interviews afterward. The opportunity to exchange files or share one’s screen can be very useful as well (Lo Iacono et al., 2016). However, like any other method VoIP also has its disadvantages. Using digital communication requires a certain familiarity with technology which can pose an obstacle to older people. Yet, as explained in the sampling and choice of experts, most participants act in leadership positions and have widely used digital communication for professional meetings during the Covid-19 pandemic. It can be criticized that VoIP interviews only show the facial expression of a person wherefore the communicator’s body and therefore non-verbal cues cannot be seen (Johnson et al., 2019). Additionally, when it comes to digital communication the disadvantage of disruptive factors is often pointed out, e.g. technical problems or an unstable internet connection. Yet, it is then the responsibility of the interviewer to follow up the previous conversation with a new stimulus (Lo Iacono et al., 2016 & Hay-Gibson, 2010).

The physical distance of digital communication entails a big asset: Research shows that participants are more likely to speak freely about issues. This honesty is crucial to answering the research questions. Therefore, voluntary participation in the interview is essential. Additionally, the interviewees shall have the ability to express themselves well and present content in an understandable way (Lo Iacono et al., 2016).

Following this argumentation and due to the potential health risks of face-to-face interviews during the Covid-19 crisis, interviews were conducted through Microsoft Teams. The technical requirements do not pose an obstacle for the target group of this research, as most participants are currently in home-office and used to online meetings, or have access to the required setup in their regular office at the company.

4.6. Transcription rules

Transcription rules are crucial to providing a reliable base for later qualitative analysis of the transcribed material. By implementing rules, it is ensured that neither the transcriber nor the reader influences the scientific process through their personal communication habits (Kowal & O’Connell, 2014). Since the present thesis involves two students, it is important to offer a clear framework for the research. First of all, the transcription is limited to the vocal behavior of the interview parties. The first step is to write down simply what has been said in standard

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23 orthography. This means that words are transcribed the way they would be findable in a dictionary. If a person laughs it will be noted as laughter. Extralinguistic behavior such as gestures will only be described if they are essential for the context, e.g. if a person answers with nodding [nods] to express his/ her agreement instead of explicitly saying “yes”. Abbreviations like don’t, can’t, etc. can be transcribed if used in the conversation. If a part is completely incomprehensible it will be expressed with (?) and fillers like “um” and “uh” do not have to be transcribed. A stressed expression (e.g. a part that is spoken louder) will be transcribed in CAPITALS but if something is whispered, it will be expressed by adding (whispers) before the whispered expression. The use of three dots … will represent a pause.

4.7. Qualitative content analysis

There is no standardized qualitative method for analyzing texts, unlike quantitative statistical analysis. However, there is much supporting and accompanying literature on the procedures for qualitative analysis (Bryman, 2012). Although there is no single procedure, most literature advises that after transcribing the interview, the meaning of the transcripts should be summarized through classification, categorization, or coding. This allows themes to be not only identified but also assessed. Fine-grained analysis subsequently produces less descriptive categories (Berger, 2014; Bryman, 2012; Creswell & Creswell, 2018).

Well-known procedures for analyzing qualitative data are e.g. discourse or content analysis. The data of this research will be analyzed following the approach of Mayring (2015), which is based on a category system. Following a standardized process model, the overall material firstly gets segmented into detailed items that are then further processed (Mayring, 2015).

Primarily, communication in the form of speech is being analyzed wherefore the material has to be available as a protocol. The strict rules of content analysis make it transparent for external parties and ensure intersubjectivity and transparency. Thus, the procedure meets the standards of social science research methods (Mayring, 2015).

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24 The following table summarizes the analysis steps according to Mayring (2015):

Figure 2 Universal content-analytical process model, Mayring, 2015, p. 62

After the definition of the source material and central question (steps one to five), the actual content analysis begins with forming the categories, which can be done inductively or deductively. In the present analysis, they were formed deductively – defined beforehand based on theoretical considerations. The method of the semi-structured guideline interview facilitates the analysis in the sense that main topics have already been set. In addition, the questions can help with the formation of categories (Scholl, 2018). The categories are supplemented inductively if new topics become visible during the analysis.

The procedure can be roughly divided into three major steps:

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25 2. Anchor examples: Text passages that serve as an example for assigning components to

a category.

3. Define coding rules: These help to clearly assign the text components (Mayring, 2015). S, this step is particularly important.

After the application of the category system, the paraphrased material gets summarized according to the rules. This results in the following process model:

Figure 3 Process model of content structuring, Mayring, 2015, p. 104

According to Mayring (2015), qualitative content analysis is more about validity and less about reliability. There is much debate as to whether the classic quality criteria such as validity and reliability can be applied to a qualitative content analysis at all. To counter the criticisms of the classic criteria, the qualitative content analysis is supplemented by the following eight specific quality criteria according to Krippendorff (1980, 158): semantical validity, sampling validity, correlative validity, predictive validity, construct validity, stability, reproducibility, and accuracy.

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4.8. Procedure

To start the interview process, the researchers participated in a CC meeting to briefly explain their project. Afterward, the researchers received an exhaustive list of contact persons of the CC member companies that had agreed to the transmission of their data. Based on this, the researchers contacted potential interviewees who ideally represented organizations of different sectors. They received an email with central information about the thesis, its aim, and topics of interest. As explained before, this allowed the selected people to identify themselves as experts or refer to another colleague. Finding interested respondents was more challenging than anticipated. Eventually, thirteen people of twelve organizations were willing to participate in an interview. These were asked to propose dates between April 19th and May 9th, 2021, and received an invitation link for a Microsoft Teams conference, accompanied by a privacy statement they were requested to sign.

The interviews were held based on the priorly developed interview guide (see appendix), which was premised on the leading research questions and adapted spontaneously during the conversations. It was divided into several parts:

The first part gives a brief introduction to the topic, followed by questions about the interviewee’s background and their knowledge about the CC. In the second part, open questions aim to motivate the respondent to talk about their own definition of sustainability, the role of sustainability in the company, and concrete position. Guided by the research questions 1 and 2, further interview questions relate to the impact of the CC on the organization’s sustainability, internal and external communication. Based on the third research question, the last block examines CSR efforts of the organization (see appendix). Finally, the researchers developed a code plan together to ensure a coherent analysis of the empirical material, following the explained approach of Mayring (2015).

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5. Results and Analysis

The core finding of this project was that the CC’s impact differs, depending on the organization. Difficulties in the implementation of the council’s campaigns can be due to their irrelevance for the members’ stakeholders, or different priorities. However, it was found that the membership can broaden the communication about sustainability, and foster change by enabling collaboration between different sectors and increasing awareness for sustainable development. In the following, these findings will be presented in detail.

5.1. Results

5.1.1. The Climate Council

Reasons for the membership in the Climate Council

Eight of twelve respondents joined the CC out of interest and to take responsibility towards the environment, especially the climate. They like to both share and gain knowledge and ideas regarding environmental topics and stay up to date. R9 explains that the engaged people working in the CC played a big role: “The Climate Council has been so successful because it has had very good women and men working with this and this is why I joined also”. For some it was a natural decision to join, others got an invitation or saw potential for collaboration. R11 explained that “it was more like a statement that (...) the Climate Council is important for organizations and companies”. The membership can also be of assistance for a company to give something back to society, according to R4.

First contact with the Climate Council

The experts’ experiences about their first contact with the CC were widely similar as they mostly stated they firstly got in contact with it when they started their job at their current company. The other respondents have already known the council from their previous job or do not remember. An exceptional case was R2 who joined the CC before and explained that he took the membership with him to the new organization and also R1 who has known the council from the very beginning.

Future collaboration with the Climate Council

Eight of twelve respondents’ attitude towards a future collaboration with the CC is positive. It was often stated that they plan more collaboration and think that their companies can contribute wherefore they do not foresee leaving the council in the future. According to R2, it is helpful

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28 to find new business partners. However, some respondents commented less optimistically on future collaboration with the CC. The focus topics of the council and their personal lack of time play a critical role in their engagement. R11 answered that leaving the council might cause other members to leave too wherefore the council could fall apart. That is why they want to send a positive message by continuing to collaborate. According to another expert, the CC is not vital for their work with sustainability. R9 says that “even without the Climate Council we will keep working on this”. Additionally, the future engagement of her organization depends on the next leader of the council.

Future importance of the Climate Council

Concerning the planned collaboration, respondents were asked about the future importance of the CC. According to R13 “it is important already and I think it will be important in the future too” because the climate issues have not been solved yet. The experts appreciate that the CC unites organizations from different sectors to work towards a common target. R3 states that this motivates companies to work together on sustainability issues and raise awareness in the region through events like the climate week. The CC is described as a regional base for change with important projects and initiatives because defeating problems like climate change starts on a local level. According to one respondent consumer behavior with regards to sustainability is about to change – hence the future needs more collaboration. Nevertheless, opinions about the CC’s future seem to be divided. R1 has seen a growth of it but ascribes the council internal and external issues related to collaboration. He states that he does not “know if the Climate Council is on the right path to survive the next five years”.

5.1.2. Sustainability

Own definition of sustainability

To introduce the topic of sustainability, the respondents were asked to share their own definitions of the term. R3 said that “sustainability is to be aware of how we use things and how we can do things better.” Additionally, the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social, and environmental – were mentioned by the experts. Moreover, aspects like the Agenda 2030, the SDGs, and raising awareness about resource use came into the picture. R10 mentioned that circular systems are crucial for economic sustainability. Furthermore, regional production, reusing products, and not wasting and over-consuming resources were mentioned. Besides that, new technologies and financial aid are stated to help to solve environmental issues.

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29 The companies’ definition of sustainability

The interviewees stated to a large extent that the company’s definition of sustainability widely matches their own. For R10, it means to work circularly while paying attention to the three pillars of sustainability. To do so, solar energy could be used for food production, or surfaces could be improved by creating more green spaces to capture CO2. According to R6, an important aspect is to merge the three pillars to generate a holistic perspective of sustainability. A scientific approach towards sustainability was mentioned by R9, whose employing organization follows certain scientific principles to achieve sustainable development. Since the needs of a sustainable society change over time, the company needs to react to those needs by acting proactive, as one expert explains. According to R2, “companies tend to be sustainable at different levels”. The expert explains that there are three of these levels of sustainable behavior in a company. The first level consists of CSR efforts, the second of adapting green behavior by introducing green energy and production processes, and the third level includes enhancing the customer’s and society’s sustainability with their own products. R2 emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the economical purpose of sustainability for a company.

Role of sustainability in the company

To understand the importance of sustainability in the company, the experts were asked about its role. The answers differ and cover everything from high to no importance. As R1 says, sustainability is not an overruling topic but important to discuss. The organizations and their members seem to be mostly aware of their actions, consider the three pillars of sustainability, or use solar energy to limit their environmental footprint. R12 states that “sustainability is in our heart” and emphasizes the importance of doing good things for their members. Trustworthy organizations need to consider sustainability and work on including the SDGs in their politics and processes. According to R13, their company prioritizes social development, offers more jobs, and works towards good living conditions for the young generation. Reduced resource consumption, recycling, conscious choices about suppliers, and working on reducing fossil fuel usage are mentioned as well. Furthermore, solar energy, modern technology, and sustainable transportation options could be a good addition. R2 explains another way to enhance the sustainability in a company: Offering purposeful products that increase energy efficiency or the well-being of customers. Municipalities in particular could benefit from using synergies to increase their sustainability efforts. However, R7 explains that “putting sustainable products on