2024

Löyttyniemi, Meri

Higher education institutions need to address the global polycrisis. This organizational study delves into Finnish universities´ sustainability programs, management challenges and what are the stifling factors for implementation despite the accelerating sustainability and CSR commitments. This chapter introduces how differences between universities´ talk, decisions, and actions appear in the context of Finnish universities. Hypocrisy, greenwashing, and aspirational talk will be discussed, and managerial implications for transformational change in the organizations will be introduced. Empirical study is based on Finnish universities, 14 in total, all committed to national theses on advancing sustainable development. By using mixed methods, grounded theory, and Gioia method, walking the talk is examined. Strong stakeholder expectations and moderate priority of sustainability implementation seem to lead to hypocritical activities. Factors and impulses supporting and weakening the SD-CSR implementation are mapped, and universities are categorized into four groups in terms of differences between the sustainability talk and walk: beginners, followers, question marks, and forerunners. The typical challenges are strong but ambiguous commitment combined with low implementation, minimal human and other resources, unclear organizational status, ambiguous responsibilities, and temporary positions. The chapter will provide possible solutions and managerial implications on how to prevent decoupling and turn the hypocrisy into authenticity and transformative action.