GRA 19703
Master Thesis
Thesis Master of Science
The Role of Human Resource Management in Creating Sustainable Organizations
Navn: Hannah Lowsky, Flavie Marquet
Start: 15.01.2021 09.00
Finish: 01.07.2021 12.00
Study Program: Leadership and Organizational Psychology
Title: The Role of Human Resource Management in Creating Sustainable Organizations
Name of Supervisor: Wajda Wikhamn
Table of Contents
Abstract ... iii
Introduction ... 1
Literature Review ... 3
Sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals and Government Regulations ... 3
Sustainable HRM ... 6
Sustainability Paradoxes ... 8
A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective - The Internal and The External ... 10
Sustainable HRM and COVID-19 ... 12
Research Methodology ... 13
Interviews ... 14
Participants and Design ... 14
Procedure ... 15
Interview Guide ... 15
Sustainability Reports ... 16
Data and Design ... 16
Procedure ... 17
Analysis Approach ... 17
Results – Interviews ... 18
SDGs ... 18
The Three Pillars (People, Planet, Profit) of Sustainability ... 18
Balance, Struggles and Challenges Between The Three Pillars ... 22
Sustainability Paradoxes ... 22
Coping with Sustainability Paradoxes ... 24
Multi-Stakeholder Perspective – Internal and External... 25
Collaboration Between HR and Sustainability Departments ... 27
COVID-19 ... 28
Results – Sustainability and Annual Reports ... 29
Sustainability Reports of Companies Interviewed ... 29
SGDs ... 29
The Three Pillars (People, Planet, Profit) of Sustainability ... 30
Balance, Struggles and Challenges Between The Three Pillars ... 30
Multi-Stakeholder Perspective – Internal and External ... 31
COVID-19 ... 31
Sustainability Reports of All Companies ... 31
SDGs ... 31
The Three Pillars (People, Planet, Profit) of Sustainability ... 32
Balance, Struggles and Challenges Between The Three Pillars ... 33
A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective ... 36
Impact of COVID-19 ... 37