Reactivity to sustainability metrics: A configurational study of motivation and capacity
Journal
Business Ethics Quarterly
Subject
Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Publishing details
Authors / Editors
Slager R;Gond J-P;Crilly D
Biographies
Publication Year
2021
Abstract
Previous research on reactivity – defined as changing organisational behaviour to better conform to the criteria of measurement in response to being measured – has found significant variation in company responses towards sustainability metrics. We propose that reactivity is driven by dialogue, motivation and capacity in a configurational way. Empirically, we use fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyse company responses to the sustainability index FTSE4Good. We find evidence of complimentary and substitute effects between motivation and capacity. Based on these effects we develop a typology of reactivity to sustainability metrics, which also theorises the use of metrics as tools for performance feedback and the building of calculative capacity. We show that when reactivity is studied configurationally, we can identify previously underacknowledged types of responses. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications for studying and using sustainability metrics as governance tools for responsible behaviour.
Keywords
Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA); Sustainability metrics; Reactivity; Motivation; Capacity; Dialogue
Available on ECCH
No
