Change agent sensemaking for sustainability in a multinational subsidiary

Purpose – This paper seeks to improve the understanding of implementation processes that achieve corporate sustainability by providing explanatory knowledge about the role of change agents from a sensemaking perspective. The paper also aims to focus on the sustainability efforts of change agents in a multinational carpet tile manufacturer. Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical perspective of the paper is based on the concepts of sensemaking and emergent change. The paper examines sustainability sensemaking in the Dutch subsidiary of the US-based carpet tile manufacturer Interface over a period of ten years (2000-2010). Findings – The findings show that embedding sustainability by change agents is typically an emergent change process that consists of small steps and is not predictable. Research limitations/implications – This paper focuses on the emergent, unpredictable aspects of change. More research is needed on processes of adapting the general concept of sustainability to local organisational contexts. Originality/value – The paper examines sustainability sensemaking by change agents in one organisation. Keywords Sustainable development, Organizational change, Change management, United States of America, The Netherlands, Emergent strategy