Recruiting for Sustainability. Administration or development?

Abstract

Sustainability is a complex concept involving disparate issues of environmental, social and economical significance. To work towards sustainability, we need both technological and social skills. Several studies on environmental technology and environmentally adjusted technology have been undertaken, as well as in the area of human resource management and environmental management. However, our understanding of how people are recruited to work towards sustainability and what type of persons are drafted for leading environmental projects is not very elaborated. The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of specific characteristics and effects of recruiting persons with either administrative / exploitative or developing / explorative characteristics. The paper is based on a field study of the latest attempt in Sweden to work towards sustainable development. In 1998, the Swedish government formulated a program for local investments aiming at positive environmental effects and increased employment rates. We have in detail studied and analyzed the recruitment process for the position of environmental project leader at a municipality with data from 32 applicants and with transcriptions of recruitment talks with 6 candidates. In contrast to the traditional model of `choice of candidates', we propose a widened model of `cultural match' to understand the recruitment process.