Att balansera mellan omställning och kontinuitet i arbetet med hållbarhet. En etnografisk fallstudie om att införliva samhälleliga krav och förväntningar på en hållbar utveckling inom kommunal verksamhet

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to increase knowledge of how municipal services incorporate political demands and expectations from stakeholders in society to contribute to sustainable development. The study investigates two dimensions of governance: how the managers conceptualised sustainability work and on what grounds the management acted to spread sustainability work in their daily operations. An ethnographic field study was conducted over a period of one year. Data were collected through observations and conversations with employees. Theoretically, the analysis draws on concepts like translation, institutional work and legitimacy. The conclusions show that it is important for municipal services to maintain continuity in their operations when they engage in sustainability work. Adhering to already established strategies, working methods and forms of governance, i.e. showing continuity, can make it easier for the services to engage in sustainability work. However, showing too much continuity can limit the opportunities to survey existing practices and achieve the change that is required in order to contribute to sustainable development. By balancing between demands for continuity and transitioning towards more sustainable development, conditions are created for companies' sustainability work to be seen as legitimate both among employees and among other institutions and actors in society.