Skärgårdsarkitekterna AB
, states that the human existence is in itself not
sustainable, however we can extend our time on Earth by minimizing what every human consumes.
This viewpoint is also emphasized by Göran Svenstam, owner of
GS Ekotox AB
, who sees a dark
future for the human species unless we decrease the number of people on Earth. Thus the views
presented on sustainability are somewhat both positive, realistic and negative.
5.2.
Motivation and drivers
The causes for motivation behind working sustainably are many. The interviewees were given a
number of alternatives and instructed to choose three of them. In many cases this lead to a longer
conversation about all the alternatives and how the companies adapted and reacted to them. Table 7
below depicts how the companies were distributed among the alternatives, which were based on the
same alternatives given in the study by Beyond Intent and Företagarna (2015).
Tab. 7.
Distribution of companies among the given alternatives of motivation.
A large number of the interviewees emphasize their own commitment and interest in this topic as
the main driving force behind their work, which ended up being represented by the alternative
other
Alternatives
Distribution of companies
Marketing
10
Strengthening the competitiveness
9
Initiative from the management/board
8
Profitability aspects
7
Other reason
7
Demand from customers
5
Threats from future legislation
3
Efficiency aspects
2
Demand from owner
2
Risk management
1
Demand from the public
1
Initiative from the employees
0
Demand from investor
0
25
reason
, and partly
initiative from the management/board
. The other alternatives that the companies
agreed most on (total number of 7 and above) are
marketing, strengthening the competitiveness
,
initiative from management/board
and
profitability aspects
. The following sections will present
these alternatives in more detail.
5.2.1. Marketing
When a choice has been made emphasizing sustainability, it is incorporated into the marketing, to
show customers what they can expect from the company. It can also be the other way around,
meaning that customers have those expectations on the companies. In the case of Mathias Eriksson,
owner of
Ekbergs Fönsterputs & Städ AB
, sustainability is seen as a good general term that can
gather both customers and employees who consider long-term goals to be important. Anna-Lena
Persson, owner of
ALP Konferens & Mässarrangör AB
, argues that one must be able to stand behind
the marketing, to feel good about the products. It is too easy to just pursue certifications and advertise
that. Certifications can be hollow and are not a bulletproof way of determining that one does good
deeds. Folke Carlsson, owner of
Folkes Bygg och Byggnadsvård
, agrees with this and argues that
quality plans are only effective if they are followed, no matter how important it might be for
customers to see formal plans before commissioning a project. Larry Åberg, owner of
Kunskapskryssaren
and managing four preschools, explains that the best marketing is satisfied
customers, in this case parents and children. They spread the word to other families and the
