Paradoxes in the operation of public administration: opportunity or barrier to the sustainable development of organisations?

The Sustainable Development Goals formulated within the framework of the UN resolution “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” are a challenge for both businesses and public administrations. The authors of this article focused on the social dimension and attempted to identify the challenges and paradoxes associated with building a sustainable workplace at the State Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service. An in-depth analysis of 31 interviews with inspection employees revealed that despite the positive attitude of managers and employees toward building a sustainable work environment, the organisation faces many challenges and paradoxes along the way, including, among others, the need for sustainable development vs. limited funding or high job requirements vs. unattractive working conditions. These are largely due to its profound underfunding, which lowers the prestige of the workplace, hinders recruitment, and negatively affects working conditions and thus employee engagement.