Sustainability-in-the-making: Enduring commitment to socio-ecological matters of concern

In this paper, we move beyond the economic reductionism of the “business case” paradigm in sustainability research and explore complexity in organizations’ engagement with socio-ecological matters. For this, we draw from Latour (2004; 2005; 2008) where he argues for an ontological shift from observing reality as matters of fact to engaging with its complexities as matters of concern and utilize Actor-Network Theory to re-frame sustainability from the business case to sustainability as relational practices. We study empirically how commitment to socio-ecological matters of concern is maintained, with a longitudinal case study of an exemplar fashion company’s sustainability initiative between 2012 and 2020. Analyses of our in-depth qualitative data led to articulating sustainability-in-the-making : an ongoing process where the agency of human and nonhuman collective assemblages produced organizational transformation and endured commitment to socio-ecological matters of concern. Our findings contribute to organizational sustainability literature by: 1- offering an ontological shift from the business case to relational practices , which enables focusing on emerging and evolving organizational transformations overlooked by the business case; 2- challenging the hierarchical conception of “scale” by illustrating how human and nonhuman actors in their own settings composed collectives and produced and expanded impact around matters of concern; and 3- showing the significance of dealing with controversies – disagreements and debates around particular matters of concern – in enduring commitment to socio-ecological issues. • We draw from Latour’s account of matters of fact and matters of concern and Actor-network theory, and offer an ontological shift in conceptualizing sustainability from the business case to relational practices. • We study how commitment to socio-ecological matters of concern is maintained at an exemplary fashion company over a seven-year period. • By analyzing our in-depth qualitative data, we articulate sustainability-in-the-making – an ongoing process where the agency of human and nonhuman collective assemblages produced organizational transformation and endured commitment to socio-ecological matters of concern. • This study contributes to the literature by: 1- facilitating focus to emerging and evolving organizational transformations; 2- challenging the hierarchical conception of “scale” by illustrating making of collective assemblages; and 3- showing the significance of controversies for enduring commitment to socio-ecological matters.