Unraveling the Impact of Disclosed Corporate Values on Sustainability Governance: An fsQCA Analysis of IBEX35-Listed Companies

This study aims to examine the corporate values of IBEX35-listed companies and compare them with the sustainability governance information in their Non-Financial Statements (NFSs) to identify cultural patterns indicating high sustainability governance maturity (HSGM). The study uses the Cultural Fit Assessment Method (CFAM©) based on the Competing Values Framework (CVF) and six cultural archetypes (People, Goals, Digital, Innovation, Norms, ESG). It also incorporates sector-specific indicators related to sustainability governance from the IV Comparative Report of the NFS of IBEX35-listed companies published in 2021 by Ernst and Young (E&Y). A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted to identify patterns of corporate culture that explain the high maturity levels of sustainability governance. The results reveal two sector-level paths to HSGM in which Digital emerges as a core presence condition and ESG appears as a core absence condition (~ESG). ESG does not emerge as a necessary condition; instead, HSGM arises configurationally. The first combination encompasses the presence of people, goals, and digital cultures, coupled with the absence of innovation, norms, and ESG archetypes, resulting in an HSGM model. The other alternative to obtaining HSGM is through a cultural combination of the absence of people, goals, and ESG cultures alongside a strong emphasis on digital, innovation, and norms archetypes. This study offers a unique approach to assessing the maturity of sustainability governance based on corporate culture. Identifying patterns of corporate culture that indicate high maturity levels of sustainability governance offers practical guidance on how organizations can enhance their sustainability practices.