Work-integrated learning for social sustainability

This paper explores how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Nordic textile industry engage in collaboration and learning to address social sustainability in the context of complex global supply chains and emerging regulatory frameworks, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Drawing on theories of work-integrated learning (WIL), collaboration, and boundary crossing, the study conceptualizes social sustainability as a dynamic and relational practice shaped through interaction among diverse actors. Using a qualitative case study approach, the paper analyzes interviews with stakeholders from Nordic textile SMEs, industry associations, and NGOs. The findings show that collaboration—internally and externally—is essential for building capacity, navigating regulatory demands, and fostering situated learning. Shared tools such as certifications, supplier manuals, and legal frameworks function as boundary objects that support coordination and mutual understanding across organizational and sectoral boundaries. The study proposes a model of work-integrated learning for sustainable development, illustrating how boundary crossing around shared artefacts enables collaborative learning and knowledge creation. Time, trust, and territory are identified as key preconditions for these processes, highlighting how SMEs can move beyond compliance and engage in continuous learning to strengthen their social sustainability efforts.