Exploring the influence of culture on corporate sustainability

Halmstad University

2010

Halmstad University School of Business and Engineering Bachelor Degree

EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY
The example of France, Spain and Sweden

Marketing dissertation: 15 ECTS 18th of October 2010 Authors: Adriana Corral Alonso & Daphné Lapourré Supervisor: Jean-Charles Languilaire

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Halmstad University

2010ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We desire to express our gratitude toward all people who have contributed to our thesis. We are willing to thank the University of Halmstad – Sweden – to have given us the opportunity to write a Bachelor thesis and access the Swedish Bachelor Degree. Our gratitude also goes to our supervisor, Jean-Charles Languilaire who has highly contributed to this paper. He helped usthanks to the several supervisions but also through his presence. Even without supervision, we were free to ask for help or advice. However, he also left us some autonomy which allows us to say that we are now able to write a thesis. We want to thank Patrick Jouslin de Noray, María Pérez and Erik Lindroth who were the persons at Tetra Pak France, Spain and Sweden that spent time for ourinterviews and shared their knowledge. We also want to thank to our colleagues who offered constructive criticisms which have enabled to improve the paper but also for their help and the experience we shared in the context of this thesis.

Adriana Corral Alonso Daphné Lapourré

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Halmstad University

2010

SUMMARY

Title: The influence of culture on corporate sustainability Authors:Adriana Corral Alonso and Daphné Lapourré Supervisor: Jean-Charles Languilaire Level: Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, Marketing Key words: Sustainability, sustainable development, corporate sustainability, Tetra Pak, culture, cultural influence, cultural dimensions, France, Spain, Sweden… Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how and to what extent cultural aspects caninfluence the corporate sustainability of a given company. Method: It is a qualitative case study enhancing on one hand primary research and on the other hand secondary data. The primary data based on three interviews of Tetra Pak key employees in France, Spain and Sweden are completed by the secondary research based on facts about Tetra Pak and on key authors’ books. Theoretical framework:The framework consists of theories and models about sustainability and its extensions and about cultural dimensions theories. Conclusion: Culture has an influence on corporate sustainability. However the extents are not easy to measure and vary according to the culture and the country’s means.

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Halmstad University

2010

TABLE OF CONTENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………..………………………..…………...2 SUMMARY………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….......3 TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………………………………………4 TABLE OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………………………………….……...….5

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INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................9 1.1. 1.2. 1.3. 1.4. 1.5. 1.6. BACKGROUND.........................................................................................................................................9 PROBLEM .................................................................................................................................................. 11PURPOSE.................................................................................................................................................... 11 RESEARCH QUESTION..................................................................................................................... 11 AUDIENCE ................................................................................................................................................ 12 LIMITATIONS...