What Purpose Does a Company Serve in the World? Swedish Students and Sustainability Professionals in Dialogue on Corporate Sustainability

Abstract

Corporate sustainability is a field in rapid development. As our global challenges gain more attention through the overarching strategies forged through for example, Agenda 2030—the role of companies become more important in working towards a sustainable world. Via interviews with students and sustainability professionals, this piece of research examines how the two different groups perceive the future of corporate sustainability and what companies should prioritize to be a part of the solution for a sustainable world. Three different themes per group arose as important, and the result shone a light on how differently the groups perceived responsibility for solving our shared challenges, as well as the need for collective frames as to what a company is and what purpose they serve in the world moving forward.