Recognition in sustainable way - a way to recognized sustainability? Recognition and sustainability in business processes

The heaviest economical crisis since decades, environmental damage, changes in society - companies are more and more asked to take on responsibility for issues not in the first instance connected to their core business. In spite of being economically successful, no matter the price, they are asked to holistically determine their business strategy on longevity and responsibility - sustainability in short. For a task as huge as this, the commitment of all people involved is needed, so employees become the focal point of interest. As they are the ones bringing a sustainable strategy to life every day, they have to be convinced of the company’s vision to do so. In practice, acts of recognition and appreciation expressed by managers and actually perceived as that by employees, seem to have significant influence on the employees’ commitment towards sustainable thinking and acting. After introducing into core issues of the sustainability concept in brief, the author highlights the importance of a recognizing and appreciating corporate attitude, without which a sustainable strategy cannot be implemented in a credible way. She advocates the development of an open-minded, appreciating culture of communication as an explicit part of the business strategy and presents some suggestions for practical implementation.