Rob Woodworth Communication Internship 8/13/13 Organizational Sustainability: A Case Study at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

In the modern age, sustainability has proven to be a contentious area of debate. With varying definitions, espousals and applications, the term has generated much dissension, especially in the organizational setting. Sustainability has no doubt become a nebulous and multi-dimensional social construct—which makes its implementation even more difficult. However, with careful management that attends to specific organizational needs and values, sustainability becomes a feasible goal well within reach of those who seek it. By using the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum as a case study in critical communication, this paper illustrates how sustainability is dependent on, and a product of, organizational culture. Literature Review: In order to fully understand the potential link between cultural orientation of an organization and its respective pursuit of sustainability, it is first necessary to establish a historical background of sustainability in practice. The term “sustainability” was originally coined by the forestry industry in the 18th century.1 1 Kuhlman, Tom, and John Farrington. "What Is Sustainability?" Sustainability 2.11 (2010): 3436448. Open Access. Web. In this application, it means never harvesting more than a forest yields in new growth and is grounded in an ecological frame. The concern of preserving resources for the future is no doubt perennial; however, as time went on, curbing consumption would step out of a purely ecological framework. With escalating environmental and social issues, public pressure increased to find ways to foster development that would in turn alleviate social conflict while simultaneously protecting the environment for future generations. This public pressure culminated in 1987 when the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) coined the term “sustainable development”.2 Long-term sustainability on the organizational level requires a pragmatic approach. Over the last decade, many companies—whether privately owned, nonprofit, or university-affiliated—have utilized specific environmental or social managementsystems. However, it has been argued these programs are rarely integrated with the general management structures of these firms. In doing so, the WCED, an entity of the United Nations, sought to create a global definition of sustainability that factored in environmental integrity, social equity and economic prosperity. It is this definition that has subsequently created all the various perceptions of corporate sustainability that are being used in the organizational setting writ large. 3 This lack of integration is one the primary obstacles to achieving systemic change. Furthermore, few of these companies have established formalized mechanisms that communicate and reinforce sustainable values to clients and staff.4 Environmental business strategy suggests that the optimal way to achieve lasting sustainability is to integrate sustainable values into the core business values and strategies of the firm.5 Having emerged in the 1970’s, concept of organizational culture is relatively new. However, successfully communicating these integrated values requires a strong consideration of organizational culture.