Searching for and Building a Business Case

Abstract

The objective of our research was to detect whether an industry-specific business case exists to demonstrate the economic logic behind the actions that make up companies’ sustainability strategies, that is, the principal economic reasons for and drivers of the business case. Based on the empirical evidence gathered during the research we developed a set of sector-specific diagnostic tools to help managers build their company-specific business case (as a member of our Advisory Board put it, ‘You have to build your business case, you do not just simply find it’). The reason for adopting this approach was to avoid lecturing managers from the safe haven of an academic institution about where and how to fight their battles.