beer: brewing employees engaged with (corporate social
TRANSCRIPT
BEER: Brewing Employees Engaged with (Corporate
Social) Responsibility
by
Irving Xchel Chan Gomez
and
Matthew Anderson
A Field Practicum Report submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for a Master of Sustainable Development Practice Degree
at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, FL USA
April 2016
Supervisory Committee:
J. Yellowlees Douglas, Chair
Glenn Galloway, Chair
Muthusami Kumaran, Member
John Kraft, Member
Jamie Kraft, Member
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Table of contents
Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5
1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
1.1 Reaching Corporate Sustainability: a historic summary............................................................ 6
1.2 Bavaria S.A. and SABMiller, Plc ............................................................................................................ 7
1.3 Sustainability in SABMiller and Bavaria (past and present - PROSPER) ............................. 7
1.4 MDP team collaboration with Bavaria: Objectives of this study. ......................................... 10
2. Methods ............................................................................................................................................................. 11
2.1 A contextual framework for Corporate Sustainability ............................................................. 11
2.2 How internal stakeholders impact Corporate Sustainability ................................................ 12
2.3 A Culture of Sustainability .................................................................................................................. 13
2.4 Employee engagement as indicator for the level of embeddedness of sustainability
into the organizational culture ................................................................................................................. 15
2.5 Data Collection Techniques ................................................................................................................ 16
2.6 Data Analysis Techniques ................................................................................................................... 17
2.7 The Wheel of Change toward Sustainability Framework ....................................................... 18
2.8 Adapting the WCS to Bavaria S.A...................................................................................................... 20
2.8.1 Strategize ........................................................................................................................................... 21
2.8.2 Refocus................................................................................................................................................. 22
2.8.3 Recruit ................................................................................................................................................. 23
2.8.4 Engage ................................................................................................................................................. 23
2.8.5 Communicate .................................................................................................................................... 23
2.8.6 Train ..................................................................................................................................................... 24
2.9 Assessing organizational culture ..................................................................................................... 24
3. Results ............................................................................................................................................................... 26
3.1 Strategize ................................................................................................................................................... 26
3.1.1 Organizational structure in Bavaria ........................................................................................ 26
3.1.2 Organizational Vision and Values ............................................................................................ 28
3.1.3 Personal and Area alignment ..................................................................................................... 29
3.2 Refocus ....................................................................................................................................................... 30
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3.2.1 Beyond Business-as-Usual .......................................................................................................... 30
3.3 Recruit ........................................................................................................................................................ 31
3.3.1 The sustainability committee as a team ................................................................................ 31
3.4 Engage......................................................................................................................................................... 32
3.5 Communicate ........................................................................................................................................... 33
3.6 Train ............................................................................................................................................................ 34
4. Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................................... 36
4.1 Snapshot of Bavaria and its sustainability and employee engagement ............................ 36
4.2 Building on their strengths: recommendations for Bavaria S.A. ......................................... 36
4.3 Recommendations based on the WCS. ........................................................................................... 38
4.3.1 Strategize ........................................................................................................................................... 38
4.3.2 Refocus ............................................................................................................................................... 39
4.3.3 Recruit ................................................................................................................................................ 40
4.3.4 Engage ................................................................................................................................................. 42
4.3.5 Communicate ................................................................................................................................... 42
4.3.6 Train .................................................................................................................................................... 43
5. Discussion ........................................................................................................................................................ 45
5.1 Why companies should engage in Corporate Sustainability ................................................. 45
5.1.1 How to take action: Successful cases ...................................................................................... 47
5.1.2 Successful cases in other organizations ................................................................................ 50
5.2 Limitations and future research needs .......................................................................................... 51
6. Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................... 53
7. Appendices ....................................................................................................................................................... 56
Appendix 1. Evaluation Design Matrices from initial Project Design ........................................ 56
Appendix 2. Semi-structured interviews guide (Spanish) ............................................................. 58
Appendix 3. Focus group guide (Spanish) ........................................................................................... 61
Appendix 4. Employee Alignment with PROSPER worlds Worksheet Activity for Focus
groups ................................................................................................................................................................ 64
Appendix 5. Word Cloud of Bavaria Employee Word Bank Activity Results (aggregated
from all offices and plants). ....................................................................................................................... 65
Appendix 6. Example of Value Chain Mapping ................................................................................... 66
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Appendix 7. Examples of recommended actions voiced by employees supporting the
action plan ........................................................................................................................................................ 67
Appendix 8. Example of ‘compliment sandwich approach’ to build a compelling case for
sustainability at Bavaria S.A. ..................................................................................................................... 69
Appendix 9. Development of an action plan to embed sustainability at the middle
management level in Bavaria S.A. ........................................................................................................... 70
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Abstract
Four Master’s in Development Practice candidates conducted a project to assess the
integration of Bavaria S.A.’s sustainability strategy, SABMiller operations in
Colombia. The initial objective was to develop a monitoring and evaluation plan
with specific indicators that could be expanded to the entire organization. The
framework and methods used primarily focused on Bob Doppelt’s (2010) wheel of
change toward sustainability framework, and the competing values framework
(Bertels et al 2010; Abbett and Coldham 2010). After using a combination of
qualitative instruments such as focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and
personal observations to gather data from the employees, it was concluded that
integration of PROSPER (SAB Miller’s sustainability program) was lacking in the
areas of study (marketing, sales, supply chain, and distribution). Then, after a
constructive discussion with the company’s office of corporate social responsibility,
it was agreed to shift the initial objective toward the development of an
organizational strategy to embed sustainability in the organizational culture of
Bavaria S.A., a road map that will initiate and enhance the process of embedding
sustainability into everyday practices.
The diagnostic component of the study was developed by tailoring employee engagement
initiatives to sustainability and Bavaria S.A.’s environment. Throughout the baseline
assessment, it was found a lack of knowledge about PROSPER and, therefore, low
integration of sustainability into the organizational culture. This was enhanced by the lack
of trainings on sustainability and a specific action plan to embed sustainability as part of
everyday activities.
After the diagnostic, the wheel of change toward sustainability framework (Doppelt, 2010)
was tailored to Bavaria’s organizational culture and needs and reinforced with best
practices from other large corporations and consultant firms (MELCRUM, KENEXA, PwC,
Jones Lang Lasalle, CIPD, Affinity, Workforce for good) in order to develop an action plan to
embed sustainability in Bavaria’s organizational culture. In addition, a competing values
framework (Bertels et al., 2010) was used in order to determine the overall effectiveness of
each of the suggested recommendations.
Proposed solutions include shifting the communications flows through an active awareness
campaign, universal training, increased prioritization of sustainability by senior
management, the strengthening if the sustainability committee, the use of existing learning
and innovation structures and spaces, among others.
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1. Introduction
1.1 Reaching Corporate Sustainability: a historic summary.
In 1906, Ambrose Bierce defined corporation as “an ingenious device for obtaining
individual profit without individual responsibility”. In a time when the words corporate
and responsibility seemed barely compatible, this definition did not seem inappropriate
(Context Group, Ltd, 2012). Today, with pressing social and environmental issues, that is no
longer the case. So then, how did businesses get involved with sustainability?
Although national governments passed regulations, trade unions gained legal status, and
environmental legislation appeared, by the first half of the 20th century, government
actions, rather than corporate activity, were still the priority of action for achieving
environmental goals. It wasn’t until 1987 that the World Commission on Environment and
Development introduced the definition of sustainable development as “progress that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs” (Context Group, Ltd, 2012). However, philanthropy continued to be about
“giving back” rather than about what had been taken away, the philosophy of “small
governments” prevailed, and the focus remained firmly on environmental and community
issues rather than broader sustainability (Context Group, Ltd, 2012).
By the 1990s, with the Rio Earth Summit, the rise of ethical consumerism, the internet, the
anti-globalization movement, among others; the concept of corporate social responsibility
(CSR) emerged, emphasizing the role and impact of business on society and the
environment at the global and local level; internal and external (beyond the business
operations). Fast forward to the last two decades, the role of businesses has switched from
avoiding or reducing negative impacts to maximizing the positive ways in which companies
can make a contribution to sustainable development, with the concept shifting from CSR to
Corporate Sustainability or Corporate Citizenship (Context Group, Ltd, 2012).
Today, the corporate approach to sustainability is maturing around a broader agenda in
which the life cycle of products matter much more than just the manufacturing operations,
towards a circular economy1.
In order to fully integrate Corporate Sustainability principles, it is necessary for
organizations to transform their business in order to change attitudes and approaches in
their industries and supply chains involving employees, consumers, policymakers and
society (Context Group, Ltd, 2012). However, with growing complexity, the reasons and
1 “A circular economy is one that is restorative and regenerative by design, and which aims to keep products,
component and materials at their highest utility and value at all times, distinguishing between technical and biological cycles” (Ellen MacArthur Foundation , 2016).
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strategies to engage in sustainability can vary greatly depending on the specific challenges
and priorities of the organizations and the industry and the context in which they work.
For the purpose of this study, we will focus on the beer industry, in particular within
Bavaria S.A.: SABMiller operations in Colombia.
1.2 Bavaria S.A. and SABMiller, Plc
Bavaria was founded in 1889 in Colombia, by German brothers Leo S. and Emil Kopp, and
brothers Santiago and Carlos A. Castello. By 1890 the Kopp-Castello association was
dissolved, giving place to the establishment of the Bavaria Kopp’s Deutsche Bierbrauerei
with operations in downtown Bogota (Bavaria S.A., 2015).
From 1913 to the 1950s, the organization experienced a period of growth and expansion
that included important partnerships that increased the presence of the group across the
country. In 1967, with the acquisition of today’s Cervecería Águila (Aguila brewery) by Julio
Mario Santodomingo, Bavaria was consolidated as a leading business organization in the
country (Bavaria S.A., 2015).
By the beginning of the 2000s, Bavaria was expanding internationally, acquiring the
Cervecería Nacional de Panamá (Panama National Brewery) in 2001, and starting
operations in Peru with UCP Backus & Johnston in 2002. Finally, in July 2005, Bavaria S.A.
merged as part of SABMiller PLC, the second largest beverage producer in the world
(Bavaria S.A., 2015). Today, Bavaria accounts for the largest operation of SABMiller in Latin
America, and the most important beverage company in the country (SABMiller, plc., 2015).
1.3 Sustainability in SABMiller and Bavaria (past and present - PROSPER)
As indicated above, approaches to sustainable development can vary according to the
challenges and issues of each industry. As reported by SABMiller (2015), the organization
understands how “profitability depends on healthy communities, growing economies and
the responsible use of scarce natural resources” and integrates such issues within its
sustainability strategy, known as PROSPER. Through PROSPER’s five shared imperatives,
SABMiller aims to “tackle the most material sustainable development issues for its business
at a local and international level, embedding sustainable development into its business
planning to drive long-term growth” (SABMiller, plc., 2015).
Developed at the SABMiller corporate headquarters in London, ROSPER (PROSPERAR in
Spanish) is the approach to sustainable development to be adopted at all organizational
levels and at all operations around the globe. Previous to the merger, Bavaria’s
sustainability strategy (2013) was divided in 10 priorities:
1. To promote responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages.
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2. To produce more beer using less water.
3. To reduce Bavaria’s carbon and energy footprint.
4. To reduce, reuse and recycle packaging materials.
5. To work towards zero waste operations.
6. To incentivize entrepreneurship throughout its value chain.
7. To benefit local communities where Bavaria operates.
8. To contribute to the reduction of HIV/AIDS.
9. To respect human rights.
10. To promote transparency and ethics.
As part of the merging process, Bavaria adopted SABMiller’s approach to sustainable
development in 2014 integrating when possible the previous 10 priorities into the shared
imperatives or PROSPER. The logic behind the idea of “shared imperatives” is that in the
process of achieving long lasting sustainable change, involvement of all stakeholders is
vital. According to SABMiller (2015) these imperatives, often referred as ‘worlds’, are:
1. Accelerate growth and social development in SABMiller’s value chains (this is
termed “A thriving world”). For Bavaria, this imperative includes initiatives that
support and promote:
a. Social development and inclusive growth,
b. being a good neighbor,
c. protection of human rights across value chains,
d. protection of human rights across internal operations,
e. diversity across the company, and
f. wellness of internal teams.
2. Make beer the natural choice for the moderate and responsible drinker (termed “A
social world”). For Bavaria, this imperative includes initiatives that support and
promote:
a. Responsible consumption,
b. responsible commercial communication and marketing, and
c. adequate behavior from employees in relation to alcohol consumption.
Secure shared water resources for SABMiller business and local communities
(termed “A resilient world”). For Bavaria, this imperative includes initiatives that support
and promote:
a. Adequate use, management, and disposal of water resources, and
b. adequate management of water-related risks for operations and
communities.
Creating value through reduced carbon and waste emissions (termed “A clean
world”). For Bavaria, this imperative includes initiatives that support and promote:
a. Reduction of emissions in non-productive activities,
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b. adequate management and valuation of waste and residues, and
c. recycling behaviors in the consumer, and package innovation.
5. Support responsible, sustainable use of land for brewing crops (termed “A
productive world”). For Bavaria, this imperative includes initiatives that support
and promote:
a. Strategic production, sourcing, and purchasing of raw materials, and
b. sustainable sourcing of sugar.
Often associated with environmental and social issues, the concept of Corporate
Sustainability is often viewed as in conflict with profitability and financial stability.
Although some of social and environmental initiatives and priorities may seem to be in
conflict with profitability, Corporate Sustainability can also improve the bottom line
through innovation, cost savings, brand differentiation, long term vision, and customer and
employee engagement. For SABMiller, for example, innovation in Central Africa has led to
the creation of a beer variety made from sorghum and cassava, a locally cultivated grain
that is opening new markets (SABMiller, plc., 2015). Additionally, innovation has also
improved the brewing process, reducing the amount of water and other resources used,
resulting in cost reductions in the production process. Their reusing of bottles and new
methods of packaging has reduced the level of waste they were producing and made them
more efficient (SABMiller, plc., 2015). All these sustainable innovations have improved
their profits and financial stability, and work toward a more creating a better world.
On the other hand, Corporate Sustainability can result in improved internal and external
stakeholder engagement. At the external level, in a highly competitive market, product
differentiation through sustainability efforts can help maintain current customers while
attracting new ones. At the internal level, Corporate Sustainability can also relate to
employee engagement. Through wellness programs, the alignment of the company values
with employee values, and effective communication of the organization’s efforts towards
sustainability Corporate Sustainability can help improve working dynamics, increase
motivation and productivity, reduce turnover rates, and further advance the sustainability
agenda.
According to Bavaria’s last Sustainable Development Report (2014), the operative and
technical areas of the company perform well and shine among the subsidiaries of
SABMiller, positioning itself as leader in business and sustainability practices. However, in
terms of employee engagement and internal integration, the organization have identified
gaps of disconnection that hinder the progress towards the achievement of PROSPER in the
coming years.
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1.4 MDP team collaboration with Bavaria: Objectives of this study.
Bavaria reached out to the Universidad de Los Andes, a member of the Master of
Development Practice (MDP) network in order to contract a team of graduate students
from the United States as consultants in order to develop a baseline diagnostic and a
tracking system of employee engagement in relation with the sustainability strategy of the
company. The team was integrated by Irving Chan Gomez and Matthew Anderson from the
University of Florida, Victoria Chuong from Emory University, and Rachel Stanton from
Columbia University. For ten weeks, through a targeted investigation, qualitative data
collection and analysis, the team carefully assessed strengths and weaknesses, and
provided recommendations for the office of Corporate Social Responsibility in order to
improve the integration of PROSPER into the organizational culture of the company.
In order to develop a baseline diagnostic and tailor the tracking system to company needs,
the team designed semi structured interviews and focus groups, and carried them out at
the company’s Headquarters in Bogota, in three brewing operations in Tocancipa,
Barranquilla, and Cali; and in the Impresora del Sur, Bavaria’s labeling operation. With the
exception of Impresora del Sur, the study focused on the areas of Sales, Marketing,
Distribution, and Supply Chain.
Upon completion of the baseline diagnostic of employee engagement with sustainability
initiatives the team identified the lack of a clear strategy to integrate sustainability into
everyday activities. After a constructive dialogue with the manager of the Corporate Social
Responsibility office, the team agreed on changing the focus of the study towards the
design of an integration strategy rather than a tracking system. In summary, in the end, the
objective of this study was (1) to develop a baseline diagnostic of employee engagement
with sustainability initiatives, and (2) to design a strategy to embed sustainability into the
organizational culture of Bavaria at the managerial level.
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2. Methods
2.1 A contextual framework for Corporate Sustainability
In order to effectively manage corporate sustainability, it is required that sustainability
aspects are integrated into the planning, production processes, and activities of a company,
hence the inclusion into the normative, strategic, and operational levels of management
(Baumgartner, 2014). At the normative level, the objective is to ensure and enhance the
legitimacy of corporate activities by stakeholders and society. The strategic management
level has as objective the determination of the effectiveness of measures taken in the long-
term; while the operational management level should look for efficiency (Ulrich, 2001).
Contextual factors are also important to consider for the relevance of the sustainable
development for the organization. This is of particular importance when considering the
contribution to sustainable development across a broad spectrum of industries and
stakeholders (Baumgartner, 2014).
Due to the previous considerations, the contextual framework for corporate sustainability
proposed by Baumgartner (2014) was adapted into a graphic representation that better
illustrates the interplay between the different management types and contextual factors
(Figure 1). Moreover, the concept of organizational culture was included as an overarching
component of the organization that influences and is influenced by management types and
contextual factors as well.
Additionally, although not graphically represented, the framework also takes into account
two fundamental organizational variables: organizational structure and formal
management instruments. Additionally, within this framework, there are support
instruments for identifying, implementing, and controlling sustainability aspects
(Baumgartner, 2010).
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Figure 1. Contextual Framework for Corporate Sustainability. Adapted from Baumgartner (2014)
As can be observed in the graphic representation of the contextual framework, all types of
management (operational, strategic, and normative) are rooted in an organizational culture
specific to each organization. As a result, management decisions are influenced by the
culture of the organization while, in a reciprocal fashion, management decisions influence,
reinforce, and shape the organizational culture.
The objectives of this study target the organizational culture and stakeholders at the
employee level. By looking at the interconnectedness between management types and the
culture of the organization it is possible to understand how the integration of sustainability
issues does not only affect operational and normative management, but it is also a strategic
task since the foundation of sustainability activities and strategies in the organizational
culture is an essential precondition for success (Lankoski, 2007; Baumgartner, 2009).
2.2 How internal stakeholders impact Corporate Sustainability
As sustainability becomes an increasingly integral part of doing business, it is important for
companies to understand that in order to balance their financial, social, and environmental
risks, obligations and opportunities, sustainability must transition from isolated activities
towards an overarching component of the organizational culture (Bertels et al., 2010).
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Today, more and more business leaders start to recognize the fundamental role
organizational culture plays in the transition toward sustainability, but lack a clear
understanding of how to embed sustainability in the day-to-day activities, decisions, and
processes across the whole organization (Bertels et al., 2010).
SABMiller has joined an increasing number of organizations recognizing the importance of
embedding sustainability. According to SABMiller’s website on sustainability, during 2015
“the organization focused on embedding PROSPER, the sustainable development strategy,
in the business; bringing it to life and making it relevant to all employees, with country
managing directors launching PROSPER in 29 markets and with external stakeholder
events in 18 markets” (SABMiller, plc., 2015). As momentum has been maintained through
webinars and Yammer events, SABMiller seeks to focus on installing PROSPER in core
business processes, ensuring each market has a robust strategy to deliver its targets
(SABMiller, plc., 2015).
The efforts to embed sustainability become more relevant when dealing with stakeholders,
both internal and external. From the internal stakeholder perspective, employees are key
to the integration of sustainability, as they are a central pillar of Bavaria S.A. This means
that the organization needs to focus on the understanding and engagement of employees in
sustainability initiatives. If employees understand the implications of sustainability and
perceive that the organization truly committed to working towards a more sustainable
world, they will be more likely to contribute to Bavaria S.A.’s sustainability efforts.
Furthermore, embedding PROSPER has the potential to drive employee engagement. It has
been proven that positive perceptions of employees towards their employers can drive
advocacy and encourage employees to go the “extra mile” for the success of the company.
Additionally, by integrating sustainability as part of everyday activities and the company
values, a sense of purpose can be created among employees. This is particularly relevant in
markets like the United States where Millennials now represent the largest segment of the
workforce. Yet, two-thirds of this generation expresses a desire to leave their organizations
by 2020 because the company values do not align with theirs (Deloitte, 2016). As
businesses face the risk of losing a large percentage of their workforces, sustainability
offers a compelling case of work with purpose that can enhance the loyalty of Millennials
(Deloitte, 2016).
2.3 A Culture of Sustainability
When defining the meaning of a “culture of sustainability”, it is helpful to define separately
sustainability and culture. As previously mentioned, the most common definition of
sustainability comes from the World council on Economic Development, which advocates
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for operating in ways that “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland, 1987).
Applied to the corporate sector, sustainability consists of managing the “triple bottom line”
by taking into consideration financial, social, and environmental risks, obligations and
opportunities. Corporate sustainability goes beyond just accounting for social and
environmental impacts as part of a reporting process; sustainable businesses are resilient
and create economic value, healthy ecosystems, and strong communities (Bertels et al.
2010).
According to Bertels et al. (2010), in today’s business environment, many companies are
striving towards sustainability, but few, if any, have yet achieved it. As part of this process,
one key component involves embedding sustainability into organizational culture
(Baumgartner, 2014). It is worth mentioning, however, that perceptions of sustainability
have evolved and will continue evolving in the years to come. Thus, a permanent process of
innovation and improvement will be required while also keeping track of current trends
rather than fixating on some static end goal.
Academic definitions of organizational culture make reference to shared assumptions and
values as well as expected behaviors and symbols. Thus, by establishing and reinforcing
expectations about what is valued and how things should be done an organization’s culture
can be a powerful guide for decision-making processes of its members. As an organization
develops, so too does its culture, and it is reinforced and reshaped through the daily
practices of its members. In turn, this provides a sense of identity (Bertels et al. 2010).
From these reflections we can conclude that, a culture of sustainability can be defined as
one in which organizational members hold shared assumptions and beliefs about the
importance of balancing economic efficiency, social equity, and environmental
accountability. In other words, organizations with a strong sustainability culture strive not
only to reduce their negative impact, but also to support a healthy environment and
improve the lives of others while continuing to operate successfully over the long term
(Bertels et al. 2010).
Change initiatives—such as implementing total quality management, building cultures of
health and safety, or building compliance or competitive cultures—are common among
organizations, and there is supporting evidence on the success of such initiatives through
literature on organizational change (Bertels et al. 2010). While some of the lessons learned
from these initiatives may prove useful, a shift towards a culture of sustainability presents
some unique challenges not widely addressed in the past.
Traditional organizational change initiatives are largely concentrated within the
boundaries of the organization. Contrastingly, sustainability is part of a broader societal
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agenda, extending beyond the organization trying to promote change (Bertels et al. 2010).
Thus, motivations for sustainability change can be driven by forces external to the
organization, and the benefits may not appear to directly enhance value for the
organization. When motivation is driven internally, this could be because an important
corporate leader believes that particular measures are the “right thing to do” (Bertels et al.
2010).
Additionally, some changes may also be needed throughout the organization’s supply chain
or with key stakeholders, far beyond the organization’s control. As a result, organizations
engaging in change initiatives towards sustainability must be willing to embark on
significant inter-organizational collaboration in order to successfully drive and integrate
sustainability as part of its culture (Bertels et al. 2010). As an important purchaser of
commodities, large companies like SABMiller and Bavaria S.A. have a strong influence
capable of driving sustainability initiatives across their supply chains, through their
purchasing power with at least tier 1 and 2 suppliers. Lastly, it is also important to consider
that these changes may involve a need for approaches that go against ‘business as usual’
paradigms that incentivize a linear economy of waste.
2.4 Employee engagement as indicator for the level of embeddedness of
sustainability into the organizational culture
An important indicator of the level of embeddedness of an initiative or program is by
measuring the level of employee engagement across the organization (PWC, 2014). Thus, in
order to assess employee engagement a process of research, design, piloting, site visits,
qualitative data collection, and analysis was undertaken. The data gathered throughout this
process was useful for the derivation of the baseline, but also provided important insights
for the design of a change strategy to embed sustainability as part of the organizational
culture in ways that are more relevant to this particular group of internal stakeholders
(employees).
Through the design of key meta-questions and an evaluation design matrix (Appendix 1),
and based on available literature on employee engagement with corporate responsibility
from Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) (2014), Melcrum (2015), CIPD (2012), among
others, seven categories to qualitatively assess employee engagement were chosen:
1. Knowledge,
2. Understanding and Compliance,
3. Reinforcement,
4. Communication and Collaboration,
5. Alignment,
6. Participation and Extra Effort, and
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7. Advocacy.
With these categories in mind, two sets of questions were designed as instruments to
measure employee engagement with sustainability initiatives. To assess such variables
among general (tactical) employees and middle management (operational) personnel,
facilitation strategies for focus groups (Appendix 3) and semi structured interviews
(Appendix 2), respectively, were developed.
2.5 Data Collection Techniques
In order to gauge plant and area engagement through observation and analysis of the
employee interactions between and within areas, with one another, and their willingness to
participate and speak up in a multi-area group, focus groups of employees and semi-
structured interviews with managers were used to collect data for the diagnostic and
indicator system/action plan framework. A total of 72 tactical and operational employees
were interviewed (Table 1 and Table 2).
Table 1. Sample size by area (semi
structured interview and focus groups)
Area Sample size
Distribution 16
Sales 16
Supply Chain 18
Marketing 5
Technical 7
Impresora del Sur 10
Total 72
Visits to each operational facility (Headquarters, Tocancipa, Barranquilla, Cali, and
Impresora del Sur) lasted for two days, with the exception of Impresora del Sur (one day)
and Bogota, where the study was mainly based during the ten week period in which the
study took place.
The facilitation strategy was first tested at the Bogota headquarter offices in three separate
pilots. The facilitation style for focus groups and semi structured interviews was executed
in a consistent fashion at each site with the same questions and same activities. All
interviews and focus groups were recorded and transcribed for analysis.
In order to keep participants engaged, two workshop activities were developed: a “word
bank” activity and an alignment matrix worksheet (Appendix 4). The former asked
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participants, prior prompting of the PROSPER strategy, to think of terms that defined what
sustainability meant for Bavaria S.A. The employees then posted their responses on a
board, and were then shown and informed about the five worlds of the PROSPER strategy.
Then, participants were asked to take their responses and categorize them within the
PROSPER worlds, followed by a discussion of how they perceived sustainability in Bavaria
S.A. and PROSPER. Answers from the word bank activity were registered to create a word
cloud (Appendix 5). The second activity was a matrix worksheet that assessed the
relevance of each of the five worlds of PROSPER to individual employees, to the employees’
area within the company, and to the company in general. The worksheet data was collected
and analyzed.
Table 2. Breakdown of sample size of semi structured interview and focus group participants (tactical2 and operational3) by site and number of focus
groups conducted Site Tactical Area Operational Area Focus groups
Bogota 13 N/A N/A
Tocancipa 4 16 2 Barranquilla 6 19 3
Valle 5 16 3 Impresora del Sur 2 8 1
2.6 Data Analysis Techniques
The first phase in the data analysis of the interviews and focus groups was to have each
audio recording transcribed verbatim into Word documents to be uploaded into the
qualitative data analysis software MaxQDA 11.2.2.
Once in MaxQDA, the interview transcripts were coded based on the employee engagement
categories developed from the initial project design (Knowledge, Understanding and
Compliance, Reinforcement, Communication and Collaboration, Alignment, Participation
and Extra Effort, and Advocacy). Data from the alignment matrix was analyzed through
Excel in order to gain important insights on personal, department, and company values
alignment.
Once the data was coded into the different categories, it was analyzed, applied and adapted
to the Wheel of Change toward Sustainability Framework (Doppelt, 2010) in order to build
the baseline diagnostic, the action plan, and draw other recommendations.
2 Tactical level refers to participants that hold a managerial position.
3 Operational level refers to general employees.
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2.7 The Wheel of Change toward Sustainability Framework
Taking into consideration Bertels et al. (2010) warnings about the challenges faced when
embarking in an organizational culture change initiative, the Wheel of Change toward
Sustainability (WCS) developed by Bob Doppelt (2010) was used as a reference framework
to design a change strategy towards sustainability for Bavaria S.A. Selection of this
framework was based on literature and practices supporting the suggested structures at
larger corporations and city government initiatives such as Nike, Inc., IKEA, Starbucks
Coffee Company, and Portland City Government, among others.
According to Doppelt (2010), there are seven main flaws in organizational design and
operations that leading sustainability organizations are addressing in order to resolve
deficiencies that harm their efforts to become more sustainable while preventing new
problems from emerging (Table 3). The WCS arranges interventions that target these
blunders as elements of a system of change.
Moreover, these interventions, together, are components of an overarching three-module
change model:
1. The creation of a new organizational mental model and an organizing framework
(first three solutions).
2. The establishment of means to design and test new ways of thinking and operating
(solutions four and five).
3. The provision of means to make sustainability grow and stick over the long term
(last two solutions).
Figure 2. Overarching change model behind the WCS. Developed from information by Doppelt (2010).
New mental model and organizing framework
Means to design and test new
ways of thinking
Means to make sustainability grow over the
long term
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Table 3. Seven sustainability blunders and solutions (Doppelt, 2010) Blunder Intervention (Solution)
Patriarchal thinking that leads to
a false sense of security
1. Change the dominant mindset that created the
system through the imperative of achieving
sustainability
“Siloed” approach to
environmental and
socioeconomic issues
2. Rearrange the parts of the system by organizing
deep, wide, and powerful transition teams
No clear vision of sustainability 3. Alter the goals of the system by crafting an ideal
vision and guiding principles of sustainability
Confusion over cause and effect 4. Restructure the rules of engagement of the
system by adopting source-based operational and
governance-change strategies
Lack of information 5. Shift the information flows of the system by
tirelessly communicating the need, vision, and
strategies for achieving sustainability.
Insufficient mechanisms for
learning
6. Correct the feedback loops of the system by
encouraging and rewarding learning and
innovation
Failure to institutionalize
sustainability
7. Adjust the parameters of the system by aligning
systems, structures, policies, and procedures with
sustainability.
Although the interventions are described in a linear way, each of them supports and is
interconnected to each other. Each has an impact and is impacted by every other solution
(Figure 3). Thus, each intervention “must be sufficiently strong for the WCS to continually
roll forward efficiently and effectively” (Doppelt, 2010).
20
Figure 3. The Wheel of Change toward Sustainability (WCS) Framework. Developed by Doppelt
(2010).
Each component of the framework will be further explained in detail in the following
section.
2.8 Adapting the WCS to Bavaria S.A.
When creating an action plan for Bavaria’s sustainability office, Doppelt’s Wheel of Change
toward Sustainability was tailored to the company’s specific needs and characteristics.
While doing so, six components were developed from Doppelt’s original seven
interventions. Additionally, in an attempt to create something simpler, quick to understand,
and more relatable to the company, the category names were shortened into single-word
categories (Table 4).
Table 4. Tailoring the WCS framework to Bavaria’s organizational culture. Adapted from Doppelt (2010).
Intervention (Solution) Renamed Category
Change the dominant mindset that created the system
through the imperative of achieving sustainability
Refocus*
21
Rearrange the parts of the system by organizing deep,
wide, and powerful transition teams
Recruit
Alter the goals of the system by crafting an ideal vision and
guiding principles of sustainability
Strategize
Restructure the rules of engagement of the system by
adopting source-based operational and governance-
change strategies
Engage
Shift the information flows of the system by tirelessly
communicating the need, vision, and strategies for
achieving sustainability.
Communicate
Correct the feedback loops of the system by encouraging
and rewarding learning and innovation
Train
Adjust the parameters of the system by aligning systems,
structures, policies, and procedures with sustainability.
Refocus*
*For the organization context, the two interventions, “Change the dominant mindset that created
the system through the imperative of achieving sustainability” and “Adjust the parameters of the
system by aligning systems, structures, policies, and procedures with sustainability” were
combined into a single category, “Refocus”.
Based on the relevancy of the WCS framework for large size organizations, it was
considered a good fit as a framework of reference for an action plan to embed
sustainability into the organizational culture of Bavaria S.A. since the proposed processes
and interventions have been already tested at corporate and public settings, with strong
evidence supporting favorable results. Furthermore, employee feedback, suggestions, and
recommendations gathered through focus groups and semi structured interviews were
taken into consideration and included as part of the proposed action plan, contrasting them
with similar initiatives proposed and tested in other organizations.
Below, each of the components of the WCS tailored for Bavaria S.A. are explained and
Figure 4 is a graphic representation of how each intervention from Doppelt’s WCS
framework was renamed in an attempt to make it more relevant to the context of Bavaria
S.A.
2.8.1 Strategize
This category refers to the imperative of relating the organization’s values, vision, and
structure with the sustainability initiative (organizational alignment), and aligning them
with employees’ personal values.
Organizational alignment is achieved when key factors (incentive systems, strategic
priorities, innovation goals, performance evaluations, etc.) of the organizational
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performance send a consistent message and the structure (formal and informal) of the
organization is organized and coordinated in order to function as a system and not as
separate components (Doppelt 2010). Similarly, when employees’ personal values align
with those of the company, integration of strategies like PROSPER in the organizational
culture will be enhanced.
Figure 4. Graphic representation of the WCS by Doppelt (2010) adapted to the context of Bavaria
S.A.
2.8.2 Refocus
Similar to the previous category, “Refocus” is referred to the importance of changing the
mindset of “business-as-usual” through the imperative of achieving sustainability not only
at the senior level, but also throughout the organization.
23
One of the first steps for alignment and ultimately leading change towards sustainability is
to convince people that the business-as-usual model is no longer acceptable. For the
specific case of Bavaria, it also means going past compliance in order to embrace
sustainability as part of its culture.
2.8.3 Recruit
Once a specific effort to create a compelling case for sustainability and initial alignment of
senior management has been achieved, the next step is to organize teams that promote
sustainability.
In order to organize effective sustainability teams it is necessary to:
1. Get the right people: Well-conceived teams can overcome many barriers to
sustainability existing in the organizational systems, structure and culture (Doppelt,
2010).
2. Have clarity over goals: Being clear about goals include determining a (i) purpose,
(ii) vision, (iii) strategy, (iv) tactics, and (v) implementation timelines in order to
generate knowledge and embed sustainability into the organizational culture
(Doppelt, 2010; Kim, 2002).
3. Have clarity over roles:
a. Sponsor: Supports and reinforces the need of change (VP/Director, external
VP/CSR Director or Manager, external)
b. Advocates and agents: help to embed sustainability, keep focus and goals
clear (middle management and professionals, champions)
c. Support staff: provide administrative and organizational support (Doppelt,
2010).
4. Have clarity over rules: Having clarity over rules will make clear the decision
making process for the team: the types of decisions that will be made and the role
that each person will play when making such decisions (Kim, 2002).
2.8.4 Engage
This category seeks to restructure the rules of engagement by adopting people-based
strategies. When pursuing these changes, it is important to keep clear that a strategy guides
the organization to pursue its vision of sustainability (long-term) while tactics are the
specific actions taken to implement the strategy (short- and medium-term) (Doppelt 2010).
2.8.5 Communicate
This category refers to the importance of effective communication in order to create
awareness, develop and reinforce understanding, and secure buy-in among employees
(Doppelt, 2010). The fact that communication should occur in two ways rather than just
24
one must be emphasized. By including employees into the conversation, welcoming their
ideas, questions, and concerns, it is more likely for them to engage and contribute to the
advancement of the integration of sustainability as the way to do business.
The last might be relevant nor only for SABMiller operations in Colombia, but for
worldwide businesses as it can be a major challenge to include employees into the
conversation.
2.8.6 Train
This category refers to encouraging and rewarding sustainability learning and innovation
within the company. Constant feedback and learning mechanisms help overcome the
barriers to sustainability. While education is important, it will rarely lead to desired, long-
term behavior changes without positive feedback. In other words, learning is not a one-
time event, but a continuous process (Marquardt 2002; Doppelt 2010). At the same time,
opening spaces for employee innovation tailored to sustainability have shown to improve
integration of sustainability into the organizational culture (Marquardt, 2002).
2.9 Assessing organizational culture
As part of the “Strategize” intervention, an assessment of Bavaria S.A.’s organizational
culture was undertaken. In order to do so, a competing values framework (CVF) was
developed and applied. According to Cameron and Quinn (2006), an organization can fall
on a spectrum of four culture types: Clan, Adhocracy, Market, and Hierarchy. Recent studies
have renamed such categories into Collaborative, Creative, Competitive, and Controlling,
respectively (Abbett et al., 2010). A definition of each culture type is included in Table 5.
Table 5. Types of organizational cultures according to Abbett et al. (2010), and
Cameron and Quinn (2006).
Collaborate
(Clan)
The organization emphasizes the long-term benefit of human
resource development and attaches great importance to cohesion
and morale.
Create
(Adhocracy)
The emphasis is on being on the leading edge. The organization's
long-term emphasis is on growth and acquiring new resources.
Success means being a leader in gaining and providing unique and
new products and services.
Compete
(Market)
A results-oriented organization. The major concern is getting the job
done. Reputation and success are common concerns. The long-term
focus is on competitive actions and achievement of measurable goals
and targets.
25
Control
(Hierarchy)
A very formalized and structured place to work. Procedures govern
what people do. Formal rules and policies that the organization holds
are most critical. Formal rules and policies hold the organization
together. The long- term concern is on stability and performance with
efficient, smooth operations.
Although there is no right or wrong culture, each category is suitable for particular
business types, size, and environment. Moreover, it is important to consider the dominant
culture type of an organization in order to better tailor initiatives aimed at creating change
into the culture of the organization.
Traditionally, these assessments are determined through organization-wide employee
surveys. However, due to time and scope limitations, for the purpose of this study, Bavaria
S.A.’s organizational culture was assessed through an observational analysis carried out
during the site visits, focus groups, semi structured interviews, and day-to-day
observations. Bavaria S.A.’s organizational culture was then mapped out and contrasted
with the cultural climate required for a smooth adoption of PROSPER.
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3. Results
3.1 Strategize
3.1.1 Organizational structure in Bavaria
After the observational analysis of Bavaria S.A.’s organizational culture was undertaken, it
was clear that it manifested stronger characteristics of a competitive and controlling
culture in comparison with its creative and collaborative counterparts.
The company’s emphasis on indicators and performance is a sign of a competitive culture.
The last statement was evidenced by employee comments on strong internal measurement
systems and key performance indicators (KPIs). Additionally, PROSPER-related reports and
other institutional reports provided by human resources personnel supported the
perception of a competitive culture.
Moreover, Bavaria S.A.’s emphasis on being “the most admired company in the world” as a
vision statement aligns with this type of competitive culture. As previously mentioned,
there is no right or wrong type of organizational culture, but being aware of this can
facilitate the integration and design of cultural change interventions in order to make them
more successful. For the case of Bavaria S.A. previous to its merger with SABMiller, it had a
competitive culture, similar to that one of SABMiller. Thus, by possessing similar cultures,
the transition process was undertaken in a more expeditious fashion, since SABMiller’s
vision was already being adopted by Bavaria S.A.
Bavaria S.A. can also be characterized as possessing a controlling culture. For example, the
company has indicators related to its hierarchical system, which is found both at the
corporate headquarters in Bogota as well as at the regional plants and operations visited. A
hierarchical system is consistent within a culture of control.
A map for Bavaria S.A.’s organizational culture is included in Figure 5, for which the
competing values framework developed by Abbett et al. (2010) was used. The analysis of
Bavaria S.A.’s culture was qualitative and based on observations and documentation
provided by the company. A scale of 1 to 4 (1= not observed, while 4= strongly present)
was used to generate the characterization of Bavaria S.A.’s culture. The main purpose of
figures 5, 6 and 7 is to provide a graphic comparison between the existing culture and the
culture that would be required to facilitate the adoption of PROSPER into the organization.
27
Figure 5. Bavaria’s cultural climate. Developed from the Competing Values Framework by Abbett et al.
(2010). Information to map out Bavaria S.A.’s culture climate was obtained from relevant
documentation available online and provided by the organization’s human resources office, and
observations gathered through the visits to the different operations across the country.
In order to contrast Bavaria S.A. culture with the one implied through the adoption of the
PROSPER strategy; an analysis of the sustainability strategy was undertaken. To do so, its
mission statement, key indicators, and long term goals and objectives were analyzed.
Additionally, the potential that the strategy has for characteristics among each of the
organizational culture types, especially innovation and collaboration was also analyzed.
This information was obtained through documentation available online and provided by
the organization in relation to PROSPER. As a result, a map of PROSPER’s cultural climate
(similar to the previous one developed for Bavaria S.A.) was developed (Figure 6) based on
the CVF by Abbett et al. (2010).
28
Figure 6. PROSPER’s cultural climate. Developed from the Competing Values Framework by Abbett et
al. (2010). Information to map out PROSPER’s culture climate was obtained from relevant
documentation available online and provided by the organization’s sustainability office.
In the end, when juxtaposing both Bavaria S.A.’s and PROSPER values with one another
(Figure 7) it is possible to observe a significant contrast between values in the area of
collaboration. This gap represents a window of opportunity where improvement can be
made to better align the values of Bavaria S.A.’s organizational culture with that one of
PROSPER.
Figure 7. PROSPER’s cultural climate. Developed from the Competing Values Framework by Abbett et
al. (2010).
By superposing both cultures, the organization should better understand the attributes and
components of its culture that can be used as a strength or as a source of challenges driving
innovation in order to achieve PROSPER (or any other initiative). Employee performance
and engagement with any intervention or initiative can be driven by designing
interventions close to the organizational culture of the company. Sustainability, as
previously mentioned, is a particularly challenging initiative since its agenda integrates
aspects well beyond the control of the organization. However, easy wins are to be found by
appealing to those values in which both Bavaria S.A.’s culture is closer to PROSPER values.
This will help create momentum among employees and stakeholders, while also giving
time to the organization to start working on cultural change initiatives that promote more
collaborative work among employees and departments.
3.1.2 Organizational Vision and Values
While conducting the study, Bavaria S.A. released a new set of company values entitled Our
History. This new initiative, orchestrated in collaboration with SABMiller’s Latin American
29
offices, made improvements in incorporating sustainability into a new company profile.
More importantly, these changes are expected to involve additional efforts to communicate
and to internalize the new vision and values across the organization, making it an
opportunity for the sustainability office to showcase the importance sustainability plays in
the organization, further integrating it into the organizational culture of Bavaria S.A.
The new vision of Bavaria reads “to be the most admired beverage company in the world”
(SABMiller, plc., 2015). While the term admired can be open for interpretation, the
sustainability office could use this as an opportunity to showcase how Bavaria S.A. can be
the most admired company not only for its performance, but also for its sustainability
practices.
3.1.3 Personal and Area alignment
One key interest by the office of sustainability was to better understand how each
department perceived sustainability from the perspective of their key performance
indicators (the emphasis on performance indicators is a further pointer of the competitive
and controlling culture of Bavaria S.A.). Thus, it was decided to assess the alignment of
PROSPER “shared imperatives” or “worlds” with employee perceptions of relevancy to
their respective work areas. A comparison between the relevancy of the PROSPER worlds
by area and the perception of relevancy by are employees was performed by contrasting
the results of the alignment matrixes with internal documentation indicating which
PROSPER worlds are most directly related to each of the company departments that took
part on the study (Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, and Distribution) (Figure 8).
Alignment is important, as it will allow the company to better tailor department-specific
engagement initiatives to those shared imperatives that at present are perceived to be less
relevant for each department.
Figure 8. Employee perception of area alignment with PROSPER worlds.
According to internal documentation, each department had specific Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs) and Stairways (means to achieve KPIs): for the case of Supply Chain, it has KPIs for Thriving,
Productive, and Clean worlds. Distribution has KPIs for the Thriving and Clean shared imperatives.
A thriving world
A clean world
A social world
A productive world
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Sales has specific indicators for Thriving, Clean and Social worlds; while Marketing has KPIs related
to the Clean and Social worlds. However, according to the alignment matrixes distributed during
the data gathering process, it was found that each department failed to recognize its relevancy to
one of the shared imperatives that they have to work towards. For the case of Supply Chain and
Distribution it was the Thriving world, while for the case of Sales and Marketing, it was the Clean
shared imperative.
3.2 Refocus
3.2.1 Beyond Business-as-Usual
A recompilation of behavior was gathered during the facilitation of focus groups and semi
structured interviews. As a result, two types of behaviors were identified and categorized
as “beyond compliance behaviors” and “business-as-usual behaviors”. The idea behind this
categorization was that intention does not follow action, therefore, those behaviors
expressing good intentions, but that were followed by a list of barriers were still
categorized as “business-as-usual behaviors” not because good intentions are bad, but
because they aren’t enough to integrate sustainability as part of the organizational culture.
Barriers that were identified were found to be useful for the creation of specific
recommendations to turn good intentions into tangible actions. A summary of such positive
and negative behaviors are included in Table 6.
Table 6. Employee behaviors observed at Bavaria (these findings derived from qualitative data from interviews and focus groups)
Positive behaviors (beyond compliance)
Negative behaviors (business-as-usual)
Voluntary donations (time and salary reductions) to Uni2 (corporate giving program) and other organizations
Lack of availability to take time off to work in sustainability-related efforts/initiatives
Voicing suggestions to improve performance
Lack of attention on sustainability-related issues in regular meetings
Understanding of the importance of going past compliance and sustainability
Admitting the importance of sustainability, but voicing excuses for not changing behaviors
Internal and external auditing of sustainability compliance in some areas
Distant perception of sustainability levels of embeddedness between employees and management, ranking higher for management than for employees.
Perception of Bavaria as leader in sustainability in Colombia
31
3.3 Recruit
3.3.1 The sustainability committee as a team
While working at Bavaria S.A.’s headquarters, it was discovered that a sustainability team,
sometimes referred as a sustainability committee, already existed. The main objective of
this team was to keep track of the key performance indicators for each department, while
also integrating the “cascading” of PROSPER across the organization. The term cascading
was often used as the strategy to integrate sustainability as part of the organizational
culture as such efforts were expected to reach every employee at the tactical and
operational levels.
However, responses to the focus group and semi-structured interviews did not reflect an
across-the-board knowledge of PROSPER, nor an understanding of how to integrate
sustainability into daily activities. Respondents often did not articulate how their areas of
work would be impacted by specific PROSPER objectives.
Exceptions to the last were initiatives related to responsible consumption and activities of
the technical area that have an impact on water, waste, and emissions management. For
example, employees at all levels were knowledgeable about many initiatives targeting
responsible consumption, inside and outside the company. Similarly, there was a general
knowledge about the activities undertaken by the technical area in order to reduce water
and energy consumption, and the amount of greenhouse gases emissions to the
environment.
An analysis of the met and unmet goals of the sustainability committee was made. The
different steps were taken from Doppelt’s (2010) analysis on how to rearrange the parts of
the system by organizing deep, wide, and powerful transition teams:
Purpose of the team. Exists; but needs to go past compliance and collection of key
performance indicators.
Vision. Exists: definition of sustainability for Bavaria
Strategy. Exists: PROSPER
Tactics. Exist in form of stairways; but can influence on the processes to achieve
them.
Implementation timelines. Exists: 2020
Generation of knowledge. Needs to be designated as an explicit goal of the
committee along with a strategy, action, and evaluation plans.
Embedding sustainability. Needs to be designated as an explicit goal of the
committee along with a strategy, action, and evaluation plans.
32
3.4 Engage
Throughout the field study (facilitation of focus groups and semi structured interviews),
most participants were able to identify and recognize certain initiatives related to
PROSPER, but failed to associate them with the initiative itself. As a result, most employees
perceived the different sustainability initiatives as isolated rather than parts of an integral
plant across the organization. Furthermore, the lack of engagement in sustainability, due to
the lack of knowledge about it, also affected the ways in which employees saw and
understood how their daily work activities can impact PROSPER.
It is clear that an ambitious strategy has been put into place with PROSPER. Moreover, it
has been tailored to Bavaria S.A.’s needs through the design of specific key performance
indicators (KPIs) and stairways (means of achieving KPIs). However, although PROSPER
exists as sustainability strategy, this is not being clearly communicated, which is becoming
a barrier for further steps in the implementation of the strategy.
Cognizant of this gap between planning and implementation, an assessment of PROSPER
implementation plan was undertaken. The findings are presented in Table 7. This is
particularly relevant as some of the components of PROSPER implementation plan are also
relevant to the strategic goal of embedding sustainability into the organizational culture of
Bavaria S.A. and the design of an action plan to do so, the ultimate objective of this study.
As can be observed, important communication gaps exist among individuals within the
same department and across the organization.
Table 6. Assessment of the PROSPER implementation plan Implementation plan Status Having specific steps Exists, but does not permeate all members of the areas.
The impact to PROSPER is not clearly communicated. Having time-frames Exists (2020), but it is not widely communicated or
known. Lines of responsibility Exists, but it is not clear the role that each employee plays
to achieving PROSPER goals. Accountability mechanisms
Exists, but the people accountable at plants are not part of the same Vice Presidency as the sustainable development office.
Fiscal and human resources
Limited, only three people are part of the sustainable development office.
Monitoring and evaluation protocols
Other than performance (KPIs), there are no protocols for tracking progress. *This was common to other programs and initiatives implemented across the company.
33
It was found that specific steps, time-frames, and lines of responsibility need to be communicated in
a clearer fashion; this can be achieved by putting in place and executing an effective communication
strategy. However, further along the implementation plan, other challenges arise as they will
require the wider collaboration of different departments of the organization, not only the office of
sustainability.
3.5 Communicate
Through the facilitation of focus groups and semi structured interviews, the most common
barriers mentioned by employees to integrate sustainability as part of the organizational
culture were:
Lack of one-on-one trainings about sustainability and PROSPER
Email overload, and
Inability to see the impact of daily activities on PROSPER.
Additionally, the fieldwork also revealed that, according to employees, the best way to
capture their attention and enhance understanding of sustainability is through active
communication (one-to-one) rather than passive communication (one-way such as media).
According to employee testimonials, these barriers had been overcome in the past for
different initiatives, having positive results.
A further analysis of barriers was developed, focusing on four categories: technical
barriers, inconsistency barriers, lack of interactions, and hesitation barriers. These are
described in detail below:
Technical barriers
PROSPER videos are available only in English
Technical issues are only presented on the company’s intranet (called “On Tap”)
There is no universal access to internet and institutional email by all employees
On the positive side, it was found that there are computers available for employees to use
while not at work, there was an employee who championed the knowledge and
communication of sustainability across her area in the distribution department at the
Barranquilla operations, and a diverse type of media is used to distribute key messages.
Inconsistency barriers
Sustainability message is not explicitly supported by senior management
PROSPER is seen as an individual-department responsibility (Office of
sustainability) and not as a shared commitment
Lack of integration among initiatives and programs that have similar or the same
objectives
34
Sustainability was not part of the business model until recently (year 2016)
Sustainability is not discussed in regular meetings
The sustainability committee has focused just on compliance and not into a true
integration of sustainability into everyday activities
Lack of interactions
The sustainability office is often absent at plants and other areas, in other words,
engagement with areas is quite limited
Technical language make sustainability seem foreign to those in charge of everyday
operations
Lack of feedback and impact evaluation of trainings and media communication
sustainability as a company strategy undermines efforts to encourage its adoption
Lack of integration of two-way communication channels (Banco de ideas, counted
ventures, and Eureka).
Lack of collaboration between areas within the same Vice Presidency (sustainability
office and internal communications)
Hesitation
Although the current study did not detect signs of hesitation as a barrier, considering the
culture of Bavaria S.A., it could be important to assess if hesitation is indeed a barrier for
collaboration by asking the following questions:
1. Are other areas afraid of not delivering the expected results?
2. Are other areas afraid they will be alone in the effort of becoming more sustainable?
3. Do the areas fear that they will not get any support for implementing the
sustainability strategy?
Positive aspects were also observed relating to this point since employees actively
participate in available innovation channels. Operational employees have a general sense of
openness and comfort with higher-ups and senior management, and overall, employees
feel listened to.
3.6 Train
The last category included two sub-components: learning and innovation.
Learning
A positive finding relating to this subcategory was that people from the internal
communications department were aware that the limitations of one-way communication as
35
a mechanism to permeate the whole organization with sustainability messages. Moreover,
they were working on the creating of more tailored messages beyond just media.
On the other side, few barriers to learning were also found:
There is a lack of trainings on sustainability and PROSPER, other than the initial
introduction of the strategy.
Although there are mechanisms to reinforce messages on sustainability through
media and other communications, initiatives are usually not framed as components
of the sustainability strategy.
Sustainability is still a limited topic in regular trainings and meetings, thus
opportunities to reinforce understanding and buy-in are not taken advantage of.
Innovation
A positive finding relating to innovation was that there exist mechanisms across
departments to promote innovative thinking. Some of these channels include Banco de
ideas (Bank for ideas), counted ventures, and Eureka. Moreover, these spaces emphasize
the importance of teamwork. A new innovation contest, the Mackay Awards, focused on
sustainability was recently launched as a SABMiller initiative. However, other
sustainability-related awards exist for individual operations, such as the Ubuntu Awards in
South Africa.
The main barrier to improve innovation was found at the lack of open spaces for external
actors to engage in sustainability-related initiatives. However, one case for this was found
at Impresora del sur, where an independent intern implemented conservation reminders
and infographics about the importance of working towards less waste and more
conservation efforts.
36
4. Conclusions
4.1 Snapshot of Bavaria and its sustainability and employee engagement
Evidence points to a corporation that has recently included a sustainability strategy,
PROSPER, that is still defining how to interact with and integrate it into their culture. A
good structure, with definitive goals (short-term and long-term, environmental, social, and
financial), key performance indicators (KPIs), and channels of communication is in place.
Moreover, there is an explicit desire, as a corporation, for sustainability to be an area of
focus within the company that is supported by the head of the company.
As the second largest brewer in the industry, SABMiller, plc has the desire to be seen as a
leader in sustainability (SABMiller, plc., 2015). As for Bavaria S.A., the findings of this study
show that it has performed some of the tasks set out by SABMiller headquarters in London
on how to train employees on the PROSPER initiative; they have carried out introductory
trainings on what PROSPER is. However, as these training activities have not been
mandatory, and have not had follow up, there are still considerable gaps in knowledge, and
therefore engagement, about PROSPER. Insights from employees revealed that while some
personnel could recall a mandatory meeting in which PROSPER was described, others
remembered being busy and unable to attend.
The previous challenge could be seen as a perfect opportunity for Bavaria S.A. to create a
meaningful experience for the employees, one designed for its own culture. It will be
important for Bavaria S.A. to do further investigation on how to adapt their integration plan
into the different brewing operations across the country, as each of them has a particular
culture. After this assessment, it is concluded that incorporating PROSPER into the
employee culture is the next, most logical, step and should be given priority, adequate
resources (human and financial), and support.
4.2 Building on their strengths: recommendations for Bavaria S.A.
It is recommended that each brewing operation be treated as a separate entity since
significant differences characterize the operations from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and
the headquarters in the capital of the country. Moreover, the brewing operations present
specific challenges quite distinct from those faced by the labeling operations, Impresora del
Sur. Therefore, although a general set of recommendations has been developed (mainly
targeting the corporate headquarters) and some strategies and recommendations can be
implemented nationally, they will have to be reevaluated and prioritized for each plant. In
this light, it is important that the sustainability office adapt strategies taking into account
culture variations in different operations.
37
Bavaria S.A. can be characterized as having a competitive culture. Leading professionals
and consultant firms have recommended that rather than trying to change the culture
completely, efforts should be made to recognize a business’s cultural attributes as potential
opportunities to build on. Creating change with a focus towards Corporate Sustainability is
best done by adapting strategies and measures to the existing culture. Therefore, with a
competitive culture such as Bavaria S.A.’s, using gamification to engage employees in
beneficial social causes, energy-saving initiatives, alternative transportation interventions,
among others, can have positive results while creating a team-oriented, yet competitive
environment.
Gamification can also be used as a fun way to have departments engage with each other by
publicly sharing their results and progress to promote friendly competition. Reestablishing
some of the initiatives that tapped into the competitive culture, like competing to see who
can save the most on their electric bills, could further engage employees not only within the
walls of the organization, but could result in employees taking lessons learned to their
homes. Additionally, a rewarding system for innovative ideas around the workplace is
another way to engage employees with sustainability and should be integrated with other
reward systems, mainly from the human resources department. Using champions as role
models in the brewery to highlight the positive work being accomplished towards
Corporate Sustainability can be strongly influential when building momentum for
increased engagement with PROSPER. It also reinforces the company’s position about
taking sustainability seriously.
The use of existing slogans and tag lines to create discussions about what’s important to
the employees can help shape the direction needed to embed sustainability in everyday
activities. Moreover, tapping into employees can be a free and easy way to understand
current trends and shed light on what people like. As we will further discuss, to the degree
that Bavaria S.A. can succeed in including sustainability into discussions and everyday
activities, the more likely it will be that PROSPER will become part of the organizational
culture. For example, during monthly or weekly meetings, managers should prioritize
sustainability and include it at the top of the agenda and discussion.
When discussing PROSPER, and facing resistance for being seen as an exogenous strategy,
it will be important to reinforce the fact that Bavaria S.A. had an old sustainability plan and
that this initiative is just a logical progression of prior efforts. Additionally, considering the
language used to communicate PROSPER, it needs to be clear, simple, and relatable to
employees across all areas. Moreover, creating a space, online or through their magazine,
where employees can share sustainability ideas that work, can help not only to advance the
integration of sustainability into the culture, but can also help create a sense of community
among employees, increasing the potential for future collaboration.
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Finally, there is a great opportunity to capitalize on current communication efforts
conveying the new vision of the company “to be the most admired brewery in the world”.
One recommendation is to include questions in regular employee surveys in order to
discover what they want to be admired for. By building on these periodic consultations, it
will be possible for the sustainability office to leverage resources while reconnecting
employee perceptions of what “admired” means with PROSPER.
4.3 Recommendations based on the WCS.
This section presents to Bavaria S.A. the principal recommendations of this study for
consideration. It also proposes strategies that the company can use as examples of how to
incorporate PROSPER into the organizational culture of Bavaria S.A. The recommendations
are grouped within the “interventions” included in the WCS adapted for the organization’s
needs presented earlier. Most of these recommendations are included as part of the action
plan to embed sustainability into Bavaria S.A.’s culture (Appendix 9).
4.3.1 Strategize
Putting emphasis on the “shared imperatives” that each area perceives as irrelevant
to their jobs serves as a useful reminder that more efforts are required related to
specific stairways and key performance indicators (KPIs) in each department. Doing
this helps departments to understand how what they do is connected, has an impact,
and is relevant towards the achievement of PROSPER.
Collaboration between the Human Resources and Internal Communications
departments should be included when redesigning the new approach for embedding
sustainability into the organizational culture. These departments can be key players
and allies because of their inside perspective and knowledge of the culture and
people. An Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) could help them see what areas
talk to whom, who the key players in communication are, and help them strategize
how they might forge greater intersectional cooperation and dialogue. Also
important is to include sustainability-related efforts in the rewards system and
make sustainability trainings part of the professional development of employees.
There should be a sustainability component to every job training and to every
employees’ job description. Performance reviews of all employees (operators,
managers, and directors) should include explicit connections to PROSPER. To a large
degree, what is important here is continuity and frequent communication of key
concepts and goals. It is not enough to mention them a few times, repetition is
essential.
Senior executives lead the change towards sustainability since it is an initiative
coming from the top down. It will be key to have not only the executive
management but very importantly the middle management involved. It is important
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to have the middle management on board with the plan because of the close contact
and influence they have on working employees. If the middle management does not
believe in the plan, it may very well break down at that level. Management needs to
clearly connect and succinctly describe the company vision with respect to
PROSPER.
The Sustainability Committee, with input from management and the sustainability
office, should communicate and connect/align the company’s vision with PROSPER.
This would serve to clarify the language as well as the meaning of the vision and the
importance of PROSPER. Additionally, employees should be surveyed, or consulted
in discussion groups, about what the vision means to them. This will help them to
think in terms of teams and families, emphasizing the importance of teamwork.
Moreover, by getting their input employees will recognize that they are an
important part of the process, encouraging their participation and engagement.
4.3.2 Refocus
As mentioned previously, integrating sustainability into an organizational culture
can be challenging as it is part of a broader agenda. However, this could also be seen
as an opportunity to drive further employee engagement. In the case of Bavaria S.A.,
sustainability should be encouraged to be part of a lifestyle with positive
implications for the household as well as for work. This should be reinforced by
upper management who can encourage discussions on how to incorporate
sustainability into actions at home. The importance of this is to encourage
employees to think beyond just compliance, to get them thinking of how their
actions throughout the day relate to sustainability. The idea behind this concept is
that the issues Bavaria S.A. is trying to solve through its sustainability strategy do
not go away when employees leave the office. The strategy is not just about saving
the company money, but can also save employees’ money while improving their
health and that of their families. Highlighting champions (exemplary employees who
are already aligned with sustainability and behave accordingly) who continue to
engage in sustainable actions after leaving work showcases how it is possible for
everybody to participate in sustainability.
To transcend business-as-usual behaviors and thinking, it is important to explicitly
connect Bavaria’s vision and values as laid out in the “Our History” initiative with
the nomenclature of PROSPER (Table 7). This would serve to reinforce the
understanding that the new strategy (PROSPER) is different in some terminology
but that much of the content is the same. This measure should be taken right away,
and in such a way as to highlight the new words, in order to ingrain the change in
employee’s minds. In regular meetings and other activities i.e. speeches, English
40
classes, PROSPER and sustainability related information should be seen as a priority
and included at the top of agendas and talking points. Promoting English
Sustainability Conversations can be a way to engage in more sustainability
dialogues with employees taking English classes, giving them opportunities to
practice speaking English on current topics.
Carry out a comparison of managers’ ideas on knowledge, understanding and
alignment of sustainability with those of employees. Creating dialogue about
people’s knowledge and thoughts helps to create more open atmosphere in which
employees can feel more a part of the creative process of determining the culture,
attitudes, and beliefs of the organization.
Table 7. Relating SAB Miller values with PROSPER worlds
SAB Miller values PROSPER worlds People are our enduring
advantage
All five worlds
Responsibility/accountability
is clear and individual
All five worlds *emphasize team work, but also individual accountability
Work and winning as teams Resilient world
Clean world
Thriving world
Focus on client and the
consumers
Thriving world Social world
We do the best for our local
community
All five worlds
Our reputation is indivisible All five worlds
4.3.3 Recruit
Through empathy mapping, ideas from Darcy Winslow (environmental
sustainability team at Nike Footwear), and research by Battilana and Casciaro
(2013), it is recommended to strengthen the sustainability committee members in
order to have persons assuming the following roles:
a. Steward: has shown sustainability knowledge and behavior.
b. Driver: is able to keep focus and excitement.
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c. Connector: knows how to identify gaps and how to connect people.
d. Translator: is a resource ‘hub’ and knows how to share sustainability
information in everyday, understandable language.
e. Choreographer: is steps ahead on his understanding of sustainability
Each of these roles plays a key part in a well-functioning team whose role is to
introduce new initiatives and share innovations and successes. While the current
team may function fine in a business-as-usual environment, often times a change
can be threatening and can lead to breakdowns in trust, so it will be important to
monitor closely the sustainability committee during the transition. The Steward is
an employee who may be a champion, or is simply interested in the subject of
sustainability and is knowledgeable on it. However, the Steward should also be able
to endorse the work of the team through his/her position of influence within the
Bavaria S.A. structure. The Driver can be seen as the cheerleader who keeps the
enthusiasm for projects and is focused on the agenda. The Connector knows people
and perceives the capabilities and how they might contribute to filling important
gaps. The Translator sees the connection between the old and the new and knows
how to relate information to different people. They know how best to communicate
information in a manner that is understandable and clear and in the language of the
culture. The Choreographer has the wide angle lens and sees trends and speed
bumps ahead. They all should have in-depth knowledge and may be able to assume
many of the roles if required. Creating excitement and recognition around the
committee helps to emphasize the importance of a new initiative. One way to create
excitement is by using the local cultures’ love for soccer (Colombians love football).
Thus, comparing the Sustainability Committee to the national professional soccer
team seems appropriate in order to prepare them for the responsibilities they are
assuming. In this vein, the sustainability committee should undergo or have access
to intensive training to prepare them and build trust among its members. Members
should have well developed technical, social and leadership skills, be accountable
and, if required, hold management titles. There should be members on the team that
represent each area of the company. Additionally, incentives for committee
members are vital to kindle enthusiasm and to show them appreciation.
Professional development should be seen in terms of adding skills and training to
their resume and increasing their marketability for future internal or external
opportunities. They should be recognized in the employee magazines and online
newsletters as creative contributors to the company. Financial incentives and
promotions should be something that is considered and discussed.
Arrange external sponsors, such as government or NGOs officers, through the
existing relations of the them with the Corporate Affairs Vice Presidency. Bringing in
outside experts for talks and dialogue serves to draw importance to the topic of
sustainability and create excitement about it.
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4.3.4 Engage
Create two simple, complete maps of the value chain including inputs and outputs of
one product and locate the contributions of each area (Appendix 6). The first map
allows employees in the different areas to see where and how their job contributes
to the final product. The second map, tracking the same product, should show what
those inputs and outputs look like when they have reached their PROSPER
objectives in 2020. This serves as a dialogue piece where employees can visualize
their contribution to the bigger picture and reinforce their purpose. This dialogue
can spark ideas that give feedback for improvement. As a diagram, it can also aid
the sustainability committee and senior management in planning. A visual diagram
like this can be used as a tool in action learning and fostering discussions about
sustainability.
Gamification is a tool that can be positively used as the culture of competition is
already in place. It can be adapted in many ways and is both a fun and effective
strategy to engage employees in sustainability. One way to use it is by sharing
progress reports of each area and encouraging competition to meet or exceed
performance indicators.
4.3.5 Communicate
Easy to fix technical barriers discovered by the team is that many employees
commented that the companies’ online newsletter was not accessible or easy to
navigate. This is invaluable to know because it means that people make an effort to
access it, and the feedback indicates the need to make it more simple and easy to
use. Understanding the audience and using the feedback they give is important
when communicating complex topics such as sustainability. Moreover,
incorporating employee feedback in future communications conveys the message
that their opinions count, thus making them more willing to provide their help in
problem solving. The other important aspect that is directly associated with
understanding the audience is that the videos about PROSPER are all in English, thus
it is necessary to have them available in Spanish.
Consistency in language helps to unify complex ideas and initiatives like PROSPER.
During the field study it was identified that different areas were using different
terms for the same idea. Mainstreaming the language about PROSPER will help to
unify people and ideas, thereby encouraging dialogue and the sharing of ideas, and
most important reinforcing the same message over and over. The Internal
Communications department can be an ally in this task by training them to identify
initiatives related to PROSPER and communicating them as such. This is particularly
relevant to the context of Bavaria S.A. as many of the different areas request help
from the Internal Communications department which they normally pass on as their
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job dictates. Training the Internal Communications team to recognize what relates
to PROSPER allows the sustainability office to highlight such initiatives for company
wide recognition or branding.
During the time spent in the corporate headquarters in Bogota, the consulting team
was able to identify and met with people from the global headquarters in London,
UK and the Latin American Central Offices (HUB) in Miami, US. When having
executives of such size constantly visiting on a frequent basis, it is recommended
that the sustainability office invites them to discuss sustainability, create excitement
about it, create visibility of the importance of the issue, and to allow employees to
connect with other SABMiller operations and see what are they doing. This can also
be a way to spread innovative ideas that improve employees’ understanding and
connection to PROSPER.
The sustainability committee members should be the most knowledgeable and
should cultivate their knowledge and skills through continuous training.
Reinforcement of PROSPER should be part of all employee training.
Lack of collaboration across areas was found to be prevalent throughout the
company. Trainings should be a mix of all areas to encourage interaction and
teambuilding. Human Resources should play a key role in fostering collaboration
between areas.
4.3.6 Train
As previously mentioned, sustainability form part of every training activity
(professionalism, safety, etc). By constantly bringing sustainability to the table, it
will help everybody remembering that sustainability is good not only for the
company, but also for its stakeholders.
Create spaces for collaborative learning where employees can interact and share
stories, ideas, and information (it could be called Club Colombia Verde). This could
be an additional link to the intranet platform “On Tap”, (or Banco de ideas, counted
ventures, and Eureka) or could be a link from the main website. By having a
stronger presence in digital media, it will continue to grow as a place for dialogue,
especially for younger generations.
Highlighting small successes at the beginning is helpful in building momentum for
sustainability. Sometimes a new initiative can seem daunting and overwhelming.
Breaking it down into small shared goals and objective, and celebrating those early
successes helps people to get engaged in the beginning.
Evidence has found that a fun and interactive way to train employees on their
knowledge about PROSPER is using daily or weekly quizzes such as crossword
puzzles. These are a great way for employees to take the information home with
them and share with others. The harder you make the quizzes can also encourage
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collaboration with other employees as they search for answers. Remember to
reward participation which can come in many forms, publicly acknowledging
winners and participants or giving small tokens that can be redeemed at the
company store.
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5. Discussion
5.1 Why companies should engage in Corporate Sustainability
What’s in it for me? An important question for any organization to consider when thinking
about a change. Some leaders in the industry like Kellie McElhaney, of Berkeley, says in her
book “it’s just good business” (2008) that, as concern grows about climate change and
communities are affected by it, issues surrounding who uses a resource the most and how
ethically they go about it will affect business. Staying ahead of those conversations is
important for the image of a company and its relationship with their communities.
Corporate Sustainability may not be all about increasing profit for the shareholders but is
intended to look at the way we do business. The how can be just as important in business
as the why.
McElhaney says that 80% of market capitalization value (the total market value of a
company) is intangible, in essence. It is what people perceive a brand to represent, both in
trust and value. What this means is that Corporate Sustainability has a value that is not
captured in the financial aspect of business. The value she is talking about is trust, and
trust in a brand, as trust people have in a brand increases its value. Thus, it is not hard to
see that failure to first create, and then protect that trust can lead to loss of profit and
branding. Moreover, when business leaders say “Corporate Sustainability is good business”,
they usually refer to adopting Corporate Sustainability initiatives as a good business
strategy.
There are two reasons McElhaney believes Corporate Sustainability is a good business
strategy: it creates value, and it protects it (McElhaney, 2011). The first reason, in the
context of Bavaria S.A. is that Corporate Sustainability protects value by positioning itself to
protect the resources it depends on. Bavaria S.A. achieves this in a few ways:
Bavaria S.A. is in dialogue with the community over the quality of water and they
are constantly assessing how they can preserve those resources more efficiently
over the long term. Additionally, through scientific and technological innovations, it
is reducing energy and resource consumption through more efficient equipment
and planning.
Bavaria S.A. also protects their value by engaging in Corporate Sustainability
publicly with their sustainability plan. With PROSPER as their brand strategy, they
show stakeholders its concern about the environment as well as the steps being
taken in order to solve those issues.
The other reason Corporate Sustainability is good for business is its ability to create value.
In this discussion, innovation is a key component as it is a driver of business, especially in
46
the emerging social responsibility market. Corporate sustainability, with the implications of
giving back to society and working on intractable issues, is positioned to create new
businesses. These new business opportunities are created because of the change in
Bavaria S.A.’s strategy. Becoming more sustainable means that new technology needs to be
invented, new ideas, perhaps recipes need to be explored. Moreover, Bavaria S.A.’s efforts
to become more sustainable by sourcing ingredients locally have a greater impact
throughout its value chain. By focusing on supply and value chains rather that just internal
operations, and taking into consideration Bavaria S.A.’s bargaining power, it can put in
place ways to ensure that the whole value chain is developed responsibly, efficiently and to
the benefit of all stakeholders.
Breweries are greatly affected by climate change as they are primarily an agriculture-based
industry. When there are droughts in the breadbaskets of the world, grain prices go up.
Virtually all the ingredients will be affected by climate change in one way or another,
whether the local environment becomes more conducive to growing certain crops or, on
the contrary, loses productive potential. Joining the conversation with other industries
that use large amounts of resources will be important for them to solve issues related to
these aspects and Corporate Sustainability will further moves businesses in that direction.
There are seventeen broad Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) launched by the United
Nations as part of its Sustainable Development Program. Often times, sustainable
development is seen as a responsibility almost exclusive of local and national governments,
and nonprofit organizations. However, more than ever, this is also a shared commitment
with the for-profit world. Today, more and more companies are taking on specific
Sustainable Development Goals as part of their philanthropic missions. In the case of
Bavaria S.A., conserving water resources is a key strategic issue, as it is a high priority to
them. Water conservation, however, transcends beyond their internal operations, for
example, the design and purchase of more efficient equipment, involving the management
of water resources from its source, collaborating with governments and international
nonprofit organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in order to set aside or
purchase land for the conservation of watersheds.
Corporate Sustainability encourages new ways of looking at a problem. Sourcing locally
has typically been perceived as inefficient because of the expenses related to quality
control when managing many small suppliers. However, with rising energy costs and the
opportunity to create a value chain that is more holistic buying locally has its advantages.
Locally produced ingredients cut down on the high cost of shipping ingredients across
oceans and supports local businesses by creating a new market for their products.
Depending on the mission or need of the company, they can choose which of the SDGs that
best fit their culture and pledge to work on the issues corresponding to those SDGs.
Corporate Sustainability allows businesses to work on an issue and then highlight their
47
success to enhance their reputation. This is not only good for branding their name as an
actor of good will, but as a steward of a key resource they, and other stakeholders, depend
on.
As Corporations span the globe and are entwined with the many aspects of our lives it
becomes important for them to help solve some of societies’ ills. Social responsibility, as a
trend, is raising the awareness of employees and people everywhere and if corporations
aren’t joining the conversation they will be seen as entities impeding progress. Damaging a
business’s image and brand can be the same as ostracizing them from their markets. This
is something that could damage their reputation and, as stated earlier, reputations are held
in people’s perceptions, and perceptions have value. Moreover, when social media gets
involved, people’s perceptions can change completely. In Rajasthan, for example, a Coca-
Cola bottling plant was accused of irreparably hurting the regions’ watershed. Social media
revealed that locals had tried to engage in dialogue with the company but had been
repeatedly ignored. Ironically enough, it wasn’t until the case got media coverage around
the world that people started campaigns to hold Coca-Cola accountable. As a result, the
company hired a well-respected firm in India to do a third party assessment that claimed
Coca-Cola was not responsible of any damage and that it was a natural occurrence for the
region (Karnani, 2014).
Many people believe companies should engage in Corporate Sustainability because they are
contributing to some of the issues faced by our society. A case for it, as has been shown, is
that of how perceptions of value can be associated to a financial price tag. Company
employees, and increasingly more people, are joining the conversation of what
responsibilities businesses have to the communities where they operate.
5.1.1 How to take action: Successful cases
These are a couple exceptionally successful cases discovered at different plants that are
part of the PROSPER strategy. These examples can be used by Bavaria S.A to highlight and
potentially build on its current sustainability efforts. The first case is the campaign to
encourage responsible drinking, part of the “Social” world or shared imperative of
PROSPER.
Don Chucho is an actor turned celebrity that Bavaria has hired to promote responsible
drinking in Colombia. He was a figure created by the marketing team to depict a
respectable older man, a family man (Don Chucho, 2003). He is now a well-known figure to
the entire country because when the company rolled out their 10-point sustainability plan,
they decided to put a lot of emphasis on responsible consumption. These ads went on
national television, and the figure had become a national celebrity. His slogan “we can all
be parents” was known to everyone met during the field study, both inside and outside the
48
organization. When people were asked for an example of what SABMiller has done in
sustainability almost everyone’s first answer was Don Chucho.
It’s important to highlight this case because of the efforts undertaken to promote this
complex, yet important topic for an alcohol company. They not only tackled a difficult
subject but stimulated a national discussion.
There is an interview of Don Chucho where he describes some of his encounters with
people. They would tell him that before “meeting” him, they would sell cigarettes and
alcohol to whomever, no matter their age, but after watching the advertisements, they had
decided that they wouldn’t want someone selling such products to their kids so they had
stopped this practice of selling to minors (Don Chucho, 2003).
The success in this campaign can be attributed to varying reasons. First, there is that it was
able to tap into the Colombian culture of what would be respectable and was able to
communicate the same message across generations. The idea of a “hero” established on the
image of a dignified grandfather seemed to fit that position and was able to convince the
store owner to adhere to the law and not sell alcohol to minors. Moreover, there were
strong sponsorship efforts and endorsements by governmental agencies and police
departments, making it a shared goal to increase responsible consumption, well beyond the
walls of the organization. Their social health campaign was a success because they knew
their audience’s language and culture and used it to inform their campaign. Internally, this
campaign has also been successfully adopted as it is part of every employee personal goals
(framed as ambassadors), it is integrated at different trainings, talks, and everyday
examples. Additionally, there is also an incentive mechanism in place that promotes and
reinforces Bavaria S.A.’s commitment to responsible consumption.
The second case was found in the brewing operations in Barranquilla during a focus group
interaction. When asked, employees from the area of distribution showed an impressive
knowledge of sustainability issues related to their area and the company in general. They
developed this knowledge thanks to a distribution manager who was known to highlight
the work they were doing and relate it back to sustainability. She would bring attention to
the performance indicators and describe its connection to PROSPER. In her weekly
meetings with her team she would announce the progress they had made that week in
relation to their Key Performance Indicators and sustainability, and would reiterate the
goals they wanted to reach for the week or month ahead.
Considering that this particular plant was ranked lowest in terms of sustainability went to
show the differences among people’s perceptions and understanding of sustainability and
what the actual performance indicators can (and cannot) measure. Through this case it
became clear that there was not enough emphasis on employee’s personal initiative to go
beyond the simple directives of telling people about sustainability, versus explaining its
49
significance in relation to what they were doing. Many of the people interviewed believed
that the importance of PROSPER was related only to the KPIs as another program of the
company, and that it was more of a technical aspect related to engineers.
Barranquilla infrastructure is the one with less updated equipment, relating that to the low
scores in some of their KPIS. However, this seemed to influence a very different culture in
contrast to the one observed in the capital, as they seemed to have a better grasp of the
social aspect of Corporate Sustainability. They had, perhaps unknowingly, a better or more
cohesive culture that was more aware of the social impact they could create. Thus, a
question still remains in whether this social culture and sense of family may have been the
ingredient that facilitated the champion manager’s initiative, or she may just have a passion
for sustainability, or a combination of both. These kinds of champions are important to
bring to light not only for marketing and branding purposes, but to build and keep
momentum of the sustainability strategy, and this is one of the areas we recommended
building on.
The idea of changing a culture is not an easy task. It can take years in preparing and it
needs to be thoroughly developed. There is a misunderstanding that is often associated
with making a business more sustainable, that to do so will require large amounts of
capital. While this might be the case when discussing the equipment, transportation of
materials and refrigeration (these are some of the largest consumers of energy in a beer life
cycle), it does not paint the whole picture. A critical piece of the picture is the most
important internal stakeholders: employees (The Carbon Footprint of Fat Tire Amber Ale,
2008). Employees are the ones that sustain production and it is essential to include them
in the process. This is why the case of the champion in Barranquilla was brought up,
because she was initiating what she had control over. She made it a point to encourage
discussion and focus on this subject. The dialogue and emphasis she spearheaded was the
kind of leadership that needs to happen at all levels.
Companies that have successfully integrated sustainability into their cultures, if any, all had
similar cases of interest. As stated earlier, one of the most important aspects of any
business is its employees. In a paper by Azada and Rochte (2013), 17 managers and senior
executives of Fortune 500 level companies were interviewed about how they engage their
employees in Corporate Sustainability. The authors found that companies who engaged
successfully with employees demonstrated an active ownership role in sustainability at
every level in the organization, from the front line employees and managers to the most
senior executives (Azada & Rochte, 2013). For Bavaria S.A., there is good support from the
executive management and where it seems to falter is at the middle management level.
This was recognized in an interview with the director of a brewing operation. Nevertheless,
there are many strategies that the company can focus on to improve communication about
50
PROSPER, such as making it more relatable to individuals’ roles and write it in a language
that is clear and understandable to everyone.
As stated earlier, when possible, the sustainability office should build on the strengths of
the organization. Using familiar language from the existing culture will give employees a
sense of ownership and a vested interest. In the next sections we will provide examples
gleaned from other cases that seem to apply to Bavaria’s context.
5.1.2 Successful cases in other organizations
There are no one-size-fits-all strategies to increasing employee engagement in Corporate
Sustainability and as these examples show, each organizational context presents unique
opportunities. New Belgium Brewery, for example started their operations with a focus on
social responsibility. It was at the heart of their corporate culture when they began hiring
employees and they have continued along that line by recently making it an employee-
owned company. They are continually upgrading their brewing equipment so that it is the
most efficient available on the market. They have structured their internal operations so
that it is as horizontal as possible. They are a certified B corporation and have done
thorough research on all their supply chain. Environmental stewardship was part of the
original draft of their core values and beliefs (New Belgium, 2016).
Another example is Hopworks Urban Brewery. Its founder asks every employee in the
hiring process what Corporate Sustainability means to them in order to ensure there is
alignment between employees and sustainability effort undertaken by the organization.
Moreover, it has been reported that one of the founder’s pleasures is to walk around the
brewery and engage employees in dialogue about what’s important to them and why (HUB,
2016). What this owner is doing is leading the employees in discussion, and modeling the
direction he sees the company going. This creates willing employees who want to help and
take part of the process.
Molson Coors Breweries, an international brewing company based in Canada, has taken a
different approach to Corporate Sustainability. They have gone about it in a different way
than the majority of the industry, at least for the Molson Canadian branch and not all of
Molson Coors operations. Although they do not have a specific Corporate Sustainability
department, they do have a program that addresses sustainability. Their head of legal and
public affairs is also the unofficial head of Corporate Sustainability. He manages this by
setting the strategic direction for the communicators and public affairs. Additionally,
instead of a Corporate Sustainability Department, they have two program administrators
whose jobs are to attend to the running of the program. Their approach as they see it is that
Corporate Sustainability should be more of a conversation with their customers and
51
employees (this approach was also taken by other companies in different industries, such
as Wal-Mart).
Another interesting approach is how to decide what to do with their philanthropic giving
fund; the Molson Donations Fund Committee (MDF) surveyed their employees, customers
and consumers and found that people wanted to support active life-styles, healthy
communities and skills development. This last example goes against the typical trend of
company giving, usually determined by the CEO and top executives, toward a more
inclusive approach (Sebastian, 2014).
Finally, although in a different structure, a study case of Wal-Mart references an employee
who, after receiving training on sustainability, suggested to turn off the light bulbs in the
vending machine to save energy. After calculating the savings they realized they would be
saving close to a $1 million a year in energy costs (McElhaney, 2008). Not only did they
save money but also increased their saving in energy emissions. This case highlights the
importance of encouraging innovation as a way to save resources, but it is equally
important for the company to be willing to listen.
The norm in companies is to have stand-alone Corporate Sustainability departments like in
SABMiller,plc that report directly to the CEO. Denny Schaal, editor of CRO (Corporate
Responsibility Officer) magazine, has seen an increase in stand-alone Corporate
Sustainability departments over the past two years. He said 12 of the top 1000 companies
in the Russell index had such departments in 2006 and estimates that today the number
has reached nearly 80 (Sebastian, 2014). Molson Canadian’s approach to Corporate
Sustainability is an example of an innovative strategy used in the context of their
organizational culture. This out of the box, and yet logical, way to consider how to execute
their vision works for them, but it must be pointed out that it may not be appropriate for all
corporate cultures. There are no panaceas to improving employee engagement and each
case, or brewery, must be analyzed according to their unique context.
5.2 Limitations and future research needs
As any other study, limitations to the scope and depth of the analysis were found. For this
study in particular, some of the key limitations included:
1. Time constraints. Ten weeks in total was not enough time to develop surveys to
analyze in a comprehensive fashion the organizational culture of Bavaria S.A.,
limiting it to an observational analysis that has a larger margin of error by the
researchers’ perceptions and biases. Additionally, two days at each plant limited the
amount of observation, while delayed plant visits limited the data analysis process.
2. Lack of information. Although some reports were shared with the team, there was
no access to data on previous surveys in terms or employee engagement. Other than
52
some studies from the Human Resources department and on Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs), there was a lack of performance data per plant per area.
3. Sampling constraints. Although there was emphasis on the random selection of
participants for the focus group sessions, there was no control over the selection of
participants.
4. Nature of focus groups. Although focus groups were selected as the best method to
gather qualitative information, the method itself has its own limitations, as focus
groups are vulnerable to authoritative voices, peer pressures, and fear of retribution
among participants, among others.
Cognizant of these limitations, the researchers did their best to generate an objective
report with the information available.
53
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development of a sustainable corporation. Sustainable Development , 17, 102-113.
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desarrollo-sostenible-2014.pdf?sfvrsn=0
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Bertels, S., Papania, L., & Papania, D. (2010). Embedding Sustainability in Organizational
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.Brundtland, G. H. (1987). Our common future / World commission on environment and
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Cameron, K., & Quinn, R. (2006). Diagnosing and Changing Organizational culture. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Business and Management Series.
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employee engagement. Developing a behavioural framework. London, United Kingdom.
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Chucho, D. (28 de March de 2016). Don Chucho: Un Amigo que le habla de Responsabilidad
a los Colombianos [Interview]. http://www.revistasaberbeber.com/don-chucho-un-amigo-
que-le-habla-de-responsabilidad-a-los-colombianos/.
Context Group, Ltd. (2012). Context Group, Ltd. Recuperado el 25 de January de 2016, de
Context Group, Ltd: http://www.contexteurope.com/publications
Deloitte. (2016). Deloitee. Recuperado el 25 de March de 2016, de Deloitee:
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Doppelt, B. (2010). Leading change Toward sustainability. A change-management guide for
business, government and civil society. (2nd ed.). Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf Publishiing
Limited.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation . (2016). Ellen MacArthur Foundation . Recuperado el 15 de
April de 2016, de Circular Economy: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-
economy
Gallup-Healthways. (14 de August de 2015). Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. London,
UK.
Grenville, J. (2007). Sustainability: How it shapes Organizational Climate. Oxford Handout of
Organizational Climate .
Hopworks Urban Brewery. (s.f.). Hopworks Urban Brewery. Recuperado el 27 de March de
2016, de Environment: Hopworks Urban brewery: http://hopworksbeer.com/do-
good/environment
Jones, G. R. (2010). Organizational Theory, Design, and Change. Upper Saddle River, New
Jersey: Pearson Education.
Karnani, A. (2014). Crporate social responsibility does not avert the tragedy of the
commons. Case study: Coca Cola in India. Economics, Management, and Financial Markets , 9
(3), 11.
Kim, D. (2002). Foresight and Power of Choice. En D. Kim, Foresight as the Central Ethic of
Leadership (págs. 15-19). Indianapolis, IN: Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership .
Lankoski, L. (2007). Corporate responsibility activities and economic performance: A
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536-547.
Marquardt, M. (2002). Building the Learning Organization . Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black
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McElhaney, K. A. (2008). Just good business: the strategic guide to aligning corporate
responsibility and brand . San Francisco, CA: Berrett.Koehler Publishers .
MELCRUM. (2015). Inside Internal Communication: Groundbreaking Innovations for a New
Future. Five best practices to transform the industry. . Washington , DC, USA.
New Belgium Brewery. (s.f.). New Belgium Brewery. Recuperado el 27 de March de 2016, de
Sustainability in Strategic Alignment :
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New Belgium Brewery. (2008). New Belgium Brewery. Recuperado el 28 de March de 2016,
de The Carbon Footprint of Fat Tire Amber Ale.
PWC. (2014). PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Recuperado el 8 de June de 2015, de
PriceWaterhouseCoopers: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/about-us/corporate-
responsibility/assets/pwc-employee-engagement.pdf
SABMiller, plc. (2015). SABMiller. Recuperado el 20 de March de 2016, de SABMiller:
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Sebastian, M. (4 de December de 2014). Inside Molson Beer's Corporate Social
Responsibility Program.
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Haupt.
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7. Appendices
Appendix 1. Evaluation Design Matrices from initial Project Design
57
58
Appendix 2. Semi-structured interviews guide (Spanish)
INTEGRACIÓN DE LA ESTRATEGIA DE SOSTENIBILIDAD PROSPERAR EN LA CULTURA ORGANIZACIONAL DE BAVARIA S.A.
GUÍA PARA ENTREVISTAS SEMIESTRUCTURADAS TIEMPO ESTIMADO: 72-104 MIN
PRESENTACIÓN (2-3 MIN)
Buenos días y bienvenidos a este grupo focal. Somos estudiantes de maestría de desarrollo sostenible en Estados Unidos en colaboración con la consultoría Desarrollo Visible. Muchas gracias por acompañarnos en la discusión sobre sostenibilidad en sus áreas de trabajo. Estamos llevando a cabo un estudio cuyo propósito es medir la apropiación de la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible de Bavaria por parte de sus colaboradores, de allí que para nosotros es muy importante conocer sus opiniones sobre esta estrategia, el compromiso de Bavaria frente al desarrollo sostenible y cómo ustedes los relacionan con su trabajo. ¡Está por lo tanto, es una oportunidad para innovar!
Su nombre no será asociado con nuestros reportes finales, y todos sus comentarios serán tratados de forma completamente anónima.
Nos gustaría comenzar con algunas recomendaciones para hacer nuestra discusión más productiva:
Que solo una persona hable a la vez. Estaremos grabando estas conversaciones ya que no queremos perder ninguno de sus
comentarios. Es importante que se sientan libres para expresarse ya que cada uno de ustedes posee
valiosas experiencias. Cada comentario es valioso, y aprendemos tanto de comentarios positivos como negativos.
La sesión durará alrededor de 60 minutos. Valoramos su tiempo, por lo que intentaré mantener nuestra conversación enfocada en el tema de interés.
Si es posible, por favor, apaguen sus celulares. Si necesitan responder a una llamada, por favor salgan y regresen lo más pronto posible.
¿Es todo claro? ¿Tiene alguna duda?
Nuevamente muchas gracias por su participación y su tiempo.
ACTIVIDAD ROMPE HIELO: SUPERHÉROES Y SUPERPODERES (5-10 MIN)
Para comenzar nuestra conversación y conocernos mejor, nos gustaría hacer una ronda de presentaciones en las que indiquen su nombre, área en la que trabajan y respondan a la siguiente pregunta:
0. ¿Si usted fuera un superhéroe, qué súper-poder tendría y cómo lo utilizaría? (5-10 min)
PREGUNTAS ABIERTAS (20-28 MIN)
Nos gustaría saber ahora,
59
1. ¿Qué representa la estrategia PROSPERAR para usted? ¿Quién es PROSPERAR? (qué áreas/vicepresidencias, qué áreas abarca PROSPERAR) [CONOCIMIENTO] (5-7 min)
*Preguntas de seguimiento (escoger 1 ó 2):
a) ¿Qué proyectos o iniciativas de sostenibilidad implementados por Bavaria conoce? [CONOCIMIENTO] (5-7 min)
b) ¿Ha participado en alguno de los proyectos relacionados con PROSPERAR? [PARTICIPACIÓN] (5-7 min)
c) De los entrenamientos que ha tenido o de la información que ha recibido sobre desarrollo sostenible, ¿qué temas o conceptos han sobresalido? (¿Cómo han contribuido a su conocimiento sobre PROSPERAR?) [CONOCIMIENTO] (5-7 min)
2a (Directores). ¿Comparada con otras empresas del país, ¿cómo lidera Bavaria en el tema de sostenibilidad? [RECOMENDACIÓN] (5-7 min)
2b. (Gerentes). ¿Por qué recomendaría su área (¿o su planta?) como gestora/líder en sostenibilidad? [RECOMENDACIÓN] (5-7 min)
ACTIVIDAD MATRIZ: DEFINIENDO LA RELEVANCIA DE CADA MUNDO (5-7 MIN)
Ahora nos gustaría que tomaran la hoja de papel que tienen en sus lugares en la cual indiquen,
4. ¿Cuál(es) de los cinco mundos de la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible PROSPERAR cree que sea(n) más relevante(s)?:
a) a nivel personal b) en su área de trabajo c) para Bavaria como empresa [ALINEACIÓN] (5-7 min)
PREGUNTAS ABIERTAS EN TORNO A COLABORADORES (25-35 MIN)
5. ¿De qué manera se conectan los intereses y valores de los colaboradores con los de PROSPERAR para generar sentido de pertenencia? (Siendo PROSPERAR una estrategia tan amplia, ¿cómo conectan/relacionan los objetivos con los valores/ideales de sus colaboradores?) [ALINEACIÓN] (5-7 min)
6. ¿Cómo motiva/incentiva a sus colaboradores para contribuir al logro de la estrategia de sostenibilidad y sus objetivos? [REINFORCEMENT] (5-7 min)
7. ¿Cómo consideraría se podría involucrar activamente a los colaboradores del área para contribuir con la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible? [ESFUERZO EXTRA] (5-7 min)
8. ¿Qué canales de comunicación interna hay para dar a conocer y recibir opiniones sobre la estrategia de sostenibilidad? ¿Hay un espacio/ambiente abierto para discutir, cuestionar, sugerir y obtener más información sobre PROSPERAR? (Es decir, ¿cómo reciben información sus colaboradores sobre los objetivos y progreso de la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible?)[CONFIANZA] (5-7 min) NOTA: Si no se menciona el informe de sostenibilidad, pregunta diréctamente: ¿El Informe de Sostenibilidad es una herramienta que conocen y usan los colaboradores para profundizar en la estrategia de sostenibilidad de Bavaria?
9. Tomando en cuenta los mundos que son más lejanos para usted y para su área, ¿cómo colabora/puede colaborar con aquellas áreas cuyos dichos mundos son más cercanos? (¿Cómo puede contribuir a aquellos elementos -objetivos, asuntos, mundos- de la
60
estrategia de desarrollo sostenible PROSPERAR que son más lejanos para usted y su área?) [ALINEACIÓN] (5-7 min)
PREGUNTAS ABIERTAS EN TORNO A RELACIONES INTERNAS (15-21 MIN)
10. ¿Cómo podrían sus áreas colaborar entre sí -y con otras como Desarrollo Sostenible, Recursos Humanos y Fundación Bavaria- para integrar los temas abordados en PROSPERAR en sus diferentes actividades? (Cuando sus áreas realizan actividades que podrían relacionarse a la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible, ¿cómo son los contenidos de dichas actividades expresados como parte de PROSPERAR?) [DESEMPEÑO] (5-7 min)
11. ¿Qué componentes de la cultura organizacional podrían facilitar el alineamiento de valores de sus colaboradores con los de PROSPERAR? ¿Qué componentes dificultan dicho proceso? (¿Qué partes de PROSPERAR han sido más fácilmente integradas y por qué cree que haya sido esto?) [ALINEACIÓN] (5-7 min) 12. ¿Cómo podría desempeño en sostenibilidad por parte de Bavaria -ser reconocido como un- atraer y retener talento? [COMPROMISO] (5-7 min)
61
Appendix 3. Focus group guide (Spanish)
INTEGRACIÓN DE LA ESTRATEGIA DE SOSTENIBILIDAD PROSPERAR EN LA CULTURA ORGANIZACIONAL DE BAVARIA S.A.
GUÍA PARA GRUPOS FOCALES TIEMPO ESTIMADO: 93-108 MIN
PRESENTACIÓN (2-3 MIN)
Buenos días y bienvenidos a este grupo focal. Somos estudiantes de maestría de desarrollo sostenible en Estados Unidos. Muchas gracias por acompañarnos en la discusión sobre sostenibilidad en sus áreas de trabajo. Estamos llevando a cabo un estudio cuyo propósito es medir la apropiación de la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible de Bavaria por parte de sus colaboradores, de allí que para nosotros es muy importante conocer sus opiniones sobre esta estrategia, el compromiso de Bavaria frente al desarrollo sostenible y cómo ustedes los relacionan con su trabajo. ¡Esta por lo tanto, es una oportunidad para innovar!
Su nombre no será asociado con nuestros reportes finales, y todos sus comentarios serán tratados de forma completamente anónima.
Nos gustaría comenzar con algunas recomendaciones para hacer nuestra discusión más productiva:
Que solo una persona hable a la vez. Estaremos grabando estas conversaciones ya que no queremos perder ninguno de sus
comentarios. Es importante que se sientan libres para expresarse ya que cada uno de ustedes posee
valiosas experiencias. Cada comentario es valioso, y aprendemos tanto de comentarios positivos como negativos.
La sesión durará alrededor de 90 minutos. Si es posible, por favor, apaguen sus celulares. Si necesitan responder a una llamada, por favor salgan y regresen lo más pronto posible.
¿Es claro? ¿Tienen alguna duda?
Nuevamente muchas gracias por su participación y su tiempo.
ACTIVIDAD ROMPEHIELO: SUPERHÉROES Y SUPERPODERES (12-15 MIN)
Para comenzar nuestra conversación y conocernos mejor, nos gustaría hacer una ronda de presentaciones en las que indiquen su nombre, área en la que trabajan y respondan a la siguiente pregunta:
0. ¿Si usted fuera un superhéroe, qué súper-poder tendría y cómo lo utilizaría? (12-15min)
ACTIVIDAD SOSTENIBILIDAD: DEFINIENDO SOSTENIBILIDAD (POST-ITS) (7-10 MIN)
Nos gustaría saber ahora,
1. ¿Qué es sostenibilidad para Bavaria?
62
Para responder esta pregunta, por favor escriba en cada post-it y en una palabra, lo que usted considera significa sostenibilidad para Bavaria. Pueden utilizar el número de post-its que necesiten. En cuanto terminen, por favor coloque cada uno de los post-its en la pared. (4-7 min) [Conocimiento]
a) ¿Cuántos de ustedes han escuchado hablar de PROSPERAR? [Conocimiento] (3min)
DESCRIPCIÓN DE LOS MUNDOS DE PROSPERAR (3-5 MIN)
Para ubicarnos en conceptos que discutiremos en nuestra conversación, nos gustaría hablarles un poco sobre la estrategia de sostenibilidad de Bavaria, llamada PROSPERAR.
El facilitador explica cada uno de los cinco mundos de PROSPERAR de manera clara y concisa (3-5 min)
ACTIVIDAD CLASIFICACIÓN: PONIENDO MUNDOS A NUESTRAS IDEAS (6-8 MIN)
Ahora, con base en la explicación de los mundos de PROSPERAR, ¿podrían clasificar sus ideas sobre sostenibilidad para Bavaria, debajo de cada uno de los mundos? (3-5 min)
b) ¿Conocían la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible PROSPERAR? (3 min) [Conocimiento]
PREGUNTAS ABIERTAS (10-14 MIN)
2. ¿Han tenido ustedes algún entrenamiento específico sobre el desarrollo sostenible y temas relacionados o ha recibido información al respecto? (independientemente de si esta información está o no relacionada con los mundos de la estrategia PROSPERAR) (5-7 min) [Conocimiento]
3. ¿Cuál es su opinión sobre las metas, objetivos e indicadores de la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible PROSPERAR? (5-7 min) [Desempeño] (¿Cómo influye/afecta en su trabajo (lo hace más fácil, más difícil, o no cambia la afecta en absoluto?)
ACTIVIDAD MATRIZ: DEFINIENDO LA RELEVANCIA DE CADA MUNDO (8-12 MIN)
Ahora nos gustaría que tomaran la hoja de papel que tienen en sus lugares en la cual van a indicar,
4. ¿Cuál(es) de los cinco mundos de la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible PROSPERAR cree que sea(n) más relevante(s)?:
a) a nivel personal b) en su área de trabajo c) para Bavaria como empresa (5-7 min) [Alineación]
¿Hay algún voluntario al que le gustaría compartir con el resto del grupo cómo relacionan los mundos de PROSPERAR con los diferentes ámbitos? (3-5 min)
PREGUNTAS ABIERTAS (40-56 MIN)
Ahora nos gustaría preguntarles a todos, en su trabajo cotidiano,
63
5. En su trabajo diario, ¿cómo contribuyen ustedes con la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible PROSPERAR? (5-7 min) [Alineación]
6. ¿Cómo contribuyen con aquellos elementos (objetivos, asuntos, mundos) de la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible PROSPERAR que son más lejanos para ustedes y su trabajo? (5-7 min) [Alineación]
7. ¿Cómo contribuye la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible PROSPERAR en su crecimiento (desarrollo, futuro, progreso) laboral o profesional? (5-7 min) [Desarrollo profesional]
8. En su trabajo, ¿qué lo motiva o incentiva para contribuir al logro de la estrategia de desarrollo sostenible PROSPERAR y sus objetivos? (5-7 min) [Desarrollo profesional]
9. ¿Qué canales de comunicación interna hay para dar sus opiniones sobre la estrategia de sostenibilidad? ¿Cuál es su opinión sobre los espacios que existen para discutir, cuestionar y obtener más información sobre PROSPERAR? (5-7 min) [Confianza] NOTA: Si no se menciona el informe de sostenibilidad, pregunta diréctamente: ¿El Informe de Sostenibilidad es una herramienta que conocen y usan los colaboradores para profundizar en la estrategia de sostenibilidad de Bavaria?
10. ¿Qué opina sobre los mensajes que comunica la empresa en torna a sostenibilidad? (informe de sostenibilidad, boletines de avance, comunicados de prensa, reportes a comunidades aledañas, entre otros) ¿Dichos comunicados reflejan la realidad de la empresa? (operaciones, comportamiento compañeros, políticas, etc.)? (5-7 min) [Alineación]
11. ¿Qué cosas voluntarias hace para contribuir con la sostenibilidad? ¿Por qué? (ya sea en el ámbito empresarial, o de su comunidad, de su ciudad o en su entorno familiar) (Buscar ver si PROSPERAR es un motivador para esta acción voluntaria) (5-7 min) [Esfuerzo extra]
12. ¿Cree que la estrategia de sostenibilidad de Bavaria es un factor determinante para que los colaboradores y otros grupos de interés recomienden la empresa como un buen lugar para trabajar? (5-7 min) [Recomendación/Orgullo] 13. ¿Cuáles creen que serían las consecuencias si Bavaria decide suspender su
estrategia de desarrollo sostenible? ¿Cómo reaccionarían los colaboradores de Bavaria?
(5-7 min) [Compromiso]
64
Appendix 4. Employee Alignment with PROSPER worlds Worksheet Activity
for Focus groups
65
Appendix 5. Word Cloud of Bavaria Employee Word Bank Activity Results
(aggregated from all offices and plants).
66
Appendix 6. Example of Value Chain Mapping
67
Appendix 7. Examples of recommended actions voiced by employees
supporting the action plan
Examples of recommended actions voiced by employees supporting the action plan
Category Example of employee suggested actions
Refocus The need to create a compelling case for sustainability was voiced at both the operational and tactical levels. An employee from IMPRESUR mentioned: “To do an event focused on [PROSPER], hopefully during a time of crisis, give a detailed inform of what is currently happening, and what is important to Bavaria, and start from there, […] start with a different context” ("Hacer un evento enfocado a [PROSPERAR] ojalá que en una crisis, dar un informe completo de lo que está sucediendo en la actualidad, de lo que es muy importante para Bavaria y empezar con eso, bueno, [...] entrar con otro contexto]").
Strategize Similarly, several employees, mainly at the tactical level, were concerned about the importance and relevance of sustainability and PROSPER to the company. As one of them mentioned, “From the organizational strategy point of view, if [PROSPER] is a priority, then it should be one of the pillars [of the organizational strategy] (“También desde el punto de vista de estrategia organizacional, si [PROSPER] es un prioridad, pues entonces debería estar como uno de los pilares”). As for including sustainability goals in performance reviews, an example of support to this idea can be seen in the following quote: “What is not measured, is not controlled, and if it is not controlled, there is no development” (“Lo que no se mide, no se controla, y si no se controla, no hay desarrollo,”)
Recruit Support to the recommendation of having a sustainability team and recognizing employees who demonstrate sustainability behaviors already and making them an integral component of the process of embedding sustainability was voiced by employees when they mentioned the importance of having a person or team accountable for the process, who receives ideas, questions, and validates that what is being done actually contributes to PROSPER and in which ways.
Communicate Language needs to be clear: Throughout plants language was cited as “abstract” and “heavy”, thus losing its applicability. Several employees voiced suggestions to make language and communications related to PROSPER more clear and relatable.
Highlighting of small successes and good work recognizing was suggested by employees as a way to increase motivation and reinforce the importance of sustainability for the company. They made emphasis that motivation for sustainability does not necessarily need to be monetary, but a symbolic way to recognize the efforts and behaviors made in pro of sustainability.
Engage
Support for the recommendation of mapping value the value chain was supported by the employees multiple times, one of them was voiced as follows: “Being able to see how are we contributing for something bigger may have a greater impact in all areas” (“Ver cómo estamos contribuyendo para algo muhco más grande de pronto tendría un mayor impacto en todas las áreas”)
Train When asked about their motivation to fulfill Prosper, participants most frequently mentioned providing a better world for their children, protecting natural resources for the future and Bavaria’s reputation. The last affirmation supports the idea of relating sustainability training not only with work performance, but also at a personal level.
68
During focus groups in the Valle and Barranquilla plants employees asked for interactive trainings (“capacitaciones lúdicas”). This supports the recommendation of having discussions on this topic as collaborative as possible.
69
Appendix 8. Example of ‘compliment sandwich approach’ to build a compelling
case for sustainability at Bavaria S.A.
Example of the ‘compliment sandwich approach’ to build a compelling case for sustainability at Bavaria
+
Sustainability pays, it does not cost (cost effectiveness) Sustainability complies (and goes beyond) with government regulations, give us the right to operate. Sustainability increases the company’s reputation.
-
With the introduction of direct competitors to the market (Heineken and BBC), there is a potential of losing competitive edge to them. Bavaria has experienced directly the effects of resource depletion in Bavaria: Closing of the Techo plant due to water prices and scarcity, and Tocancipá production halted due to water contamination. Colombian citizens are experiencing the effects of climate change and misuse of resources with the drought at the Guajira department. Bavaria employees have observed poverty stricken communities at the Barranquilla plant The effects of climate change and resource depletion are being experienced around the globe.
+
Consumer preferences are changing worldwide towards sustainable products and companies with sustainable practices, thus PROSPER will give Bavaria a competitive advantage in the near future. Sustainability helps secure the future not only for the company, but for the communities in which Bavaria has influence, strengthening local communities and customers. More important, it is part of the company values. Achieving sustainability goals (PROSPER) is possible when working together and in teams.
70
Appendix 9. Development of an action plan to embed sustainability at the
middle management level in Bavaria S.A.
After the field study analysis, a strategic plan was developed in order to initiate the process
of embedding sustainability in the organizational culture of Bavaria. It is important to note
that this is part of a larger process than involves external actors and stakeholders, which
were not part of this analysis. However, it is expected from this plan to foster sustainability
engagement, integration and alignment among employees across the company.
How to navigate the action plan
The action plan should be divided in five columns: (i) component of the framework, (ii)
specific actions to take, (iii) the person responsible and accountable for the process, (iv)
the person from which support will be needed, and (v) a time frame. Accountability and
support were only defined to the area level while time frame was left to the company
discretion due to the lack of sufficient information on organizational structures and
procedures.
Adapted from “The wheel of change toward sustainability framework” (Doppelt 2010), the
action plan offers specific actions for each component of the strategy presented as a logical
process. No single component is a single-shot process; they all need to be constantly
reinforced, adjusted and adapted. In addition, an evaluation of each of the proposed actions
was evaluated based on the ‘portfolio approach to embedding sustainability’ developed by
Bertels et al (2010).
For the reader ease, each action has been color coded: red-colored actions mean that they
were raised by the employees during the field study; blue-colored actions mean that they
have been proposed on the literature; and green-colored actions mean that they have both
been raised by employees and proposed on the literature. Examples of recommended
actions voiced by employees supporting the action plan can be found in Appendix 6.
Below each action, an overall assessment of its effectiveness has been included. The
assessments, developed by Bertels et al (2010) can be interpreted as follows:
Proposed but not tested: these practices have been raised by companies, academics and
consultants as having the potential to build or support the culture of sustainability but they
have not yet been tested empirically. It is suggested to try out these practices but monitor
and assess their effectiveness on a regular basis.
Supported: these practices have received testing, but this has been limited. They have been
identified as part of academic case studies of leading firms or have received a limited
amount of attention as part of a study with a related but different focus. It is suggested to
try out these practices but monitor and assess their effectiveness on a regular basis.
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Strongly supported: these practices have received empirical support in the literature. It is
recommended to include practices from this category when assembling a portfolio of
activities to embed sustainability.
Finally, it is important to emphasize that a strong leadership effort will be required from
the Sustainable Development Office and the Corporate Affairs Vice Presidency throughout
this process as well as a consistent and strong alignment and sponsorship from vice
presidents, directors, and managers at head quarters and plants. Equally important will be
the repetition and reinforcement through media communication and constant
improvements of training programs.
Action plan to foster sustainability engagement, integration and alignment among employees across Bavaria
Framework component(s)
Actions Responsible Support
Refocus and Strategize
1. Create a compelling case for sustainability4 (Appendix 8). Strongly supported a. Define the connection of PROSPER with SAB Miller vision and values (define admired in terms of corporate citizenship) OPPORTUNITY!5 Supported
Sustainable Development Office
Corporate Affairs Vice-Presidency
Recruit 1. Present your case to the sustainability committee Strongly supported 2. Present your case to the Head Quarters vice-presidents, directors, and managers Strongly supported 3. Recognize in the previous audiences brokers6, fence-sitters7 and resisters8. Identify brokers and foster relationships with them. Strongly supported 4. Identify the best connected brokers.
Sustainable Development Office
Internal communications (Organizational Network Analysis – ONA10)
4 Compelling case: builds up a case for sustainability by giving arguments and facts that will help people in the organization alter traditional mindsets of business-as-usual. A compelling case needs to be tailored to the tactical and the operational levels and needs to include a reason why sustainability is important, what are the risks of inaction, and how can it be achieved at the organization. Named as a ‘compliment sandwich approach’, arguments for the risk of inaction are preceded and followed by the advantages of sustainability and the ability and feasibility to take collaborative action towards sustainability, respectively. See Appendix 7 for an example of the ‘compliment sandwich approach’ to build a case for sustainability at Bavaria. 5 OPPORTUNITY!: represents an area where, considering the immediate circumstances, there is an opportunity to apply the recommendation. For the case of strategizing, it is referred as the opportunity to incorporate PROSPER directly into the communication strategy of the Our history initiative. 6 Brokers (sponsors): people who is positive about change and have shown sustainability behaviors (Battilana and Casciaro 2013). 7 Fence-sitters: people who see both potential benefits and potential drawbacks (Battilana and Casciaro 2013). 8 Resisters: people who take a purely negative view (Battilana and Casciaro 2013).
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No data 5. Identify resisters in the sustainability committee RED FLAG!9 No data
Refocus 1. Bring-in the best connected vice-presidents, directors, and managers and asked them to sponsor the sustainability committee. Strongly supported
Sustainable Development Office
Head Quarter’s Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management
Refocus 1. Include sustainability as part of every meeting agenda Strongly supported 2. Include sustainability as part of personal goals Strongly supported 3. Include sustainability as part of the performance review Supported
Head Quarter’s Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management
Human Resources (performance reviews and personal goal settings)
Train 1. Strengthen the sustainability committee with training on profile skills. Strongly supported
Human Resources
Sustainable Development Office (support)
Refocus 1. Create a compelling case for sustainability for Management and Direction at plants. Strongly supported
Sustainability Committee
Sustainable Development Office
Recruit 1. Present your case to the Plants’ directors, managers, and environmental engineers. Strongly supported 2. Recognize brokers, fence-sitters and resisters. Identify brokers and foster relationships with them. Strongly supported 3. Identify the best connected brokers. No data 4. Identify resisters RED FLAG! No data
Sustainability Committee
Head Quarter’s Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management (sponsorship) Internal communications (ONA)
Refocus 1. Bring-in the best connected directors, managers, and environmental engineers and asked them to identify champions from each area at the operational level and sponsor them. Strongly supported
Sustainability Committee
Plants’ Direction and Management (sponsorship)
Communicate and Refocus
1. Recognize your sustainability committee, champions and sponsors (HQ and Plants)
Sustainable Development
Internal communications
10 Organizational Network Analysis (ONA): mathematical and visual analysis of relationships and influence between people, groups and organizations (Bloom 2014). ONA views relationships in terms of nodes and links that will answer who are key connectors/resources, who/which groups might be isolated and/or under-utilized, where might information/resource bottlenecks occur, how can we improve collaboration, how do different organizations interact with one another, where are key information sources and resource hubs, and which areas might make good partners. 9 RED FLAG!: represents an area of attention. When identifying brokers, fence-sitters, and resisters it is important to make sure that the sustainability committee members are a majority (if not a totality) of brokers and fence-sitters, avoiding resisters.
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publicly as “special members” or “ambassadors” of the sustainable development office on media. Supported 2. Organize an award event or design a recognition mechanism for the new “special members” or “ambassadors” (token, diploma, etc.) Supported
Office (media, event planning and diffusion)
Communicate 1. Establish monthly/bimonthly meetings (on-line and personal) with the sustainability committee, champions, and the sustainable development office (resource allocation) Strongly supported
Sustainable Development Office
Internal communications HQ and Plants’ Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management (sponsorship)
Refocus 1. Recognize external stakeholders and ask them to sponsor the sustainability efforts of Bavaria. No data
Corporate Affairs Vice Presidency
Sustainable Development Office
Refocus and strategize
1. Invite and organize an keynote speech on sustainability from SAB Miller’s Head Quarters (London) or Latin America HUB (Miami) Proposed but not tested 2. Emphasize the connection of PROSPER with SAB Miller vision and values (defining admired in terms of corporate citizenship) Supported
Corporate Affairs Vice Presidency Sustainable Development Office
Internal communications (media, planning, event planning and diffusion=
Engage 1. Define sustainability with employees’ input Proposed but not tested 2. Map out three value chains: current, next, and 2020 fiscal years. Strongly supported a. Include each area location on the value chain. Strongly supported b. Include each area interaction with other areas Strongly supported c. Include each area contribution to PROSPER worlds Strongly supported d. Include each area KPIs and stairways (not results) Strongly supported
Sustainability Committee Champions
Internal communications (media) HQ and Plants’ Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management (sponsorship)
Communicate 1. Share value chain maps throughout the company Supported a. One-on-one conversations, meetings, media. Proposed but not tested
Sustainability Committee Champions Sustainable Development Office
Internal communications (media) HQ and Plants’ Vice Presidencies,
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HQ and Plants’ Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management
Direction, and Management (sponsorship)
Train 1. Small group and one-on-one sustainability trainings/workshops at Head Quarters* Proposed but not tested 2. Small group and one-on-one sustainability trainings/workshops throughout the company. Proposed but not tested a. Relate PROSPER to work environment Strongly supported b. Relate sustainability to personal life (bring in families, specially children) Supported *Training/workshops can be integrated to previous existing trainings
Human Resources
Sustainable Development Office (support) Internal communications (media)
Train 1. Evaluate training retention Strongly supported a. Take evaluations into account for second training (at least twice a year) Strongly supported
Human Resources
Internal communications (media) Sustainability Committee, champions, and sustainable development office (support)
Communicate 1. Create a summarized version of the sustainability report for internal use Proposed but not tested
Sustainable Development Office
Desarrollo Visible (consultancy)
Engage 1. Publicly share results of sustainability performance (KPIs) of all areas across the company (HQ and Plants) to enhance gamification Supported
Sustainability Committee Champions Internal communications
HQ and Plants’ Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management (sponsorship)
Engage and communicate
1. Reward areas that are top sustainability performers Supported a. Publicly recognize the winners Supported b. Translate results (KPIs) into relatable measurements11. Supported
Human Resources (including sustainability as part of the rewards system)
Internal communications (media)
Strategize and communicate
1. Perform internal audits to all areas across the organization Supported a. Highlight small successes
Sustainable Development Office
Internal communications (media) HQ and Plants’
11 Relatable measurements: is referred to changing the way in which results are presented in more relatable and impactful ways. Examples of these practices were observed at IMPRESUR, where paper waste indicators were represented as number of trees. Additionally, our field study results showed that people feel more compelled when associating social causes with stories of real people affected by the corporative program.
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Proposed but not tested b. Communicate small successes across plants to promote collaboration Proposed but not tested
Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management (sponsorship)
Train 1. Design and open spaces for collaborative learning (“Club Colombia Verde”) Proposed but not tested a. Promote anticipatory12 and action13 learning Strongly supported b. Promote sustainability-related ideas to design new engagement programs Strongly Supported c. Identify new champions and converted fence-sitters Strongly supported
Sustainability Committee Champions Sustainable Development Office
Internal communications (media and event planning)
Communicate 1. Promote attendance to “Club Colombia Verde” Proposed but not tested a. Bring-in guest speakers Proposed but not tested b. Organize social events Supported 2. Publicly recognize attendants Supported
Sustainability Committee Champions Corporate Affairs Vice Presidency Internal communications (media)
HQ and Plants’ Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management (sponsorship)
Communicate 1. Evaluate feasibility of the suggested sustainability-related ideas a. Develop new engagement programs Strongly supported b. Bring back pre-existing engagement programs (i.e. utilities bills) No data
Sustainable Development Office Human Resources HQ and Plants’ Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management
Engage 1. Relate “Club Colombia Verde” to existing innovation channels (Banco de Ideas, ‘counted ventures’, and Eureka) Strongly supported
Human Resources (including sustainability as category)
Sustainability committee, champions, and sustainable development office (support)
Communicate 1. Promote participation on the innovation channels (Banco de Ideas, ‘counted ventures’, and Eureka) Supported a. Reward participation and best
HQ and Plants’ Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management
12 Anticipatory learning: similar to scenario planning, anticipatory learning allows people to think and avoid future problems by searching and devising ways to prepare (Doppelt 2010). 13 Action learning: by turning real problems of the company into a ‘learning laboratory’ action learning allows people to work in teams (per area, inter areas, and across the whole organization) to come up with solutions to the problem. While fostering collaborative work, it also allows learning from each other experiences and expertise (Doppelt 2010).
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sustainability-related ideas Supported
Sustainable Development Office Internal communications Human Resources
Strategize 1. Include sustainability as part of all trainings and job duties and description OPPORTUNITY!14 Supported
Human Resources
Sustainability committee, champions, and sustainable development office (support) HQ and Plants’ Vice Presidencies, Direction, and Management (sponsorship)
14 OPPORTUNITY!: represents an area where, considering the immediate circumstances, there is an opportunity to apply the recommendation. For the case of strategizing, it is referred as the opportunity to incorporate sustainability-related duties for upcoming employees at the new labeling plant INDUGRAL.