Bridging the Sustainability Leadership Chasm: A Case Study of the Sustainability Advantage Program of the NSW Government, Australia

Business operations worldwide have significantly impacted the environment, prompting organisations to consider how to align strategy and conduct to advance sustainability targets. Collaboration is critical for sustainability progress, thus organisations are becoming interested in the practices of supply chain partners. To incorporate sustainability across networks, leadership is critical in coordinating activities. Although the effectiveness of leadership for sustainability is widely discussed, there is a lack of empirical field studies on how organisations can develop this leadership capability. This research-in-progress paper presents preliminary findings from an industry level case study of a Government-run initiative. This initiative provides a platform for organisations to collaborate and access resources that supports the development of sustainability leadership capabilities. Preliminary analysis provides insight on the dynamic capabilities organisations must develop to influence its supply chain partners, the technologies used to progress sustainability initiatives and the role that the Government has in promoting collaboration and leadership. Implications to both research and practice, and future work are discussed in conclusion