Sustainability Policy and Practices on a Day-to-Day Basis: the Role of Purchasing in MNCs

MNCs increasingly advertise their sustainable business practices and there are frequent discussions in the literature about the potential influencing factors. However, not enough is known about the involvement of different MNC functions in establishing and maintaining sustainability across the organization. This essay investigates the relationship between sustainability policies and the transfer of sustainability practices on an operational level, focusing on the purchasing function. The empirical results of a multiple-case study show that the social and relational contexts are particularly important, thus highlighting the critical role of the individual. In addition, the components of triple-bottom-line sustainability in MNC purchasing are identified, and a general description is given of the process involved in policy development and practical implementation in MNCs.