Identifying Sustainability-Value Creation Drivers for a Company in the Water Industry Sector: an Empirical Study

Research goal focused on to determine how companies in the water industry sector can address the challenge of embedding sustainability into the mainstream-business. The methodology was based on a documentary review, and an experimental implementation with a focus group which consists of decision-makers belong the company’s business scope. The process contributed at distinguishing between ‘sustainability values of global interest’ and ‘sustainability values within the business scope’ according to decision-makers’ perspective. As a result, a common framework based on sustainability values emerged, which is a useful tool to analyse value dissonances in supplier-client relationships, identify value perception gaps in the business strategy, and simultaneously drive the value creation processes at an inter-organizational level. The research sheds light on the importance of identifying and aligning expectations on sustainability’s contribution to the water business development, getting business actors involved closely in the implementation and execution of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Business Alliance for Water & Climate Change.