Sustainability Management with the Balanced Scorecard

Abstract

In recent years many corporations have implemented management systems and standards (such as ISO 14000, EMAS or SA 8000) for the purpose of sustainability management. However, these often fall short in companies' practice for two reasons: First of all, companies are frequently lacking appropriate strategies in the realm of sustainability management. Secondly, management systems or instruments are not integrated into companies' core processes. Does Kaplan and Norton's Balanced Scorecard concept provide sufficient potential to overcome these shortcomings in sustainability management? The answer is ‘yes' and ‘no': On the one hand, the Balanced Scorecard is a tool that focuses on qualitative aspects such as social and environmental ones. It provides a methodology to bridge the gap between the strategic and operative levels of companies. On the other hand, empirical findings show that sustainability management with a Balanced Scorecard bears strategic, cultural, structural and methodological implications. Nevertheless, these challenges are not preliminary due to the methodology of the Balanced Scorecard, but to processes of organisational change that are necessary on the road to sustainability. To illustrate the setting up of a Sustainability Balanced Scorecard, two different empirical concepts of sustainability management are discussed in order to show how different strategies can be put into action. Moreover possible causal relationships between environmental and social aspects and the financial bottom line are illustrated tackling the key question within sustainability management: ‘Does it pay to be sustainable?'.

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