New Book Focuses on Sustainability Communication in Organizations

Russell Cothren

Myria Allen

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A new book by a University of Arkansas professor provides a road map for organizations and corporations to improve their environmental sustainability programs through better communication.

In Strategic Communication for Sustainable Organizations, Myria Allen discusses how the implementation of corporate sustainability initiatives can be improved by understanding various communication theories. Environmental sustainability programs focus on reducing waste and pollution through energy, efficiency, reducing water use and improving recycling programs.

“We need to become wiser in how we manage our organizations, given the opportunities and threats associated with global climate change,” said Allen, a professor of communication. “This is an important book for anyone who wants to understand, shape or study the communication surrounding sustainability in their interactions with colleagues, employees, supply chain partners and external stakeholders.”

The book provides best practices for how leaders can build inclusive corporate cultures that promote sustainability and employee input. She also summarizes theories from across academic disciplines, including communication, psychology, sociology and political science.

“A lot of organizations are now seeing a business case for sustainability that focuses on people, planet and profit so they are creating new sustainable initiatives and new jobs to support those initiatives,” Allen said.

Allen conducted nearly 30 interviews at a wide range of organizations, including large corporations, small businesses, non-profits and universities. She cites the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association as an organization that effectively communicates its sustainability goals.

One of the first actions the franchise took, after measuring its environmental footprint, was to create teams among its employees to set environmental sustainability goals, principles and mottos. The team then worked with other West Coast sports teams and the Natural Resources Defense Council to create the Green Sports Alliance in 2010. The alliance has grown to include nearly 300 sports teams and venues from 20 different sports leagues in 14 countries.

“Forming coalitions with like-minded organizations and getting the public’s attention about what sustainability means for your organization is an effective way to communicate sustainability to both your employees and the public,” Allen said.

Strategic Communication for Sustainable Organizations is published by Springer Publishing.

About Myria Allen: Allen has researched organizational issues for 30 years. She worked with a Fortune 100 and a Fortune 500 company to communicate new corporate sustainability initiatives to their employees and with the owners of a small company to brand a new environmentally sustainable product. She has published over 40 scholarly articles and book chapters appearing in at least five disciplines and presented more than 65 papers at national and international scholarly conferences.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.