Organizations (e.g., non-profit, government, corporate) have an important role to play in solving critical environmental issues; yet, many organizations, especially in the corporate sector, are slow to change and are often part of the problem and not the solution. In parallel, management scholars in the last decades have explored how organizations can change in order to be more environmentally responsible. However, the research on management and change for sustainability has mostly focused on organizational-level strategy and policies, but often overlooked the important role that individuals throughout the organization play. Without individuals being involved, often change remains superficial and on the periphery of organizations. In this talk, research is presented on not only how employees can drive change for sustainability within organizations but also how through being involved in these sustainability efforts, employees find more meaningfulness at work, values alignment with the organization, and greater motivation - which in turn also creates a more positive and supporting organizational culture in which employees thrive in general. Potential obstacles are also presented, including back-fire effects if organizational change for sustainability is only symbolic (e.g., greenwashing).

Ante Glavas, Associate Professor, Grossman School of Business, University of Vermont. Dr. Glavas earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University, and joined UVM's Grossman School of Business in August, 2017. He has published numerous articles on Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, and was honored to receive the Emerald Citations award for his influential work in this area. His research has been covered in media outlets such as CNN, Fast Company, Fortune, GreenBiz, and Wall Street Journal. A passionate teacher, he received the Professor of the Year award in management while working at the University of Notre Dame.

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