Sustainability in business from a marketing perspective

Why have the majority of companies not yet begun to integrate sustainability on a larger scale into their business strategies? In dealing with this question, we have developed and tested a theoretical model that combines a cognitive frame view with a capability perspective on company behaviour. Our analyses show that top management plays a conclusive role, provided they practise a transformational leadership style. Furthermore, the analyses show that marketing can act as a driver for the company's engagement in product responsibility and social issues. The potential for marketing to further strengthen its role in driving corporate sustainability is made apparent. The following courses are suggested: encompassing ideas and values that express a transformational perspective on leadership; integrating corporate brand management into marketing's portfolio of core capabilities; becoming further engaged in accomplishing an ambidextrous innovation strategy; and ensuring that marketing is practised on the basis of a compound marketing logic.