PORTEFØLJE

COMMUNICATION IS KEYDesign Management
School project 2025
6 weeks
Group with Nikolai Yago Conde, Lili Bruckmeier & Amanda Rosengren Blom   This course was based on learning about EU’s ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) and how businesses working within design must adapt to meet these rules and regulations, essentially transforming their business model into a circular one. Our project was in collaboration with a big Norwegian company working with products and textiles. My groups goal was to understand the perspectives, values, and mindsets of this company’s staff towards circularity and sustainability, as well as their relationship with the Head of Sustainability and Management. We wished to formulate an initial approach for internal communication for further cooperation and circularity. We aimed to foster open discussions that will ease the transition and build a shared sense of responsibility across the company. Their culture will play a key role in how employees adapt, and this transition should not rest solely on the Head of Sustainability. Each department’s expertise is essential, and a flexible, collective approach will help the team succeed. based on interviews with employees we identified some areas which are crutial for a successful transformation and suggested how this could be acchieved. 

Throughout this project I gained a greater understanding of the complexety and responsibilities of design. How we shape and define what is put into the world has a greater impact on all areas of society. I also leared how much a companys structure affects the output, and how we as designers have a responsibility to create space for the knowledge of others that can contribute to more sustainable processes and results.












We utilized Edgar Schein’s categorisation of the ‘Three Roles of Helping’. In consulting, the expert offers specialized knowledge when necessary to prevent client dependency, while doctor role is employed when critical issues require diagnosis and intervention. The coach helps clients solve their own problems without giving direct advice (Schein, 1990). From the interviews it became clear that the Head of Sustainability role was by many seen as the expert. However, we think that by taking on the coaching role encouraging employees to take greater responsibility & accountability in the upcoming transition process. Preforming this role as a coach or facilitator would also require clarification in what role the employees play into this and defining who will be responsible for driving toward and maintaining new commitments (Eitelwein & Paquet, 2021, p.12). Today they “do their job” and keep to that. Deconstructing silos and building connection could have significant impact on the change (Culture Intelligence 2023).
















Having strategic updates based on the collective views of the personnel through congruent dialogues can unify the company's vision with the company’s culture (Kaipainen & Aarikka‐Stenroos, 2022, p. 1954).  Additionally, communicating more the desired outcome rather than focusing on directing tasks assigned departments can help bridge this gap and elevate the departments’ individual strengths and areas of expertise (Johnson, 2017, Signal No. 1 section)(How to Improve Corporate Sustainability Communications, n.d., Communicating effective messages section). Guiding employees throughout different phases of identification will lead to a stronger connection towards the company’s culture (Linke & Zerfass, 2011, p. 343). From interviews we got the impression that the communication flow of the information concerning the transition within the company is very linear, working only down stream. However, it is important that the employees all have a way to contribute (Genç, 2017, p.512)(Meehan, 2023, The sustainability imperative section).  As communication should also be upward and lateral (Genç, 2017, p. 512). A more circular communication flow allows for more collaboration and new approaches that could contribute to the transition (Brenner & Drdla, 2023, p.12).
















































During the interviews we noticed that a majority of the people we talked to did not identify with the significance of the transitions. In some cases they felt like the change that was being talked about was not reflected in the workspace. Lacking alignment of company values and actions can be demotivating and reduce the importance of the change (Meehan, 2023, Aligning values and actions section)(Linke & Zerfass, 2011, p.333). However, if values are implemented and applied right, it is much easier to get the whole company in on the new vision (Eitelwein & Paquet, 2021, p.11). The culture and values within the company has a big impact on the way these changes can be perceived and handled. It has a strategic importance in implementing new company values and changing behaviours of employees (Eitelwein & Paquet, 2021, p.10)(Culture Intelligence, 2023, The culture era section).




























To approach these topics we think a good first step would be to consider these questions while gaining transparency and clarity within the company’s internal communcation. This will give a good foundation for how the Sustainability Manager can address new regulations or major changes coming in the next phases. Forming their position as a facilitator won’t happen overnight, so these types of questions and creating a space for other people’s voices to coordinate will be critical in a long-term scope. 















All illustrations are drawn by Nikolai Yago Conde

Refrences:
Brenner, B., & Drdla, D. (2023). Business Model Innovation toward Sustainability and Circularity—A Systematic Review of Innovation Types. Sustainability, 15(15), 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511625

Culture Intelligence. (2023). The Culture Playbook (pp. 1–14). https://5984010.fs1.hubspotusercontent- na1.net/hubfs/5984010/Culture%20Playbook%202023.pdf

Eikelenboom, M., & De Jong, G. (2022). The Impact of Managers and Network Interactions on the Integration of Circularity in Business Strategy. Organization & Environment, 35(3), 365–393. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026621994635

Eitelwein, O., & Paquet, S. (2021). Greenwashing won’t wash—The new sustainability imperative (pp. 1–19). EY Parthenon. https://www.ey.com/en_gl/insights/strategy/why-sustainability-has-become-a-corporate-imperative

Genç, R. (2017). The Importance of Communication in Sustainability & Sustainable Strategies. Procedia Manufacturing, 8, 511– 516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2017.02.065

How to improve corporate sustainability communications. (2023, December 15). https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert- insights/how-to-improve-corporate-sustainability-communications

Johnson, E. (2017, June 13). How to Communicate Clearly During Organizational Change. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/06/how-to-communicate-clearly-during-organizational-change
    
Jørgensen, R., & Scarso, E. (2023). Information as a circular resource – facilitating information exchange to extend product- life. Measuring Business Excellence, 27(4), 651–662. https://doi.org/10.1108/MBE-09-2023-0131

Kaipainen, J., & Aarikka‐Stenroos, L. (2022). How to renew business strategy to achieve sustainability and circularity? A process model of strategic development in incumbent technology companies. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(5), 1947–
1963. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2992

Linke, A., & Zerfass, A. (2011). Internal communication and innovation culture: Developing a change framework. Journal of Communication Management, 15(4), 332–348. https://doi.org/10.1108/13632541111183361

Meehan, J. (2023, October 25). Sustainability and employee engagement: The role of internal communication - Greenspeake C&S. https://greenspeake.com/sustainability-and-employee-engagement-the-role-of-internal-communication/

Nielsen, C. (2023). How Regulation Affects Business Model Innovation. Journal of Business Models, 11(3), 105– 116. https://doi.org/10.54337/jbm.v11i3.8127

Pedersen, E. R. G., Earley, R., & Andersen, K. R. (2019). From singular to plural: Exploring organisational complexities and circular business model design. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 23(3), 1–
19. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-04-2018-0062

Psarommatis, F., & May, G. (2024). Digital Product Passport: A Pathway to Circularity and Sustainability in Modern Manufacturing. Sustainability, 16(1), 396. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010396

Schein, E. H. (1990, April 15). A General Philosophy of Helping: Process Consultation. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/a-general-philosophy-of-helping-process-consultation/

Weder, F., & Stranzl, J. (2024). Internal Communication for Sustainability: Relations Building with the Inner Development Goals (Idgs) (SSRN Scholarly Paper 4953678). Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4953678







Takk for oppmerksomheten!

Dersom du har noen spørsmål om meg eller er interessert i å vite mer om prosjektene er det bare å ta kontakt. 
 
 Kontakt meg :)

vildets@gmail.com
+47 467 42 707