Make the World a Better Place to SITIN!

Leading for Eco-Effective Business Design: Co-creating Sustainability Development

“…The case research encompasses several rounds of extended interviews, multiple company visits, numerous conversations and events over time , allowing a recurrent initiation and inspection also of core products and work processes. The field work also included two research visits with rich informal dialogues and guided tours at HÅG's factory as well as participation in many internal and external events, seminars, and exhibitions (see details in Jevnaker, 1991Jevnaker, , 1993Jevnaker, , 1995Jevnaker, , 2000Jevnaker, , 2005Jevnaker, , 2012Jevnaker, , 2014. The method is a qualitative inquiry following this company and some of its key designer relations in some projects and over time-from the early 1990s onwards for an explorative, phenomenological purpose.…”

“…This thoughtful designer and his studio team have worked highly humancentred as well as nature and environmentally conscious when co-creating in the Opsvik design studio as well as back and forth and interactively with HÅG's project design teams, leaders, and specialists. They have argued for "long-life products" and the importance of sitting dynamically in chairs adapted to man's work activities (Jevnaker, 1991(Jevnaker, , 1993(Jevnaker, , 2005(Jevnaker, , 2014Opsvik, 2008). One highly experienced project manager of HÅG, who was an educated physiotherapist, started to work at Opsvik's studio leaving HÅG formally (Jevnaker, 2012).…”

“…The current CEO emphasized both the people and the culture, and the design guide criteria used in "tough" ways to assemble their long-lasting products (Flokk's Sustainability report, 2021). Flokk's strong position on sustainable design goes back to the early nineties, or before that (Jevnaker, 1991(Jevnaker, , 1995. It is founded on development practices including solid quality control to ensure that no harmful substances are used, and that the furniture still achieves the adequate strength required.…”

“…Specifically, we explore and discuss how design practices in relation to this enterprise could take steps towards beginning and eventually leading ecological sustainability development in office chair-making. This concerned discussions on both "what might be" (Simon, 1969(Simon, /1996 and "what might NOT be" (Jevnaker, 2012), as well as what could make sitting a joyful and meaningful experience in a dynamic sitting perspective (see Jevnaker, 1991Jevnaker, , 2012Opsvik, 2008). The latter is highly relevant since many participate in a daily sitting marathon throughout their work and commuting hours and at home.…”

Introduction: Perspectives on Reimagining Sustainable Organization

“…Thus, we propose to reimagine how we understand sustainable organization with inclusive dynamic perspectives, e.g., theories of emergent way-finding (Chia & Holt, 2009) and extended co-creation (Follett, 1924(Follett, /1951 among managers and collaborating parties, as well as organizational integration to foster innovative business enterprise over time (see e.g., Lazonick, 2002). Interestingly, developing sustainable and useful products such as office chairs with long lives depend on interweaving experimental and exploitative practices, which calls for continued creativity to sustain the suitable action (Jevnaker, 1991(Jevnaker, , 1995(Jevnaker, , 2012, see Chapter 6). In understanding creative experience, we should thus also consider the potential plus-values of different and even conflicting views (Follett, 1924(Follett, /1951.…”