Collaborative Learning and Sustainability Culture: Impetus to the Journey toward Corporate Sustainability

This study proposes a conceptual framework that explains the significance of collaborative learning in increasing the collective knowledge required to incorporate sustainability into an organization’s culture with the objective of creating long-term value. The research was conducted with a mixed-method approach in two phases. First, the researcher studied a progressive Pakistani textile manufacturer to showcase the dimensions of its sustainability culture through a sustainability culture and leadership assessment survey. Subsequently, an action-research intervention was performed with the same organization to introduce collaborative learning as a contemporary learning practice to facilitate the implementation of sustainability factors. The proposed framework introduced in this study highlights the dimensions of a sustainability culture as an important driving force in an organization’s attempt to embrace sustainability. The paper also describes how a collaborative learning practice induces a relational space among employees. Such a space generates collective knowledge and the potential for future collaborations in strengthening a sustainability culture and addressing the long-term social, environmental, and economic concerns of corporate sustainability. Moreover, the study establishes a foundation for further empirical research to determine the impacts of collaborative learning practices and sustainability culture in implementing corporate sustainability practices and supporting global sustainable development.