This research project began in 2013 and led to the creation of the Stages of Sustainability (Landrum, 2018). The stage model has served as a framework to evaluate written documents to determine their alignment with the Stages of Sustainability. The authors have evaluated documents ranging from assigned readings in undergraduate business classrooms (Landrum & Ohsowski, 2017), to corporate sustainability reports (Landrum & Ohsowski, 2018), to sustainability schemes (Demastus & Landrum, 2023). The stage model has also been used by other researchers.

The content analysis methodology was developed in Landrum & Ohsowski (2017). The current iteration of the methodology used on this website was developed in Demastus & Landrum (2023).

In response to others' early interest in replicating the methodology, we have developed this website and tool to allow researchers and businesses to evaluate their written documents to determine its alignment with the Stages of Sustainability. We hope you will find this website and tool helpful and please ask that you credit this site.

The coding was developed by James Demastus, the analysis widget tool was developed by Derek Johnson, and the website was developed by Nancy Landrum.

References

Demastus, J. & Landrum, N. (2024). Organizational sustainability schemes align with weak sustainability. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(2): 707-725. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3511 

Landrum, N. & Ohsowski, B. (2018).  Identifying worldviews on corporate sustainability: A content analysis of corporate sustainability reports. Business Strategy and the Environment, 27(1): 128-151. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1989 

Landrum, N. (2018). Stages of corporate sustainability: Integrating the strong sustainability worldview.  Organization & Environment, 31(4): 287-313. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026617717456 

Landrum, N. & Ohsowski, B. (2017).  Content trends in sustainable business education: An analysis of introductory courses in the U.S.  International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 18(3): 385-414. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijshe-07-2016-0135