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En studie om hållbarhetsrapportering i börsnoterade företag: En jämförande innehållsanalys mellan B2B- och B2C-företag
University of Borås, Faculty of Textiles, Engineering and Business.
University of Borås, Faculty of Textiles, Engineering and Business.
2025 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 180 HE creditsStudent thesis
Sustainable development
Sustainable Development/Sustainability is used as a subject keyword for the thesis
Alternative title
Sustainability Reporting in Publicly Traded Companies : A Comparative Content Analysis between B2B and B2C Businesses (English)
Abstract [sv]

I takt med att hållbarhetsfrågor har fått ökad betydelse granskas företagens agerande alltmer av samhället. Det räcker inte längre att arbeta hållbart, företag måste även kommunicera detta på ett trovärdigt sätt. Samtidigt har lagstiftningen skärpts, bland annat genom EU:s nya CSRD-direktiv vilket ökar kraven på transparens. Mot denna bakgrund undersöker denna studie hur hållbarhetsrapportering skiljer sig mellan börsnoterade B2B- och B2C- företag inom livsmedelsbranschen. Genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av hållbarhetsrapporter från sex företag (tre från vardera sektor) analyseras hur olika hållbarhetsaspekter lyfts fram. Studien utgår ifrån GRI:s ramverk samt intressent- och legitimitetsteorin. Det empiriska resultatet visar att samtliga företag redovisar miljömässiga, sociala och ekonomiska aspekter men att innehållet varierar. B2C- företag betonar konsumentnära åtgärder som ekologiska produkter, återvinningsbara förpackningar och minskad matsvinn. B2B- företag fokuserar mer på tekniska lösningar och effektiv resursanvändning. Skillnaderna kan kopplas till företagets relation till sina intressenter och den form av legitimitet de strävar efter att uppnå. Studien visar därmed hur affärsmodell och målgrupp påverkar innehåll och form i hållbarhetsrapportering. 

Abstract [en]

As sustainability has become an increasingly important issue, companies are subject to growing public scrutiny. It is no longer enough to act sustainable, businesses must also communicate their efforts in a credible and transparent way. At the same time, regulatory demands have intensified, particularly through the EU’s new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which places greater emphasis on transparency. This study explores how sustainability reporting differs between public listed B2B and B2C companies in the food industry. Through a qualitative content analysis of sustainability reports from six companies, three from each business model, the study examines how different sustainability aspects are highlighted. The analysis is grounded in the GRI framework and draws on stakeholder theory and legitimacy theory. The empirical findings show that all companies report on environmental, social and economic aspects, but with notable variation in content. B2C companies tend to emphasize consumer-facing initiatives such as organic products, recyclable packaging, and reduced food waste. B2B companies focus more on technical solutions and efficient resource use. These differences can be linked to each company’s stakeholder relationships and the type of legitimacy they aim to maintain. The study thus illustrates how business models and target audience influence the content and structure of sustainability reporting.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025.
Keywords [en]
Stakeholder Theory, Legitimacy Theory, Content Analysis, B2B, B2C, Sustainability reporting, Food industry
Keywords [sv]
Intressentteorin, Legitimitetsteorin; Innehållsanalys, B2B, B2C, Hållbarhetsrapportering, Livsmedelsbranschen
National Category
Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-33999OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hb-33999DiVA, id: diva2:1980949
Subject / course
Business Administration
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2025-07-08 Created: 2025-07-03 Last updated: 2026-02-26Bibliographically approved

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