Embedding corporate responsibility and sustainability: Marks and Spencer

Purpose ? The British retailer Marks & Spencer aspires to be the world's mostsustainable major global retailer by 2015. This paper seeks to examine how thecompany is embedding sustainability. Design/methodology/approach ? The paper iswritten as part of an ongoing investigation into how businesses do this. It isbased on direct dialogue with corporate sustainability specialists inside andoutside the company; participation in company stakeholders' briefings heldregularly since the launch of Marks & Spencer's Plan A for sustainability inJanuary 2007; and analysis by the company's own corporate sustainabilityspecialists about how they are embedding. Findings ? This case demonstratesthat, in order to speed their journey, Marks & Spencer have alignedsustainability with core strategy. Top leadership is driving the strategy, whichis overseen by the board. M&S have made a very public commitment: Plan A withmeasurable targets, timescales and accountabilities. The strategy is beingintegrated into every business function and strategic business unit; andinvolves suppliers, employees and increasingly customers. To enableimplementation, the company is developing its knowledge-management and training;engaging with wider stakeholders including investors; building partnerships andcollaborations; and has evolved its specialist sustainability team into aninternal change-management consultancy and coach/catalyst for continuousimprovement. Originality/value ? The value of the case study is that it providesan analysis of how one company, which has been active in progressing corporatesustainability, has evolved its approach in recen