ISO 14001 as a driving force for sustainable development and value creation

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine whether the process of organisational change in implementing the environmental quality standard ISO 14001 can act as a driving force for sustainable development (SD) and value creation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper first presents an analysis of the concepts of: the ISO 14000 environmental management system (EMS); SD; values‐based value creation; and service quality. These concepts are then applied in a case study of organisational change at Flügger AB (Sweden), a company that has undergone a comprehensive transformation process based on ISO 14001 over a period of more than ten years. Findings – The study reveals that ISO 14001 certification can be used as an active tool for promoting comprehensive organisational changes leading to SD and value creation. Research limitations/implications – The single case‐study design of the present research does not enable empirical generalisations to be made. Future research in this area should focus on generalising the present findings by studying the development and integration of values‐based thinking in other empirical settings. Practical implications – The study provides useful insights into the successful adoption of ISO 14000 EMS as an active tool for SD and value creation. Originality/value – The paper makes an original contribution to the study of holistic organisational change by explicitly linking the adoption of an EMS with values‐based thinking and sustainability.