Sustainability and Organizational Mindulness in the Outdoor Industry

honors thesisDavid Eccles School of BusinessManagementGeorgi RauschThis research theorizes that characteristics of mindfulness can be cultivated in organizations through a focus on environmental sustainability. It thematically evaluates sustainability goals that correlate to organizational mindfulness and mindful organizing. The research examines organizations in the outdoor industry by presenting examples that display organizational mindfulness and mindful organizing through their sustainability goals. The research presents a case study of these organizations developed through observations of the 2020 Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show tradeshow in Denver, Colorado. The research finds that organizations that focus on sustainability goals tend to display dimensions of organizational mindfulness (commitment to resilience, deference to expertise, preoccupation with failure, and reluctance to simplify interpretations). This study's conclusion expands on previous literature that links organizational mindfulness and sustainability. The research and its conclusion add to the previous literature in the assumption that, if an organization focuses on sustainability goals, then its organizational mindfulness will be heightened because sustainability requires organizations to look beyond profits