CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS: A CRITICAL APPROACH TO EXPOSE HIDDEN REALITIES IN THE DISCOURSE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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Volume 15 Issue 2 2019

Author(s):

Masood Ahmed
SZABIST University.
masood@szabist.edu.pk

Dr. Manzoor A. Khalidi
Barret Hodgson University.
makhalidi@gmail.com
Abstract The acceptability of sustainable development as the concept to respond to increasing social-environmental challenges has led many firms to adopt sustainable development in the form of corporate sustainability. However, the evidence shows there is little impact of the so-called sustainable activities of the firms on the society and environment, and business as usual continues. In the paper, it is suggested that to understand why such impact has not occurred we need to look at the current discourses on sustainable development and corporate sustainability through the lens of critical theory and its methodology of critical discourses analysis. Major discourses prevailing in Sustainable Development and Corporate Sustainability have been discussed. It is found out that the dominant discourse of Business Case for Sustainability is marginalizing the other discourses that favor nature or society over economics as the central theme of sustainability. The implications of the findings are such that unless the dominant discourse Business Case for Sustainability is not challenged the goals of Sustainable Development would remain elusive and the path towards social and environmental degradation would continue.
Keywords Sustainable Development, Corporate Sustainability, Discourse, Critical Discourse Analysis, Business case for Sustainability
Year 2019
Volume 15
Issue 2
Type Short Report
Recognized by Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, HEC
Category "Y"
Journal Name IBT Journal of Business Studies
Publisher Name ILMA University
Jel Classification Q01, Q56
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.46745/ilma.jbs.2019.15.02.01
ISSN no (E, Electronic) 2409-6520
ISSN no (P, Print) 2416-8393
Country Pakistan
City Karachi
Institution Type University
Journal Type Open Access
Type of Review Double Blind Peer Reviewed
Format PDF
Paper Link http://ibtjbs.ilmauniversity.edu.pk/journal/jbs/15.2/1.pdf
Page 1-13
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