Abstract 

Background: In recent years, corporations have had a central role in the sustainability debate. Multinational companies are perceived to be responsible for significant negative impacts on the environment and societies. Consequently, sustainable development has moved into the boardrooms of corporations all over the world. In order for corporations to truly become sustainable, all aspects of the business need to be considered. A necessity for having an embedded sustainability strategy in a company is the employees as the whole organisation needs to be on board and engaged.

Purpose: The purpose of this research study is to explore how communication of sustainability in a multinational corporation is connected to employee engagement. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the research on sustainability communication within corporations and how employees perceive their engagement within the corporate sustainable development.

Method: This is an exploratory research that is based on a qualitative design with an inductive approach and interpretive paradigm. A single case study was performed where Vestas Wind System A/S was the primary subject of research. Semi-structured interviews with employees working in different regions and at different organisational levels were the primary source of the data collection.

Conclusion: The research findings declare that there is an apparent correlation between the communication of sustainability and employee engagement in a multinational corporation. The empirical findings indicate a need for a reciprocal communication strategy including both top management and the employees in all regions of the company.  The findings further illustrate that communication and engagement can be affected by cultural differences and language barriers in the context of a multinational organisation.