Date of Conferral
9-24-2025
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Human Services
Advisor
Ronald Black
Abstract
Some business leaders lack effective strategies to develop and implement their organization’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives to improve the value of the organization’s brand. Business leaders, in particular, are concerned with balancing the improvement of brand value while addressing stakeholder expectations and navigating regulatory complexities. Grounded in institutional and legitimacy theories, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective strategies for the implementation of ESG initiatives to improve brand value. Participants included five senior leaders from the energy, nonprofit, technology, and consulting sectors who had implemented ESG initiatives. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and publicly available documentation. Through thematic analysis, five themes were identified: (a) ESG strategy integration, (b) authenticity and value creation, (c) challenges in ESG implementation, (d) stakeholder influence and engagement, and (e) regulatory and market pressures. A key recommendation is for business leaders to embed ESG initiatives in core business strategy, driven by leadership and transparency. The implications for positive social change include the potential for organizational leaders to enhance transparency and accountability in corporate and community efforts thereby fostering more ethical and sustainable corporate-community relationships.
Recommended Citation
Ndisengei, Charity, "Effective Strategies for the Implementation of Environmental Social and Governance Initiatives to Improve Brand Value" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 18447.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/18447
