Life cycle assessment as an enabler of an environmental sustainability strategy evolution amid institutional pressures: A best practice from the furniture industry

Abstract

Europe's furniture industry is facing burgeoning pressures that are reinforcing one another. With climate change undermining supplies, regulatory bodies imposing further constraints, and a steep increase in prices, the industry is being drawn into a vicious cycle. This study explores how masterfully embracing the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool can help internalize Life Cycle Management (LCM) through receptive organizational learning (OL), ultimately facilitating companies in this industry to unravel this vicious cycle. The research demonstrates how, through a longitudinal single-case study of an Italian furniture company, employing mixed methods. Data span in-depth interviews with key personnel, including top managers and front-line workers, on-field observations, secondary data, and technical analyses related to products' LCA to the two company's flagship products (wood and laminated office desks). As a result, the company not only introduced solutions for raw material efficiency and packaging optimization but also amplified these effects by upgrading their entire production strategy. As a result, the company's strategic outlook has now been redesigned in accordance with LCM principles.