Digital Technologies and Sustainability Paradoxes – An Empirical Study of a Norwegian Media Group

Large companies are increasingly faced with the dilemma of balancing between their economic performance and sustainable environmental and social impact. The recent development of information and communication technology (ICT) has certain implications on achieving cooperates sustainability goals. Although both the theory and literature on sustainable development is rich, there is a gap on empirical cases which provide practical insights on the challenges for companies, particularly the technology-focused ones. Our objective is to explore the sustainability challenges for a large software technology company that operates platforms and digital services. We conducted an exploratory case study based on various sources of information. By matching the company’s sustainability goals with the observed initiatives and product characteristics, we revealed insights on five different challenges at the organizational level. The study has implications for both research and practice on sustainability dilemmata in the ICT sector.