In this compelling episode of Business Talk, Dr. C.B. Bhattacharya, H.J. Zoffer Chair in Sustainability and Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business and recipient of the American Marketing Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2026), draws on his landmark research across 1,600+ employees to reveal how a company’s sense of purpose directly shapes employee sustainability behaviors. He introduces the concept of “sustainability ownership”, a psychological state where employees feel a personal sense of responsibility over environmental initiatives, rooted in three core human needs: the need for control, the need for meaning, and the need for belonging. His research found a striking implementation gap: while many companies claim sustainability credentials, the message rarely cascades from the CEO to the factory floor, with as many as 47% of employees in one study reporting zero sustainability behavior at work. The solution, Dr. Bhattacharya argues, lies not in top-down mandates but in empowering employees with autonomy, the freedom to act on sustainability challenges without waiting for permission, backed by visible leadership and a culture where every person, at every level, becomes a sustainability champion.

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