Previous research on reactivity – defined as changing organisational behaviour to better conform to the criteria of measurement in response to being measured – has found significant variation in company responses towards sustainability metrics. We propose that reactivity is driven by dialogue, motivation and capacity in a configurational way. Empirically, we use fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyse company responses to the sustainability index FTSE4Good. We find evidence of complimentary and substitute effects between motivation and capacity. Based on these effects we develop a typology of reactivity to sustainability metrics, which also theorises the use of metrics as tools for performance feedback and the building of calculative capacity. We show that when reactivity is studied configurationally, we can identify previously underacknowledged types of responses. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications for studying and using sustainability metrics as governance tools for responsible behaviour.

中文翻译：

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对可持续性指标的反应性：动机和能力的配置研究

先前关于反应性的研究——定义为改变组织行为以更好地符合衡量标准以响应被衡量——发现公司对可持续性指标的反应存在显着差异。我们建议反应性是由对话、动机和能力以配置方式驱动的。根据经验，我们使用模糊集定性比较分析 (fsQCA) 来分析公司对可持续性指数 FTSE4Good 的反应。我们发现了动机和能力之间互补和替代效应的证据。基于这些影响，我们开发了一种对可持续性指标的反应性类型学，这也将指标用作绩效反馈和计算能力建设的工具的理论化。我们表明，当对反应性进行构型研究时，我们可以识别以前未被承认的响应类型。我们讨论了研究和使用可持续性指标作为负责任行为的治理工具的理论和实践意义。