A Place-based analysis of sustainable water management

Water is a critical resource for human organization. In many places of the world there are already severe water challenges set to worsen due to issues such as climate change and increasing urbanization. Despite its importance, the management literature on sustainability has only occasionally focused on the topic of water resources. Furthermore, what is critically missing is an explicit understanding of how local places shape water management practices, and vice versa. To address this gap, our chapter adopts a place-based approach to examine the dynamics of sustainable water management. More specifically, we provide in-depth qualitative insights through a case study of the implementation of a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) in a socially-deprived inner area of a mid-sized city in England. Based on case findings we integrate the concept of a place-based enterprise (PBE) (Shrivastava & Kennelly, 2013) into Guthey et al. (2014) framework on understanding the determinants of local “place.” In particular, we identify place-based champions as a critical organizational role within PBEs, and the management of sustainable water resources. We end with a call for future research using a place-based lens in order to better understand how local dynamics shape the emergence of sustainable enterprises and studies that identify how local champions help organizations internalize a place-based perspective.