Exploring the Role of Professional Background in Sustainability Mission: A Case Study of Not-for-Profit Board Members

This bounded exploratory mixed-methods case study examines whether directors’ motivations and professional backgrounds support the sustainability mission of a not-for-profit business council for sustainable development. Using an extended sustainability-focused Resource-Based View, we surveyed 74% and interviewed 25% of directors who served from 2011 to 2020 at the Chilean chapter of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The survey drew on governance literature to understand the directors’ motivations for joining the board and their self-reported contributions to the board. Statistical tests determined how directors value their motivations and self-reported contributions, as well as determining the relationship between the directors’ professions and their motivations and contributions. Complementary interviews were analysed through content analysis. Results suggest that sustainability goals and human-capability development are the top motivations and self-reported contributions across professions. Three clusters emerge: building sustainable firms, benefiting their own companies, and improving personal competencies. Motivations often align with self and firm benefits rather than the not-for-profit’s mission, indicating a gap that some directors see as key to improving performance and societal impact. Given that the boards of business-not-for-profits have not been studied extensively, our exploratory and bounded assessment of the board members of a chapter of the WBCSD makes bounded yet insightful contributions that can be further examined.