Sustainability in the New Zealand wine industry : a Foucauldian discourse analysis : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Distance, New Zealand

Abstract

The contention that businesses must be ‘sustainable’ is ubiquitous, with businesses treating sustainability as a given within their operations. However, what ‘sustainability’ means and entails remains unclear, causing ambiguity that may impede addressing issues affecting both people and the planet. This research examines the New Zealand wine industry’s version of sustainability through Foucauldian discourse analysis, uncovering assumptions and mechanisms that normalise, legitimise, and construct truth claims around what this industry has accepted as being sustainable. ‘Power/knowledge networks’ and the ‘subjectivating’ effects of discourse are also of key consideration. Finally, the research considers discourse’s role in fostering an audit culture within the wine industry’s sustainability efforts. Neoliberalism was identified as the overarching discourse in the primary text, exemplified by discursive strategies that unquestioningly prioritise competition and the role of market demands in constructing and describing sustainability. Neoliberalism was identified as the overarching discourse for its pervasiveness in shaping sub-discourses. In identifying each sub-discourse, it became evident that these were supported or enabled by neoliberalism. The sub-discourses are: Colonialism, whereby Te Ao Māori is appropriated and used in a colonial, compensatory manner to meet market demands. The second and third discourses, the Leadership discourses, are Leadership through competition, whereby leadership is individualised, identified through competition, and used to achieve social sustainability; and Leadership through collaboration, where Neoliberal discourse contributes to the design of diversity programmes in order to meet social sustainability outcomes. In the final sub-discourse, People as the other, the overarching discourse of Neoliberalism and its accompanying business practices produce sustainability in a form that treats people as an ‘other’. Repetition of discourse was seen in secondary texts to varying extents, with Te Ao Māori having potential to be a counter-discourse. The spread of discourse as a consequence of industry social processes, is also discussed in terms of audit culture and institutions. This research demonstrates how Foucauldian approaches can be utilised for in management and organisational settings by examining the impact of power/knowledge on people within an industry. Through questioning the assumed and familiar, new knowledge and learnings can be generated, along with highlighting unintended consequences that can arise when historically reinforced regimes of truth are accepted without interrogation.