This site showcases the research of Dr Liz Cooper, Assistant Professor at Heriot‑Watt University, on how people talk about and negotiate responsible decisions in practice. I study recordings of real‑world interactions in organisational settings to understand how environmental and social sustainability issues are discussed, prioritised, and acted upon in everyday decision‑making.
Rather than treating sustainability decisions as the outcome of individual attitudes or values, my research focuses on what people do in interaction. This includes how sustainability is framed as important or optional, how responsibility is attributed or deflected, and how influence is exercised and resisted in meetings and workplace discussions.
Using recordings of interactions, I explore questions such as:
- How are environmental and social sustainability concerns raised, negotiated, or sidelined in organisational decision‑making?
- How do people account for, justify, or resist sustainability‑related responsibilities?
- How are values, priorities, and trade‑offs made relevant in conversations about sustainable action?
- How do professionals seek to influence decisions towards more sustainable outcomes, and how is that influence responded to by others?
The research presented on this site contributes to understanding sustainability not only as a strategic or policy challenge, but as an interactional one – shaped moment by moment through talk and social action.
