Activities supporting increased physical activity of employees as an element of building a sustainable organization - a case study

Purpose: The objective of the argument in this paper is to present a summary of the implementation of the Free the Energy! project, the main goal of which was to promote physical activity as one of the important components of a healthy lifestyle and one of the elements of building a sustainable organization. Design/methodology/approach: In the theoretical part of the paper, the definitions of the concept of sustainable development and sustainable organizations, as well as physical activity as one of the main components of a healthy lifestyle, are presented synthetically. The research part presents a summary of the implementation of the Free the Energy! project, the main goal of which was to promote physical activity as one of the important components of a healthy lifestyle and one of the elements of building a sustainable organization. The empirical research conducted independently by members of the research team in the form of a case study was devoted to achieving the research objectives. The following selection methods were used: document analysis (regulations, University of Lodz strategy, project reports) and semi- structured, in-depth interviews conducted with participants of running training carried out as part of the “Free the Energy!” Findings: The analysis of the research results confirms the achievement of the goals of Free the Energy! project. The project activities achieved the main goals, i.e. promoting physical activity as one of the main components of a healthy lifestyle and one of the elements of building a sustainable organization. Additionally, the activities undertaken as part of the project had a positive impact on improving the image of the University of Lodz. Social implications: Building awareness among the academic community of what sustainable development is and how to implement sustainable development goals. Practical implications: The results of the research discussed in the paper have many practical implications, which may be an indication for other universities of what selected initiatives to undertake in the area of sustainable development. Originality/value: The paper reveals new aspects that play a crucial role in shaping sustainable universities.