SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT, STRATEGIES Flashcards
(10 cards)
Definitions for CSR
EU: Companies taking responsibility for their societal impacts, it is important for the sustainability,
competitiveness, and innovation of EU enterprises and the EU economy. Brings benefits for risk
management, cost savings, access to capital, customer relationships, and human resource
management.
Comprehensive view: SR applies to core business, civil society support and SD general conditions.
How should corporate sustainability strategies be?
Specific (to company situation like size, sector, products, etc) and strategic for SD (contribute to SDGs and FSSD principles)
What’s the new vision for sustainable companies?
Become ZIPO (=Zero Impacts & Positive Outcomes)
– Impact: No negative environmental and social impacts
– Outcome: positive contribution to the prosperity of society and nature
Describe the framework for corporate sustainability
management
- Contextual factors
– Context (societal and business environment, sector) and stakeholder *Porter’s 5 forces, PESTEL - Vision – normative level („Who are we and who do we want to be?“)
– Organisation‘s normative statement concerning sustainability
– Culture - Policy and strategy – strategic level (“What are our strategic goals?”)
– Organisation‘s goals and principles concerning sustainability
– Derived from vision
– Definition of sustainability strategy - Implementation – operational level (“How can we reach our goals?”)
– Sustainability strategy deployed in all functional areas (departments etc)
Define organizational culture
Culture is
– …a social phenomenon
– …has to do with beliefs, symbols, communication and values
* Common assumptions, shared values and norms, symbols, same ways of interpretation and rules of communication
Schein’s definition of culture: key phrase?
“Pattern of shared basic assumptions… learned as group solved external adaptation & internal integration… taught to new members.”
Artifacts: visible structures and processes
Values: strategies, goals and philosophies
Generic assumptions: unconscious, taken for granted beliefs, thoughts and feelings
Explain the Positivistic and Constructivist views
P: One objective reality; measure culture variables via quantitative surveys/statistics.
C: Multiple subjective realities; explore culture via qualitative methods (ethnography, interviews).
What are the four corporate sustainability strategies and their focus?
Conventional:
* Introverted – risk mitigation: Focus on legal and other external standards concerning
environmental and social aspects to mitigate risk
* Conservative – efficiency: Focus on eco-efficiency and cleaner production
Backcasting:
* Extroverted – legitimating: Focus on external relationships, license to operate
* Visionary – holistic: Focus on sustainability issues within all business activities;
What are the 3 system boundaries on the ZIPO slide?
System boundaries
* Sphere of control: management/company has direct control
* Sphere of influence: power relations allow the company to influence other actors
* Sphere of impact: actual ecological or social effects at the location where they occur
What are the operational level areas for sustainability management?
Logistic and material management (supply chain, recycled materials), production (emissions, waste, health), marketing (timing, market seg, pricing), maintenance (production losses, management), communication and PR (credibility, transparency, reporting), HR management (development, training)
