Sustainability in Global Business - Coursework Example

SUSTAINABILITY IN A GLOBAL BUSINESS A sustainable business can be defined as a business enterprise that contains minimal negative impact on the local environment, the society, the global environment and the community. Many of the sustainable businesses have an environment that is progressive and human right policies. In an ecological and a social system, change cannot be an avoided. From history, we learn that the society have always existed in an equilibrium that is dynamic, changing the status quo and always pressing a challenge (Petersons (Firm: 2006), 2013, p. 7). The major changes in the present change and the previous changes are commonly considered the temporal and spatial characters of the change. The human interactions that are pre-industrial with the natural system and the social system usually cause changes to the short-term and local scale. The present socio-ecological interactions are generating a wide spread in the global changes with changes that are temporary and far into the future. The harmful consequences that we face because of human forcing on the ecological and social systems may never find the solution required through single issues like solving the global poverty or resource efficiency (Blowfield, 2012, p. 18). The current processes and the societal structures are structured in a manner that they contribute systematically to the current directions that are unsustainable and causing the people to face the difficulty to inspire global unity around safeguarding the probabilities of the future options. The development of sustainability signifies the increase of the people’s room for maneuver. This requires an approach that is systematic in solving of problems and the strategic planning by identifying control for restoration in both ecological and human (Stoner and Wankel, 2010, p. 32). Development of organizations that is unsustainable Many organizations are adopting policies and practices that are sustainable and they integrate them with the strategies in their organizations for the purpose of organization development (Schmidheiny, 1992, p. 214). Research has indicated that that most of the changes in the organizations efforts plateau after the initial period Research has of passion and was not able to become an integrated and sustained approach to the planning strategies and development. It is determined that changes that are unstained can be related to the current disclosure on the developments that are sustainable and focuses on the establishment of the evolving technology and instrumental policies such as what to do (Blowfield, 2012, p. 58). A complementary research has been conducted in order to determine the manner in which many organizations engage to sustain change and build the capacity that will enhance the understanding in the manner in which plans that are successful for and approach sustainability. If the change in an organization is directed towards sustainability loose energy and momentum, it is considered that the technique used for implementation was not operative to align the organizations vision with the behavior for sustainable development. The inability to sustain the major changes is not limited to developments that are sustainable. Several authors have established that many of the initiatives for change do not result to the desired results indicating only fifty to twenty percent of the change efforts are taken as successful. This shows that over seventy percent of the change that is conducted cannot result to the required change. Some of the suggesting that have been suggested by a common reason to why initiative to change failures can be identified to not solving the underlying worldviews and the characters maintaining the status quo that exists. The mental models that prevail are allowed to remain unchanged (Gonzalez and Leonard, 2013, p. 17). Human social systems as advantage point Developments that are sustainable require incorporating the interactions that are complex among all the systems of the people within the organization, the biosphere and within the society. In order to obtain sustainability, it is necessary to get through the global perspective. The future sustainable society or development that is sustainable commonly depends on the interactions and human behavior. Having knowledge on the influential factors in the human system assists in finding the locations to intervene to produce a transformative system through small changes. Even though many of the organizations try to find solutions that may help in addressing problems that arise from social-ecological such as increasing monitoring indicators and systems, policy fixes, the goals of the organization and mostly the capacity to transcend them and the paradigm shift (Stoner and Wankel, 2010, p. 92). Research has been conducted on why developments that are not sustainable efforts in businesses and it were found out that the key transformational advantage toward a sustainable business lies in changing the management and governance. The manner in which organizations choose to manage themselves affects the abilities of the business and its members in the contribution to or the level of performance of the business. Governance is commonly narrowed and interpreted to formal authority that is performed by the top management. According to Hock, governance is defined as the manner in which power is generated and disseminated within an organization through the planning and decision-making system, sharing and gathering information and the distribution and allocation of resource (Blowfield, 2012, p. 118). The governance system indicates the manner in which strategies are developed in an organization, how the interactions and behaviors are organized. The rules and responsibilities are also defined in the governance. Governance reveals the individuals who have influence, the decision makers and those who decide and the manner in which the decision makers are accountable to the organization stakeholders. Governance should address the key sustainable development strategies as it appeals to the human systems that affect the behavior of a business (Petersons (Firm: 2006), 2013, p. 44). It is determined that changes that are unstained can be related to the current disclosure on the developments that are sustainable and focuses on the establishment of the evolving technology and instrumental policies such as what to do. A complementary research has been conducted in order to determine the manner in which many organizations engage to sustain change and build the capacity that will enhance the understanding in the manner in which plans that are successful for and approach sustainability (Gonzalez and Leonard 2013, p. 55). Strategic sustainable development There exist many definitions for the word sustainability, which are being navigated by frameworks, tools espousing, and the management systems, which commonly differs, and at times contrasts with the approaches that are used in the process of establishing developments that are sustainable. The decision makers and the leaders are faced with the challenge of coming up with the most effective and correct course of action (Petersons (Firm: 2006), 2013, p. 144). This states the importance of an overarching outline that enhances strategic exploration towards sustainability. A plan that is effective survives in systems that are complex, and they require understanding of the principals of the constitution so that they can be successful. The system should be based on an approach that is structured using the scientific consensus process, those researching have been able to come up with criteria, principles to the environment, direct social, and actions that are economically towards sustainability (Blowfield, 2012, p.156). Framework for Strategic Sustainable Complex dynamics of the socio-ecological system and the complicated obligations of determining the strategies that are appropriate and the techniques that their effectiveness are limited in the initiation of sustainable developments that are advanced (Schmidheiny, 1992, p. 214). A framework that is natural is usually developed with the intention of enabling the planning strategies for a development that is sustainable (Schmidheiny, 1992, p. 214). Five level framework A framework that is considered a system level comprises of the social-ecological system. It explains the crucial natural laws such as the thermodynamics and it comprises of the social system such as a business itself. The next level states the place where the desired outcome is sustainability, the definition of success. The principals of sustainability explain success for the society around the description section and the biosphere. This is usually rephrased in order to direct the organization and the duties to the society within the environment and the principals governing success that are considered to be specifying in different organizations can accomplish them (Gonzalez and Leonard, 2013, p. 117). The organization principles of sustainability indicate that overarching challenge for the organization action within the society within the environment. This is followed by the third level of the structure, which is key to the structural approach as it gives information that helps in the selection of logical steps that are used in the selection of the stepping-stones that are logic in an overall strategy to develop a strategy that is sustainable. Level four incorporates the organizational actions that choose strategic act towards the vision of the organization (Blowfield, 2012, p. 218). The actions may involve the development of cross departmental teams that will help in providing support that will ensure feedback to decision makers and the sustainable initiatives, the resources that are needed for operation and consideration of the social-ecological issues in the organization financial report. The final level indicates what is supposed to be done and the available tools that can be used to enhance the building energy and the capacity of the process. It also gives the qualitative and the quantitative data and helps in the execution of the action that is considered to be strategic and achieve the success that is in the system. Most of the tools used are usually known too much organization (Laszlo, 2005, p. 132). Principles for sustainable development The sustainability principals create support in the process of selecting the correct action to bring into line the development initiatives of change, policies, line development, and technology towards a vision that is sustainable. The following is a brief description of social developments and investment strategies. Casting back from the principals. This is where a vision is developed which is desired for the future by putting into line the key purpose of the business or the organization with the major challenges of sustainability (World Business Council For Sustainable Development, 1990, p. 78). In this method, those who are participating interrogates themselves the reason why they need to be in the future without considering the challenges resulting from technology or the current challenges faced in an organization. It analyzes the current situation of the employees and comes up with strategies that will be used in achieving the desired future that are outlined by the sustainability principles (Gonzalez and Leonard, 2013, p. 117). Stages in the Right Direction: the decision makers usually choose actions. These actions are the ones that are expected to lead strategically in achieving the outcome that is desired, such as complying with the principles of an organization and the vision of the organization (Schmidheiny, 1992, p. 214). Factors preventing change Even though a limited research has been done to change the organization and sustainability, two main sources have been used to answer the research questions. Interviews and researches were carried out in order to identify the factors within an organization that hinders the sustainability to become an approach that is sustained to an organization development (Blowfield, 2012, p. 232). Strategic Process Guidelines Using the understanding gained concerning the SSD, changes in organizations, system of science, governance and the human need were established in a manner that is readily understandable processes that are strategic with guidelines that will improve the sustainability of the society in the organization through using approaches that are sustainable to governance. The guidelines of an organization should follow the principles that are exiting for the development of a sustainable relating sustainability, transparency and specifically dialogue. Ways of developing strategic guidelines The starting point is looking at level four principles of sustainability in a specific business organization context and getting to know the SSD process of management. The social sustainability challenges are normally solved in terms of the external factors such as the reporting initiatives and the social responsibility. The organizations here are limiting the possibility of the research to look at the ways of strategic working with the social sustainability by paying more attention to the organization members (Stoner and Wankel, 2010, p.157). It usually considered that the governance of the organization should not undermine systematically the capability the members of an organization to meet their basic needs. A literature scan was then conducted to reveal, identify, and go through the literature in the field that will learn the fundamentals of human needs; the change in the organization and the systems of science. It was embraced that the concept were compatible and complementary in order to answer the research question (Gonzalez and Leonard, 2013, p. 157). From the major areas that are described above, the experts on sustainability and change in the organization, the development scale of the human theory scale and the nine key needs, did research and they developed a list of precautions to be followed from each of the aspects. The developed list from the experts focused on the organizational sustainability and changes that helped the current results for the first research question to be concentrated on and establish the factors of an organization that generates difficulties to the efforts of change towards sustainability (Blowfield, 2012, p. 318). Utilization of the theory of human scale by Manfred that explains the nine major human needs, the researchers develop a number of guidelines that were well reasoned out from the knowledge that it can assist the approach of SSD in removing the challenges to social sustainability. A process that is iterative was put in place to come up with developed synegerics procedures. Bibliographies BLOWFIELD, M. (2012). Business and sustainability. Oxford, Oxford Univ. Press. GONZALEZ-PEREZ, M. A., & LEONARD, L. (2013). International Business, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility. Bradford, Emerald Group Pub. . LASZLO, C. (2005). The sustainable company how to create lasting value through social and environmental performance. Washington, DC, Island Press. PETERSONS (FIRM: 2006). (2013). Competitive Edge a guide to graduate business programs, 2013. SCHMIDHEINY, S. (1992). Changing course: a global business perspective on development and the environment. Cambridge, Mass, MIT Press. STONER, J. A. F., & WANKEL, C. (2010). Global sustainability as a business imperative. New York, Palgrave Macmillan. WORLD BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. (1990). Corporate social responsibility: meeting changing expectations. Conches-Geneva, Switzerland, World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Read More