Ensuring Climate Change Policies within the Organisation - Coursework Example

?Organisational Development and Change Introduction They say change is the only constant. In any organisation, change is not an farfetched idea, instead it is one that they deal with everyday. As a matter of fact, the twenty first century has brought with it such dynamic aspects that if organisations do not find ways and means of keeping up with the change then they are deemed obsolete. Climate change is a pestering problem both in the developed countries as well as the developing countries. Hence because of this, most organisations are now looking to change their environmental policies or put up new policies that will enable them to mitigate upon this problem. (Worley and Christopher, 2009:76) This paper analyses why climate change is classified to be a ‘super wicked’ problem, viable options for meaningful change and stakeholder engagement, how can we reach consensus on the global problem and the current state of the global players and their resistance to or acceptance of the problem in relation to organisational change. Global Climate Change as a Super Wicked Problem Climate Change resulting from human activity has been acknowledged as of the main problems affecting the world. It has been observed a remarkable effect on the natural and built environments (Horstmann, 2008). In general, global temperature has increased over the decades and this is mainly cause by human activity emanating from an increase in concentration of Green House Gases (GHG) in the atmosphere (Ainslie, 2001: 37). The present levels of GHG have reached the highest ever since the Industrial Revolution (Barkin, 2006: 59). In a move to evaluate the specific challenges facing the climate, we look at the tradition view of ‘wicked problems’. Wicked problems were viewed as lacking straightforward and simple solutions (Australian Public Service Commission, 2007: 23). However, recent studies have shown that climate change has more features than most ‘wicked problems’ thus qualifying it to be ‘a super wicked problem’. The policy characteristics are based on the features of adverse global climate change problems including, uncertainty, complexity and their long – term nature and the need for immediate intervention (Beinecke, 2009: 15). The characteristics of climate change as ‘a super wicked problem’ are explained as follows. First, there is no specific formulation of ‘a super wicked problem’ implying that we must establish the causes of the problems and its solutions in order to get a better understanding of the problem (Finegan, 2010: 123). Second, there is lack of a true solution to ‘a super wicked problem’ expressing that even though destructive human activity was stopped, there would be some level of climate change resulting from other factors. Third, ‘a super wicked problem’ is either good or bad not true or false. This is because for wicked problems, the quest is not to come up with the truth but rather to discover ways of mitigating the impact of climate change. Fourth, there is no sure or ultimate solution to ‘a super wicked problem’ as the proposed remedies may have negative effects that are not stated in advance. Fifth, all solutions to ‘a super wicked problem’ are a one shot activity and there is no chance to learn through trial and error, therefore, every attempt is considered to be important. Sixth, ‘a super wicked problem’ does not have a set of exhaustive solutions (Finegan, 2010: 123). The solutions to climate change are somewhat contested implying that there is no one specific solution that will stabilize GHG emission, it can only reduce it. Seventh, every ‘super wicked problem’ is considered to be unique. For instance, climate change varies across nations, communities and ecosystems (Lovejoy, 2005: 15). Eight, every wicked problem is observed to be connected to another (Frame, 2007: 1114). For example, climate change is viewed as a consequence of poor economic growth, failing institutions and population influx. Nine, the existence of ‘a super wicked problem can be explained in many ways, the nature of explanation determines the nature of solutions which is dependent on world views (Finegan, 2010: 153). Ten, the planner and decision makers have no excuse to be wrong since they are held accountable for their actions (Schwab, 2005). This is because their actions have an impact on a huge number of people. Eleven, time is running out in that the effects of climate change are only getting worse and not enough action is being taken to mitigate them. Twelve, in the case of climate change, there is no central authority that fully owns to the responsibility of managing the problem (Whelton and Ballard, 2002). Finally, the people seeking to mitigate the effects of climate change are the same ones that are responsible for causing it (John, 2008). Viable Options for Meaningful Change and Stakeholder Engagement There is need to establish options to attain the required transformation that is necessary to fight the problem of climate change. All the stakeholders can overcome hurdles that are encountered in change mitigation and seize the upcoming opportunities to reduce the impact of climate change on the natural and built environment (Waddock and Walsh, 1999: 247). This can be done by eliminating laxity in social and economic set ups, and building the governments’ and peoples’ desires to mitigate the effects of change. Additionally, it will take the collaborative efforts of the key stakeholders in the environmental so as to win the battle against the ‘super wicked problem’ of climate change. It is important to note that the key stakeholders in change include state agencies, the private sector, legislatures and universities (Shurville and Williams, 2005: 27). In addition to the above stated, stakeholders outside the government also play a key role in policy and regulatory decisions making. Planning and implementation are the two biggest steps towards materialization of the said organisational change. Planning Any organisation needs to plan ahead of time regarding the effects of the new policy and how best to reduce the negative externalities as much as is possible. The management need to set up clear cut rules regarding the implementation of the policy. A defined chain of command is also of great importance since only then can clarifications and corrections be made without a lot of interference (Worley and Christopher, 2009: 113). Nevertheless, the managers and planners need to see contingencies such as some employees refusing to abide by the new policy in which case severe penalty is inflicted. Implementation It goes without saying that setting an example is the surest way to lead. In most instances the employer has to put his best foot forward and be the example that can be looked up to. For example if chemicals are not to be found near the premises, the manager is expected to be first to adhere to the said rule (Worley and Christopher, 2009:200). Once the manger implements the rules I n his or her own capacity, the following the rules for the rest of the staff becomes all the more easier. The Current State of the Global Players and Their Resistance to or Acceptance of the Problem As all wicked problems go, it was not brought about by itself or rather it did not occur naturally (Finegan, 2010: 145). Several players have been thoroughly involved in the process whether knowingly or unknowingly. Notably, human beings can control their own behaviour towards the environment but they may not be able to control the natural system’s way of responding to their behaviour. Therefore, the political system may have to implement some policies although it there are issues that it cannot wish away (Beincke, 2009: 15). An important factor to consider when dealing with the environment, stakeholders need to realize that time is running out. This means that although the respective governments may be eventually deal with the problems, it may be too late when the effects cannot be reversed. The usual case scenario is that stakeholders representing various interests interact among each other and try to influence each others’ preferences of the possible policy. The political system then responds with a form of policy intervention. The coalitions that lose tend to form new groups garner more support for the idea then endeavour to influence the policy in their favour. However, super wicked problems do not enjoy the luxury of going back to the political system to try again. The natural environment decides whether policies are appropriate. So far, since scientists began to warn the general public about change, no single central authority has been put in place to ensure this super wicked problem is kept under check. Public authorities and governments control some of the choices made so as to ease pressure on the climate, not all decisions are made by them (Blakely, 2007:15). As with all international problems co operation under mayhem is almost impossible to attain and the lack of a centralized authority only makes it worse. Lack of a centralized authority has several repercussions across multiple levels in this case since responses need coordination not only among states but also across economic sectors as well as policy subsystems. Hence, since this problem is not national but multinational, there needs to be a body that regulates all the environmental policies all around the world for faster and more effective solutions (Lach et al. 2003: 170). Nevertheless, those who seek to end this wicked problem of climate change are the same ones that aggravate it (Petersen, 2001: 45). Ironically, although all people in the universe are aware of the problem and know exact ways to mitigate upon it are also the major causes of it. Every single person who is currently trying to reverse the effects of climate change inevitably contributed to the climate change with industrialized countries. Unlike all other environmental crises, with climate change there are no distinct protagonists and antagonists since it is a collective problem and everyone has chipped in. Although individuals can choose to change to non fossil fuel generated power, buy environmental friendly vehicles or minimize their consumption of carbon-intensive goods, most of people’s daily activities still result in greenhouse gas emissions. In the US for example, 20 percent of total carbon emissions are generated from passenger vehicles while 17 percent are emitted from residential homes (Bernsrein et al. 2000, 43). In addition to this, it has been noted that industrialized countries are the ones that contribute most greatly to emissions that result in climate change. This is because these activities are the ones that bring about most profit hence it can be understood why letting go of such environmentally unfriendly activities may be rather hard. Therefore one cannot be causing a problem and at the same time to mitigate it and still expect for it to go away. In a nut shell each and every member of the society has a role to play in both the causing as well as the mitigating of climate change. Reaching a consensus on the problem In retrospect, the current issue needs to be handled delicately by all the players in the field. The government, managers and employees need to sit down and review a strategy that will work in everyone’s favour. People working in all organisations need to keep up with the goals and agendas of the organisation. (Petersen, 2001: 45). Therefore when it comes to incorporating climate change as a new concept in the organisation each person in the organisation needs to be aware of the problem of climate change and how to best it. Each human being on earth has done one thing or another to contribute to the situation as it today. It is also important to note that as of now, everyone knows that the situation is dire and hence everyone knows that the time for change is now. As already mentioned the formation of an organ under which international policies regarding climate change will be formulated, will go a great way in bringing an end to the problem (Bartley, 2003: 27). The formulated policies will be agreed upon by the governments of countries all over the world and each country should ensure strict implementation and adherence to of the policies. Conferences are international meetings that are arranged by to discuss key global warming and climate change issues should be well attended by at least a member of the team. (Callender, 2006: 67). Such meetings should be used as a platform for policy formulation and setting penalties for the parties contributing to the highest levels of environmental. It is important to note that such meetings bring together people from different countries and global leaders from various environmental organisations and can be used to reach decisions on the way forward concerning climate change (Brown and Brundley, 2003: 33). For instance, the conference held in 1988 led to the establishment of World Climate Research and World Climate Programme that were aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change. The recent World Climate Conference 3 held in Geneva in 2009 came up with an initiative that is concerned with climate predictions and its use in decision making (Callender, 2006: 67). This information is important to the society at large, food producers, waste managers, energy developers and national planners. It is therefore important to use the platform offered by these meetings to come up with a consensus relating to climate change (Finegan, 2003: 23). As earlier explained climate change is caused by largely human activity. It is vital that the employees understand this and understand further that they too have a role to play in the mitigation of this problem. Essentially, the introduction of the new policy in the organisation is aimed at improving the environmental condition within the confines of the organisation and inevitably the world at large. Adapting to this new policy will prove hard for them but with correct guidance the transition need not be as difficult. Conclusion Climate change continues to be a festering problem in the contemporary world. Fundamentally, understanding that the problem did not bring itself about and neither will it disappear without any effort from each person on earth is the first building block towards change. Therefore, the company needs to set up extreme measures to ensure climate change policies within the organisation are followed to the letter. For this reason, close supervision alone will not work. The manager and other relevant stakeholders need to sensitize and educate the employees regarding the use of such policies and provide a clear cut route for implementation. Nevertheless, incentives too can be put in place with rewards going to the most environmentally friendly and penalties for the least environmentally friendly. With such carefully laid out plans, the world will soon transform into the beautiful, habitable place it once was. References Ainslie, G.W. (2001) Breakdown of will, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 23- 45. Australian Public Service Commission (2007) ‘Tackling wicked problems: A public polic Perspective, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, pp. 10- 30. Barkin, J.S. (2006) ‘Discounting the discount rate: Ecocentrism and environmental economics global environmental politics’, vol. 6. no. 4, pp. 56-72. Bartley, T. 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