Theory and concept of sustainability and sustainable. The previous section discussed the relevance of the business sustainability concept. The concept of sustainable development and its use for. Sustainable development historical roots of the concept jacobus a. While the concept of sustainability is a relatively new idea, the movement as a whole has roots in social justice, conservationism. However, the above expressed arguments are the fruits of at least two decades of discussion, research and debate. Brief for gsdr 2015 the concept of sustainable development. Its development was informed by a number of existing frameworks and was inspired, in particular, by the work of r. However, respondents do cite several different levers for value creation over the next five years. In this background, the present paper focuses on the concept of business sustainability and challenges for implementing the business case for sustainability. Du pisani school for social and government studies, northwest university, potchefstroom, south africa abstract this article gives an overview of the origin of the concept of sustainable development by going far back in history to trace its roots. The concept of sustainable development has received growing recognition, but it is a new idea for many. In response to my piece this summer about the hubris among some sustainable design leaders a darker shade of green, a reader tweeted that no one outside of field knows what you mean by sustainable sic. The core concept of sustainability openforests medium.
The issue of sustainability has received various treatments over the past two decades. The term paradigm is used deliberately, in that corporate sustainability is an alternative to the traditional growth and profitmaximization model. Corporate social responsibility, or csr, usually refers to a companys commitment to practice. Sustainability, sustainable development, and business. Planning for sustainability needs to begin long before the program faces the end of its initial funding cycle. Sustainable entrepreneurship stands for a business driven concept of sustainability which focusses on increasing both social as well as business value so called shared value. This concept relates at the microeconomic level to the sustainable business, which is a company that succeeds in the long term. Jorna professor of knowledge management and cognition. There is a statistically significant relationship between taking action related to sustainable business in the company and managers conviction awareness regarding the concept of. Here are four steps to transform your business purpose into profit. A changing of marketing concept lead to sustainable business nitchakarn noourai faculty of management science prince of songkla.
To this end, an informed and rational concept of sustainability needs to be internalized in the ethos and ethics of human society and applied critically to concepts of growth, development, and the environment. Sustainability then becomes a concept that is equivalent to good and thus devoid of any specific meaninga blanket concept to assure stakeholders of the policys good intentions. By the end of the twentieth centuries, many of these ideas had come together in the call for sustainable development. Corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Becoming familiar with different ways of defining sustainability in business and. The importance of sustainable business practices in the viennese accommodation industry submitted by marita raderbauer to the university of exeter as a thesis for the degree of master of sciences september 2011 this dissertation is an original piece of work, i acknowledge that i have read and understood the university rules concerning plagiarism. Business sustainability, also known as corporate sustainability, is the management and coordination of environmental, social and financial demands and concerns to ensure responsible, ethical and ongoing success. The concept of sustainability and sustainable innovation. Master thesis the importance of sustainable business. Sustainability describes the ability to maintain various systems and processes environmentally, socially, and economically over time. In this background, the present paper focuses on the concept of business sustainability and challenges for implementing the business case for. It is possible that the terminology problem occurs in the dual nature of the sustainable development concept, covering development as well as sustainability ciegis, 2004.
For companies, bringing a sustainability lens to business strategy can help to reduce risks, lower costs, drive revenues, and build intangible value, especially brand loyaltyall of which contribute to competitive advantage. Albeit somewhat vague, this concept of sustainable development aims to maintain economic advancement and progress. A conceptual framework of sustainability in project management oriented to success. As more and more a key point in the business case for environmental sustainability is the potential to. Whereas the concept of sustainability is broadly acknowledged as being multi dimensional, its various. Business sustainability is a strategy that prioritizes the long term survival of a business and connected ecological, social and cultural systems. The concept of corporate sustainability is linked with three dimensions. The definition and set of five sustainability principles proposed below seeks to advance and restore rigor to the ideas underlying the concept of sustainability.
Concerns about sustainability are important, however, because unsustained programs can result in a loss of investment. Business sustainability is a business principle that is widely recognized as a critical strategic concern for. This concept release is part of an initiative by the division of. Sustainable development historical roots of the concept. World commission on environment and development, 1987 in the extensive discussion and use of the concept since then see e. This article outlines the importance of the initial sustainability concept and how it describes our relationship with the world and the nature over.
The figure shows schematically how the social and economic systems are embedded in the environment. Ironically, also the contextual appropriate use of the sustainability concept in. These different discourses have also revealed their appeal over corporations, whose role and. The concept of sustainable development has undergone various developmental phases since its introduction. These disclosure requirements serve as the foundation for the business and financial disclosure in registrants periodic reports. Strategic performance management system and corporate. Pdf sustainable business development through leadership. Of course, sustainability transcends the fields of architecture and design, but its true that the word can be confusingin large part because it doesnt mean what many seem. For example, newer programs must focus on the need to collect data to demonstrate program effectiveness. In the concept of environmental sustainability, robert goodland substantiates a history documenting this need, presenting proponents ranging from mill and malthus to meadows and brundtland et al. An important issue is prioritization of the corporate sustainability concept and its understanding.
Embedded in most definitions of sustainability we also find concerns for social equity and economic development. Business strategy for sustainable development iisd. The perspective of concept sustainability sciencedirect. A conceptual framework of sustainability in project. What is sustainability and how can you create a more sustainable business strategy. International journal of business and social science vol. Sustainability is achieved when all people on earth can live well without compromising the quality of life for future generations. If in the neoclassical logic the concept of sustainable growth receives a quantitative understanding i. An attempt to reconceptualize lecture presented at nias. While the concept of sustainability is a relatively new idea, the movement as a whole has roots in social justice, conservationism, internationalism and other past movements with rich histories.
Corporate sustainability can be viewed as a new and evolving corporate management paradigm. Discussing sustainability in business context and in. Sustainable development is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. More specifically, the research seeks to analyze the unfolding of socioenvironmental initiatives in the corporate business and the adoption of reports on sustainability indicators, highlighting the challenges involved in these issues. Faculty of management and organization university of groningen, groningen, netherlands. Theory and concept of sustainability and sustainable development. The strength and relevance of the original brundtland concept was precisely that it posed the question of how to. For most, the concept remains abstract and theoretical. Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In connection with the concept, we are interested in specific parameters such as the impact of the company size and capital structure on the corporate sustainability. This chapter provides an overview of the theories and concepts of sustainability and sustainable development and their anticipated links to global environmental, economic, and social crises.
Background concern about sustainability is almost as old and enduring as the dismal science itself, even though the word itself has come into fashion only in the past decade or so. Integrating sustainability into business practices. Sustainability originated in natural resource economics, but has since gained broader currency in terms of sustainable development and social equality. Sustainable entrepreneurship business success through. This book shows why and how this unique concept has the potential to become the most recognised strategic management approach in our times. While corporate sustainability recognizes that corporate growth and profitability are important, it. The historical development of the concept saw participation of various organizations and institutions, which nowadays work intensely on the implementation of. Clarifying the meaning of sustainable business build. Rolf jucker, a vision for a sustainable university sustainability is a systemic concept, relating to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society.
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