“Social Innovation refers to new ideas that resolve existing social, cultural, economic and environmental challenges for the benefit of people and planet. A true social innovation is systems-changing – it permanently alters the perceptions, behaviors and structures that previously gave rise to these challenges,” (Balestrero & Udo, 2014, p. 84). In 2014, Hewlett Packard’s (HP’s) headquarters in Palo Alto, California partnered with SolarCity, a clean renewable energy solar provider, to outfit their headquarters with over 4,000 solar panels (Canales, 2014, para. 1). HP, a 75-year plus veteran of international technologies, understands the importance of creating and investing in sustainable solutions throughout its value chain. HP states: “We set bold targets to lead the IT sector. We are committed to sourcing 50% renewable electricity for our operations by 2025 and reducing operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25% compared to 2015,” (“Living Progress,” 2017, para. 5). This commitment is not limited by HP to their products and services, but extends to, literally, their work environment. A small, but significant step to demonstrating this belief, is their project of installing solar panels over the heads of their top decision makers. “… [The] 1 megawatt system… is expected to offset more than 20 percent of HP’s current power usage onsite… [the] installation is expected to help HP reduce its utility power costs by approximately one million dollars over the next two decades,” (Canales, 2014, para. 1). To a company that earned a net income of 3.1 million in 2016 (“Cash Flow,” 2017) one …show more content…
Its value and longevity are connected to its ability to contribute to the evolution of society and its sustainable development,” (Balestrero & Udo, 2014, p. 78). As HP highlights, organizational sustainability is made possible through all sizes of changes, even down to the efficiency of real estate office
When talking about sustainability numerous people associate it with just protecting the environment. Sustainability is far more than going green, but it is a principle that many companies have adopted and have worked persistently to improve over the last several years. Sustainability is defined as the ability to continue a behavior indeterminately, but it also includes improving human life overall. Sustainable development is broken down into three pillars: economic, social, and environmental (Harich & Bangerter, 2014). Economics is the study of how people use resources, which correlates to the goal of sustainable development by using resources to their full potential (Laszlo, C., & Zhexembayeva, N., 2011, p. 60). Economic sustainable development allows companies to give their customers what they want without overusing mutual resources. Social development combines the social world with the physical realm to provide a good quality of life (Benoit, 2010, p. 7). Social sustainability focuses on the well-being of people and their communities. Environmental development, the most recognizable, includes protecting the environment by reducing pollution, recycling, switching of electronic devices when not in use, etc. All three of these pillars make up what is known as sustainable development. In this paper, I researched a company and their involvement in sustainability and how it applies to the
Although there is no formal definition for the term, individuals have tried to define sustainability according to their function or area of study. The term “sustainability,” once an obscure ecological concept, has now been adopted by many in the business world to connote the principles of social and environmental responsibility (Joseph Fiksel, Jonathan Low and Jim Thomas). Further, sustainability can be seen through the eyes of business as a way to create value. More likely than not, the term sustainability can be linked to the ability of decreasing costs, wastes and inefficiencies. According to the vice president of General Electric,
Sustainability from a strategic business perspective is the potential for the long-term well-being of the natural environment, including all biological entities, as mutually beneficial interactions among nature and individuals, organizations, and business strategies. (O.C Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2015). Business sustainably is often defined as managing the triple bottom line – a process by which companies manage their financial, social and environmental risks, obligations and opportunities. These three impacts are sometimes referred to as profits, people and planet. (Business sustainability definition from financial times lexicon, no date). This essay will discuss the idea of sustainability being an important element within a businesses and its core strategies and the importance of it within different businesses. Secondly, this study will look at how different stakeholders are affected and influenced by sustainability as this could be seen as a catalyst to improving the environment as a whole and. Then this study will look at how businesses not focusing
Bertrand Piccard quotes, “In the 21st century, the heroes will be the people who will improve the quality of life, fight poverty and introduce more sustainability. This is a powerful message, it sums up the concepts discussed throughout the course. Additionally, the case studies such as the New Belgium Brewery, SC Johnson and The Kimberly Clarke organization have been proven to practice this philosophy. As society progresses in its efforts to provide a more sustainable future, there is a fundamental foundation of principles that must be followed to ensure success. Sustainable business development takes into account the application of business operations as it relates to the three pillars of sustainability, which is a dynamic yet integrative place to begin this journey. DesJardins, (2006) calls for a re-imagination of the future to create a vibrant sustainable model; which forms similar beliefs to Piccard. In addition, organizations are more inclined to create sustainable practices based on consumer demand and the willingness of leadership to participate in sustainability programs.
My neighbor Cindy is asking my advice about her new idea of running a contracting business for
Preston (2001) cited early on of HP’s recognition of the need to combine environmental sustainable practices into its core business strategy and its commitment to becoming an ecological leader in the 21st century. The company’s leading sustainable efforts are illustrated through its installation of an EcoPOD next-generation data centre in Georgia, USA earlier this year which is ‘currently the most efficient data centre in existence and can decrease energy consumption by 95% in contrast to traditional services’ (Interbrand, 2012). Furthermore, according to the Hewlett Packard company website, the enterprise has also delivered on its environmental goals which included reducing the energy use of HP products and associated greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 2005 levels by the end of 2011- the company reduced it to 50% and accomplished it nine months
Today, there is much emphasis given towards sustainability in the corporate world. According to its IR, NAB is said to be using much less energy in its data centers giving priority to infrastructure which is energy efficient, with some of its hubs receiving certifications too (p.14). NAB is also spending a significant amount on energy efficiency initiatives with $15 million of costs avoided and 81,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions being eliminated (p.26). Further the use of solar reflective roof paints and renewable energy (p.26) is an assurance that NAB is committed towards creating a sustainable environment with minimal impacts and preserving the environment for future generations.
The greatest challenge faced by many organizations today and especially the labour intensive industries is ensuring there is a sustainable
Sustainability implies that the organization is managing in economic, ecological and socially competent ways. All organizations range on a continuum of their sustainability level with some being more sustainable than others. Generally, as Dunphy, Griffiths and Benn (Module One, Topic 1.5) point out, the more sustainable an organization is, the more they help the surrounding environment, be this local (the particular country) or macro (the world itself). The environment also reflects the sustainability ethos and situation of the organization itself.
social entrepreneurs in their efforts to start a successful venture. This book is for someone that wants to learn useful skills on how to run a social enterprise that generates profits and alleviates social problems. The book outlines the purpose of a social enterprise, which is to address a social problem and how to generate revenues. It seeks to help someone that is interested in taking this journey to understand how to create an enterprise that is self-sufficient and sustainable. There are goals included to help navigate through the process, how to develop the concept and how to deal with uncertainty. It’s the uncertainty of the idea that social entrepreneurs choose to tackle intractable social issues, sometimes they have to operate in or create a market that does not yet exist, and they work in environments that generate uncertainty and present challenges.
Sustainability is a topic that has become very important in recent years. Sustainability is defined as, “the ability to continue a defined behavior indefinitely.” ("Finding and Resolving the Root Causes of the Sustainability Problem", 2014)
Innovation is normally used to denote the process that takes place when a product or a process is developed, from idea to market; the concept of invention only denotes the process that takes place when new ideas or solutions are generated. Baumol (2002) argues “is it possible to have lots of inventions and still lack innovations. Nevertheless, inventions are a necessary precondition for innovation”.
Sustainability when we try to understand in the context of corporate is recognizing that the corporation’s long
Usually, technology entrepreneurs are motivated to open a business because they believe they have an innovative product or service that meet a demand from society and can generate profit. Sometimes, their proposal are innovative indeed, and sometimes not. In this context, identify innovation opportunities and challenges are crucial to define the company’s business model and, consequently the plan for the success. This case study will evaluate the company Fairphone in this regard. First, we will introduce the company briefly followed by its business model. Then, we will present the SWOT analysis that will be the base for this study. After that, we will explain why we believe that Fairphone is a case of social and disruptive innovation. Next, we will indicate the concept of opportunity and challenges that will guide the analysis. Finally, the innovation opportunities will be detailed, including the possible counterpoints identified when appropriate, and the same will be done with the challenges before the case study conclusion.
With companies becoming more aware of how important it is to reduce their current environmental impact, alternative energy sources like solar and wind powered energy are becoming more prominent as eco-friendly alternatives to current unsustainable methods of power such as fossil fuels (BBC, n.d.)