Corporate Sustainability

The focus of this thesis is on whether or not it is possible to decouple economic growth from the physical growth of the economy and its associated negative environmental pressures and pollution. The thesis demonstrates that it is possible to achieve significant levels of decoupling of economic growth from a range of environmental pressures such as greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and natural resource degradation, freshwater extraction, air pollution, waste and hazardous waste.

By clearly differentiating between economic and physical growth and focusing on how to achieve significant decoupling this thesis advances the traditional debates and discourses about “growth”. This thesis shows that in theory and practice it is possible to achieve significant levels of decoupling, and thus environmental sustainability, whilst maintaining economic growth.

This thesis examines the relative costs of inaction versus action on decoupling, concluding that the costs of inaction significantly outweigh the costs of action. It also examines whether a transition to environmental sustainabilty will lead to net job losses or gains, showing that, with effective policy, it can result in net employment gains. As such, this thesis provides a new integration to show that it is possible to reconcile the need to simultaneously achieve environmental sustainability, economic growth and job creation. This result has important implications for other important sustainability debates such as the climate change debates. These are explored in detail in this thesis.

This thesis also demonstrates that many social sustainability goals – reducing poverty, inequality and corruption whilst improving access to education and health –correlate strongly with improved economic growth. Thus this thesis demonstrates that it is possible to create a new form of economic growth that is also environmentally and socially sustainable as called for in the seminal text on sustainable development "Our Common Future" in 1987.

Finally, this thesis is a formal defense of and contribution to the academic field of ecological modernization which has hypothesized that it is possible to simultaneously pursue environmental sustainability, social justice and economic growth in ways that mutually re-enforce each other. This thesis provides significant evidence to support this central tenet of ecological modernisation. The research of this thesis has helped inform and contribute to several international book publications all of which show nations how to achieve significant decoupling of economic growth from environmental pressures such as Cents and Sustainability:Securing Our Common Future by Decoupling Economic Growth from Environmental Pressures (Earthscan, 2010). Note: This thesis was submitted in May 2008 and was awarded in 2009.  You can download all the chapters individually from the ANU digital thesis library here https://digitalcollections.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/49387

The real success of Indian democracy is being attributed to its social responsiveness towards all of its citizens. Nevertheless, in the endeavour of sustaining a true and vibrant democracy, the country strives very hard to extent the facilities and benefits to all strata of the society due to its constrained resources. Therefore, the Government of India needs a helping hand from corporate sector to ensure better standard of living of its people. In this regard, the corporate India is expected to play a constructive role by undertaking activities which may ultimately lead to social rejuvenation, development and empowerment of unprivileged people. If this happens, India is very proud to be one of the countries in the world to attain real inclusive growth. Hence, it is felt that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities of companies are really a key to unlock both economic and social disparities, which in turn, benefits the person in the last mile. Moreover, the Companies Act, 2013 has directed corporate India to work towards a growth based socio-economic-environment development model.

            The present book is an attempt to provide the emerging trends and best practices in CSR implementation, models of partnership, managerial and organizational challenges and issues in monitoring and evaluation of projects related to CSR in the public and private sector.

            I thank all paper contributors for their continued support, encouragement, inspiration to complete this task. Without their help it will be difficult task for me to complete this volume.

  Dr. M. Vasan

This Paper explores and summarises the Director's Duties of the UK Companies Act 2006 with emphasis on "the duty to promote the success of the company.

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Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has gained tremendous attention in the policy implementation of some organizations. National governments and societies have developed keen interest in the operations of organizations under this jurisdiction. Therefore, companies may not only be profit oriented but would seek to enhance the welfare of the people as they operate in a more sustainable way without harming the environment. It is on this premise that this article attempts to assess stakeholder participation and sustainability of corporate social responsibility programmes implemented by AngloGold Ashanti in Obuasi, Ghana. CSR programmes initiated by AGA-Obuasi are categorized into four main areas: Community Health and Malaria Control Programme, Social Infrastructure, Education and Sports as well as Art, Culture & Heritage programmes (AngloGold Ashanti, 2013). Activities of the mines affect Obuasi and their allocated unit areas environmentally, socially, economically and culturally and hence, the company is not only profit oriented but has assumed responsibility of developing the community through CSR and the reclamation bond or process. CSR programmes are undertaken voluntarily by the mine corporation to facilitate its operations. CSR policies, plans, program and projects are broad and hence, the study was conducted mainly to assess stakeholder participation and sustainability. The relevant stakeholders in various communities in the AGA-Obuasi operational area were involved in the formulation and implementation of CSR programmes through consultative committee meetings, community/public meetings in various allocated communities. Program were formulated and implemented based on request from host communities.

The concept of circular economy (CE) has recently gained momentum in the political, scientific, and economic debate, especially in China and Europe. As a result, organizations and scholars have started to establish different sets of principles for its adoption. For this reason, it is important to identify and assess the differences and similarities among existing sets of CE principles, and how organizations and individuals understand and translate them into practice. In this paper, we firstly present a brief review and analysis of the coherence among six existing sets of principles. Our analysis finds that, despite the mixed degree of coherence, all sets describe the necessity to implement CE principles at all levels of a company. We then present the results of an in-depth qualitative survey that investigates how 19 key informants representing small, medium, and multinational companies based in China understand and carry out the CE principles laid out by the BSI standard BS 8001:201...

They are calling it ‘green-washing;’ The phenomenon wherein associating someone or thing with the current fads of liberal environmentalists is done with the intention of ingratiating oneself with the many consumers in that group and the general public over which they exert a material influence. Although many corporate responsibility efforts today are too sophisticated and multifaceted to warrant the designation ‘green-washing’ there is still much skepticism over the sincerity of many of these efforts. Placing those with genuine intentions and deep impact aside, we focus here on the many entities for whom corporate responsibility is but a box to check and advertise to the millennial and/or highly educated consumer base. The argument being that against those who would claim that any kind of corporate responsibility, be it shallow and forced or otherwise, is a significant gain to the equality and sustainability movement, this author disagrees and asserts the ultimate uselessness of many such shallow corporate responsibility efforts. If any really changes in the equality of our present economic system are to be achieved, and if companies seek to maximize on what gains they can make from the inescapable societal shift in this direction, then the corporate responsibility efforts of all entities will need to be proactive, intelligent and thorough.

Global energy requirements are rising tremendously because of increasing urbanization and the human population. In the last few centuries, the consumption of fossil fuels has caused increased emissions of greenhouse gases resulting in environmental concerns like global warming, climatic change, and biodiversity loss. As a result, progress in sustainable energy has become the centre of attention in climatic change agenda and economic growth. Until now, various methods of renewable energy production have been extensively studied such as geothermal energy, wind energy, and solar energy. In addition to this, the utilization of biofuels from different sustainable sources are also being considered to reduce greenhouses gas emissions. New approaches and developments are still required for the creation of more sustainable, efficient, and affordable renewable energy systems and for the mitigation of global environmental threats. This special issue aims to advance novel developments in the su...

Studies have shown that efficient change management leads to a smooth transition from traditional to sustainable corporations. Moving towards corporate sustainability requires well-planned change management that can enhance economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity inside organizations. This requires capable managers, who can alter the behaviors and skills of the employees to focus on sustainability targets. Accordingly, this research proposes a framework that deploys change management aspects to achieve corporate sustainability. In particular, the suggested framework demonstrates three main stages that are readiness for change, corporate sustainability processes, and implementing change. The findings reveal that following these stages, respectively and precisely, helps managers and employees utilize the change management aspects effectively to achieve corporate sustainability.

The characteristics of pharmaceutical sector imply a high risk of corruption with a considerable damage for the industry, the healthcare system and the whole community. The pharmaceutical companies have an important role for a generalized recovery of effectiveness in the health sector, so many international institutions intervened with models of ethical code that represent the minimum standards the companies should respect to reach good ethical practices. At present, most of the companies have well-structured code of ethics/conduct, but it frequently seems not favor corporate behaviors ethically correct sharing priorities in the triple bottom line. The paper makes considerations about the role of the ethical code on building strong value-driven cultures as tool of corporate responsibility in the pharmaceutical industry. The aim is to demonstrate how difficult is the coherence between the values declared in the code and the effective behavior when the corporate ethical culture fails.

How can Karnataka hand over a children’s programme to corporations when we do not even have the evidence about the safety of this drug? The drug has questionable nutrients, and could even be toxic. Half a carrot, a drop of oil or a few ground nuts will give much more nutrients than spirulina. This substance is neither certified as a drug under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 or as a food under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. Is it possible that attempts are made to do a clinical trial with this substance which is not even indigenous to India? Why cannot we promote our own diet, which will help our local economies?

Sustainability is increasingly a basic tenet within the organisational philosophy of many universities. While those universities that have a sustainability strategy have largely focused on operational improvements, the engagement of staff and students is equally important for creating a sustainable campus. This paper develops a 6-P co mmun ity engagement framework for pro moting eco-centric practices within university campuses. The objective of the study is to apply the framework to a university co mmunity in order to establish the validity of this framewo rk. To this end, interviews with staff and students at Bond Un iversity were undertaken. The interviews reveal that the 6-P framewo rk is highly applicab le to the Bond university co mmunity. Interviewees suggest that all 6-P factors (psychological, physical, personal, public perception, price and policies) are relevant and have a positive influence towards an eco-centric behaviour. The framework is useful as a template fo r other universities in developing a community engagement strategy to fit into the vision of a sustainable campus.

The book introduces students to the background and key issues of sustainability and suggests ways in which these concepts can be applied in business practice. Though the book takes a business perspective, it is interdisciplinary in its nature and draws on knowledge from socio-economic, political, and environmental studies, thereby providing a practical understanding of sustainability in the changing paradigm of global business.

The Corporate Social Responsibility 'CSR' notion is increasingly drawing the attention of a number of academic authors. Very often, they are using CSR as well as Corporate Sustainability, without clearly distinguishing the differences in their meanings. This contribution defines the meaning of corporate sustainability and responsibility.

This research work evaluates the impact of stormwater infiltration on the removal of organics, solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in a LECA-based horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland. Stormwater runoff for the period between January 2008 and June 2010 (30 months) was estimated for the drainage basin of the Vila Fernando wastewater treatment plant (constructed wetland system) and it was observed proportionality between the increase in surface runoff and the infiltration flow rate that reached the plant. The average stormwater infiltration rate that reached the plant was 67.4 m(3) d(-1) (77% of the influent flow rate into the plant). The 30 month monitoring campaign set up at one of the reed beds showed that stormwater infiltration led to a high variation of the hydraulic loading rate (HLR) throughout the bed, which affected its performance in the removal of organic matter, suspended solids and nitrogen. For a HLR below 20 cm d-1 the removal efficiencies for BOD5, COD and TSS doubled. The removal of nitrogen was too low and was associated with the weak development of nitrifying biofilm and the poor growth of reeds. However, it was observed a good relationship between the applied and removed loads for most of the parameters, which seems to indicate that the organic, solid, nitrogen and phosphorus loading rates influenced the respective removal rates. The use of a bed material with high specific surface area, such as LECA, can only improve the treatment capacity of horizontal subsurface flow systems if the organic and solid loading rates, as well as the HLR, can be effectively controlled.

Both sustainability and identity are said to be paradoxical issues in organizations. In this study we look at the paradoxes of corporate sustainability at the individual level by studying the identity work of those managers who hold sustainability-dedicated roles in organizations. Analyzing 26 interviews with sustainability managers, we identify three main tensions affecting their identity construction process: the business vs. values oriented, the organizational insider vs. outsider, and the short-term vs. long-term focused identity work tensions. When dealing with these tensions, some interviewees express a paradoxical perspective in attempting to accept and maintain the two poles of each of them simultaneously. It emerges in particular that metaphorical reasoning can be used by sustainability managers in varied ways to cope with the tensions of identity work. We read these findings in light of the existing literature on the relation between paradoxes and identity work, highlighting and discussing their implications for both research and practice.

In this paper we present findings of how employees from a single organization understand corporate sustainability. Responses from 255 survey participants indicate (1) that differences exist in how employees understand corporate sustainability and (2) that these differences can be partially explained by the presence of organizational subcultures and by differences in employee awareness of the organization's sustainability practices. In particular, findings reveal that employees from a subculture with a stronger emphasis on hierarchical and bureaucratic values emphasize an economic understanding of corporate sustainability. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

This paper adopts the lens of environmental ethics to explore whether there is a disparity between the ethical approaches of a company in comparison to those expressed by stakeholder in relation to environmental issues, specifically those communicated through the corporate environmental report. Discourse analysis is adopted to explore the environmental section of the sustainability reports of the case study company as compared to the responses of a sample of the company's stakeholders, using the lens of three branches of environmental ethics: utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics. Results indicate that the ethical approaches expressed in the case study company's environmental reports were grounded in utilitarianism and deontology, in contrast to a virtue ethics approach expressed by external stakeholders. The disparity widened as the relationship between the company and the stakeholder became less direct. This disparity signals a failure to meet one of the primary purposes for preparing sustainability reports: to engage with stakeholders. As such this research contributes to the literature by identifying a disparity in the how this information is communicated compared with how it is perceived by stakeholders. This has important implications for the success of current stakeholder engagement practices.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 12: Responsible consumption and production and 14: Life Below Water coincide in the targeting of the problem of plastic pollution. The problem has been garnering immense media attention in the recent years. Efforts to reduce unnecessary plastic consumption have been seen in social movements, in corporate policies and most noticeably, in regulatory control in the form of bans for specific types of single-use plastic items. A paradox exists as, arguably, civilization cannot sustain its current developmental momentum without the use of plastics, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic demanding higher levels of protection and hygiene. An ideal goal for the transformation of the plastic value chain is the concept of circular economythe complete return of post-consumer plastic waste (PCPW) for repeated re-consumption after recovery and recycling processes. Hence, corporate engagement to manage the plastic value chain in ways that commit to the creation of circular economies is crucial. While reduction and substitution are being pursued, the current scale of the plastic production is still expected to remain the same or increase for the next few years as life cycle assessments (LCA), test trials of consumer acceptance towards novel delivery mechanisms and other forms of innovation are emerging. The reduction of plastics in the private-sector is allegedly ongoing but still intangible in Asia as daily lives continue to rely heavily on single-use plastics and large amounts of plastic packaging. While recovery and collection innovations are underway for application and are picking up speed, there is still an unfathomable amount of marine litter entering waterways, which aggravates the bigger-than-ever problem of plastic pollution in Asia. Responsible production has long adopted the concept of credits. Carbon credits are the most notable one, while palm oil credits are also prominently purchased by manufacturers to offset any palm oil content that is not yet sourced from certified sustainable suppliers. The concept of credits for plastics is currently sporadically seen across the world, especially in developing regions of Asia, but remains much less explored than their counterparts for other commodities. "Plastic neutrality" or "net plastic circularity" in the form of credit purchasing by businesses could likely be the final missing piece of the puzzle picturing a circular economy, especially as an interim measure and later as a component to be integrated into existing and upcoming extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes. In theory, the credit system could serve as an offsetting mechanism to recover an equivalent or higher amount of plastics to be produced by the credit-purchasing responsible manufacturer. This paper explores how responsible plastic production, accounting, recovery and offsetting could be enabled through standardized plastic credits, similar to the existing carbon and sustainable palm oil credit systems, could be applied in Asia to achieve the goal of recovery of plastics for circularity.

Strategic leadership and corporate sustainability have recently come together in conspicuously explicit fashion through the emergence of top management team (TMT) positions with dedicated corporate sustainability responsibilities. These TMT positions, commonly referred to as “Chief Sustainability Officers,” have found their way into the upper echelons of many of the world’s largest corporations alongside more traditional TMT positions including the CEO and CFO. We explore this phenomenon and consider the following two questions: Why are corporate sustainability positions being installed to the TMT? What effects do corporate sustainability TMT positions have at their organizations? We consider these questions through strategic leadership and neoinstitutional theoretical frameworks. Through the latter, we also engage with Weberian considerations of bureaucracy. We find that the reasons why corporate sustainability TMT positions are installed can be in response to a crisis at the corporation for which its legitimacy is challenged. We also find the corporate sustainability TMT position can be installed proactively in an effort to realize external opportunities that may have otherwise gone unrealized without concerted attention and coordination afforded by a strategic level position. Regarding effects, we determine the position can relate to the establishment of bureaucratic structures dedicated to corporate sustainability within the corporation through which formalized processes and key performance indicators to drive corporate sustainability performances are established. In the face of our finding that many corporate sustainability TMT positions are being removed despite having only relatively recently been introduced to their respective TMTs, we find that the successful implementation of bureaucratic machinery can help considerations to sustainability extend beyond the tenure of a corporate sustainability position within the TMT.

When it becomes publicly known that products are associated with suppliers that engage in unsustainable behaviors, consumers protest, as Nestlé, Zara, and Kimberly Clark, among others, have learned. The phenomenon by which consumers hold firms responsible for the unsustainable behavior of their upstream partners suggests the notion of “chain liability.” This study aims to generate insights into the antecedents and consequences of such consumer responsibility attributions. Using data from four vignette-based survey experiments, the authors find that the chain liability effect increases if an environmental degradation incident (1) results from supplier behavior rather than force majeure, (2) results from a company decision rather than the decision of an individual employee, and (3) is more severe. Responsibility attributions do not differ with varying organizational distance from the supplier, firm size, strategic importance of the supplied product, or the existence of environmental management systems. The chain liability effect also creates strong risks for the focal firm; higher responsibility attributions increase consumers’ anger and propensity to boycott. Therefore, firms should work to ensure sustainable behavior throughout the supply chain, to protect them from chain liability.

While public relations offers numerous assets for organization-stakeholder relationship building and for ethical corporate social responsibility and sustainability communication, it also faces challenges linked to negative perceptions of the profession which can lead to accusations of "greenwashing." This innovative book critically explores the growing, complex, and sometimes contradictory connections among public relations, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability.

In recent years, there is a growing focus on corporate operations especially since the publication of the first environmental reports in 1989. Companies have started to publish information about its environmental, social and sustainability policies. The study examines the sustainability reporting elements of Borsa Istanbul Sustainability Index (BIST) in Turkey and to evaluate which elements is most vital in this context. This study will begin with the sustainability reporting that will be examined
under the roof of corporation sustainability and end with the examination of sustainability reports of 15 firms, which are included in the BIST Sustainability Index in Turkey, and a content analysis. The reports of companies under study were taken from special web site and GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) database of companies. Being the first study in examining the sustainability report of companies in BIST Sustainability Index, it is expected to contribute in literature about sustainability reporting recently started to gain importance in Turkey. Overall our findings suggest that the  sustainability index established in Turkey is still in development stage, but the enterprises in the
endeavor are working day by day to develop the sustainability qualities.

The interest in this study arose from the great attention currently being given to the role of co-operative enterprises in achieving the United Nation’s goals of reducing poverty, promoting gender equality, providing health care services and ensuring environmental sustainability. The study investigated co-operative enterprises’ strategic planning intentions and processes and their impact on the ecosystems, societies, and environments of the future. Although survey questionnaires were the main instrument for primary data collection, semi-structured follow-up interviews were also conducted to supplement the method. The study found out that co-operative enterprises integrate environmental and social policies in their business model thereby representing a fundamentally distinct type of the modern firm characterized by a governance structure that in addition to financial performance, accounts for the environmental and social impact. The study established that co-operative enterprises also seek to promote the fullest possible participation in the economic and social development of groups of people who have hitherto encountered economic difficulties within the existing economic infrastructure that is not able to provide them with opportunities. Seventy nine percent of the co-operatives enterprises surveyed rated their performance as either satisfactory.

JEL: E24, J24, O15

This essay examines the philosophical considerations (Stokes & Wall, 2015) such as ontological, epistemological, axiological and paradigmatic basics in the context of management research by discussing and providing examples of inductive and deductive approaches.

Secondo il nuovo codice di corporate governance il ruolo dell’organo
amministrativo della società quotata è quello di «guida[re] la società perseguendone il successo sostenibile». Il successo sostenibile «si sostanzia nella creazione di valore nel lungo termine a beneficio degli azionisti, tenendo conto degli interessi degli altri stakeholder rilevanti per la società». Sulla vaghezza di queste formule, sulla loro ambiguità e sulle relative conseguenze ho provato a ragionare in uno studio intitolato Long-termism destinato agli Scritti in onore di vincenzo Di cataldo (Torino, 2021; e già anticipato sulla riv. soc., 2021, p. 16 ss.). Qui vorrei invece svolgere qualche osservazione su come le raccomandazioni del codice relative al successo sostenibile possano essere recepite dalla singole società, che intendano uniformarvisi.

Over recent decades share-ownership of listed companies has concentrated into the hands of large institutional investors, challenging the traditional agency theory view of corporate governance as a mechanism to resolve the separation of ownership and control.  Alternative theories have emerged to explain the role of institutional investors in corporate governance, each with a slightly different view on the motivations of these powerful shareholders and the nature of their relationship with corporate management. These theories share a common thread - the concept of investor stewardship - yet each theory applies it differently.  This paper explores whether institutional investors should act primarily as stewards of their investee companies (agency theory), stewards of beneficiaries’ funds (agency capitalism), stewards of a market/economy (universal ownership) or stewards of society (stakeholder theory) and whether this varies internationally. Through an analysis of national stewardship codes, the paper determines which of these theoretical approaches are most strongly reflected in emerging stewardship policy across the world.  It presents a typology of stewardship codes as a framework for understanding cross-country variation in investor stewardship policy.  Stewardship codes influence the shareholder-manager relationship and can encourage integration of wider economic and societal concerns into corporate finance.

„Darum geht es einzig und allein: Wie Sie Ihr Personal emotional binden!“ Der Experte für Personalbindung, Arbeitgeberattraktivität und Unternehmenserfolg hat wieder zugeschlagen: Soeben erschien die 2. Auflage des bereits als Managementbuch des Jahres ausgezeichneten Buchs von Gunther Wolf.

Wenn die Zweitauflage eines Bestsellers in den Handel kommt, lassen Buchhändler, Leser und Kritiker erst einmal Vorsicht walten: Erwartet uns trotz des neuen, frischen Designs nur ein „zweiter Aufguss“? Ist außer der Jahreszahl des Erscheinungsdatums überhaupt irgendetwas verändert? Lohnt es sich überhaupt, einen Blick in die Zweitauflage zu werfen? Wir haben es getan und können das Fazit an den Anfang stellen: Ja, unbedingt.

Emotionale Personalbindung schafft Gewinne

Die Anschaffung der 2. Auflage lohnt sich – ausreichendes Interesse an dem Themenkomplex Personalbindung, Personalführung und Arbeitgeberattraktivität vorausgesetzt – selbst für all diejenigen, die bereits die ausgezeichnete Erstauflage besitzen. Der geniale Autor hat sein Werk kräftig überarbeitet. Was geblieben ist wie ein Fels in der Brandung, ist Wolfs unerschütterliche Ansicht: „Die emotionale Personalbindung ist entscheidend für die künftige Existenz- und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit aller Unternehmen und Organisationen.

Und er hat weitere Beweise für seine mutige Behauptung zusammengetragen. Entsprechend wuchs das Kapitel über empirische Ergebnisse von Studien über die Messung und die Effekte der Personalbindung. Insgesamt umfasst die Neuauflage rund 100 Seiten mehr. Der ohnehin hohe Praxisbezug und damit die Nützlichkeit des Buchs für die Lesergruppe der Führungskräfte aller Ebenen wird durch ein zusätzliches Kapitel, in dem ein realer Praxisfall detailliert besprochen wird, noch weiter gesteigert.

Auch das Kapitel über das PEA-System wurde einer grundlegenden Revision unterzogen. Dabei spürt man als Leser direkt, dass Wolfs Praxistipps noch genauer und noch pointierter geworden sind. Das mag an den PEA-Projekterfahrungen liegen, die er in den drei Jahren zwischen der Erst- und der Neuauflage gemacht hat. Diese Erkenntnisse teilt er mit dem Leser und gibt bei all seiner Expertise unverblümt zu, dass er mit jedem Projekt, jedem Seminar und jedem Vortrag etwas Neues dazulernt.

Gunther Wolf betont, dass Unternehmen ihr Personal emotional binden müssen. Er beweist, dass sie nur mit dem Unternehmen hoch emotional verbundenen und engagierten Mitarbeitern die kommenden Herausforderungen erfolgreich bewältigen können. Dabei plädiert er für ein mitarbeiterzentriertes Erfolgsklima: Das Unternehmensergebnis ist schließlich das, was zählt. Und so bringt Personalbindung alle an einen Tisch: Die Mitarbeiter, die Organe der Mitbestimmung, die Führungskräfte aller Ebenen bis hin zur Unternehmensleitung, die Kapitalgeber, die Politik und die Stakeholder.

Renommierte Gastkommentatoren

Zunächst aber nicht an den Tisch, sondern ins Buch: Neu in der 2. Auflage sind die sogenannten Gastkommentare. Politiker wie Hessens Ministerpräsident Volker Bouffier, Ex-Familienministerin Dr. Kristina Schröder oder Dr. Gregor Gysi legen in kurzen Statements ihre Ansichten zum Thema Personalbindung dar. Auch Verbandsgrößen wie Mario Ohoven vom BVMW, Dr. Christoph Leitl (Präsident der Wirtschaftskammer Österreich) oder der DGB-Vorsitzender Reiner Hoffmann sind mit prägnanten Aussagen dabei, daneben Praxis-Gurus wie Robindro Ullah, Gero Hesse oder Boris Grundl. Die Gastkommentare bilden ein breites Spektrum an Sichtweisen ab und geben dem Buch zusätzliche Würze.

Höchst renommierte Wissenschaftler wie Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. F. J. Radermacher, Prof. Dr. Arnold Weissman oder Univ.-Prof. Dr. Christian Scholz melden sich in Gunther Wolfs Buch zu Wort, außerdem Praktiker wie Dr. Wolfgang Brezina (Vorstand Allianz), Dr. Ariane Reinhart (Personalvorstand Continental) oder Google-Personalchef Frank Kohl-Boas. Der bekannte Pfarrer und Wirtschaftsethiker Prof. Dr. Thomas Schwartz, Begeisterungs-Guru Ralf R. Strupat und Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hermann Simon haben gleich mehrere Gastkommentare zu verschiedenen Facetten der Personalbindung beigesteuert.

Insgesamt ist das Werk noch runder, noch unterhaltsamer, noch nützlicher geworden. Gunther Wolf ist zuzubilligen, dass er das Unmögliche möglich gemacht hat: Ein ausgezeichnetes Buch noch besser zu machen. Wir erlauben uns, für dieses Buch eine klare Kaufempfehlung auszusprechen.

Wolf, Gunther: Mitarbeiterbindung. Strategie und Umsetzung im Unternehmen. Mit Arbeitshilfen online. Ausgezeichnet mit dem Deutschen Managementbuchpreis. Mit Kommentaren von Mario Ohoven, Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. F. J. Rademacher, Prof. Dr. Armin Trost, Dr. Gregor Gysi, Christian Lindner, Robindro Ullah, Boris Grundl, Anne M. Schüller u.v.m. 2. Auflage. Freiburg: Haufe-Lexware 2016.

Global energy requirements are rising tremendously because of increasing urbanization and the human population. In the last few centuries, the consumption of fossil fuels has caused increased emissions of greenhouse gases resulting in environmental concerns like global warming, climatic change, and biodiversity loss. As a result, progress in sustainable energy has become the centre of attention in climatic change agenda and economic growth. Until now, various methods of renewable energy production have been extensively studied such as geothermal energy, wind energy, and solar energy. In addition to this, the utilization of biofuels from different sustainable sources are also being considered to reduce greenhouses gas emissions. New approaches and developments are still required for the creation of more sustainable, efficient, and affordable renewable energy systems and for the mitigation of global environmental threats. This special issue aims to advance novel developments in the sustainable conversion of renewable energy, providing up to date, fruitful, and actionable insights into economic, social, and environmental sustainability and includes original research articles and reviews to describe the interaction between renewable fuels, CO2 mitigation, and global warming.

While many company managers and academic researchers have argued that businesses that develop a sustainability focus also may improve their financial performance, little information is known about whether firms’ different types of sustainability activities are related to varying degrees of financial gain. This paper assesses the economic relationship between two types of sustainability activities – lower- and higher-order – derived from the sustainability value framework of Hart and Milstein (2003). Our analysis reveals that both types of sustainability activities are similarly associated with firms’ financial performance in terms of direction and trend. However, the average level of financial benefits related to firms’ higher-order sustainability activities (which develop new products and processes) is greater than the average level of financial benefits related to firms’ lower-order sustainability activities (which modify existing products and processes). These findings offer initial evidence that companies that reach further by developing higher-order sustainability activities may reap greater financial benefits, while improving the natural environment to a greater degree.

“When it comes to sustainable development, doing the right thing pays off. Research studies have correlated positive business measures for companies that make investments in sustainable strategies related to corporate real estate and sustainable development. This article explores the scope of sustainability and the short- and long-term strategies that corporations identify, plan, implement, and evaluate. The results go beyond profit, affecting people and the planet with improved air quality, water savings, reduced carbon emissions, and operational cost savings. Corporations should begin sustainable strategies by analyzing their present state and carbon footprint to establish baseline data.”