In a world where just about every corporation is going greener and more socially responsible, and where many have found that building a better world and building a stronger business indeed go hand in hand, it is time for scholars and managers alike to explore the impact of sustainability action on the workforce and people; that is, to study exactly how the quest for sustainable value affects the human side of enterprise. If, as Aristotle observed, we are what we repeatedly do – and if much if not most of our waking lives is spent in the context of organisations – then what happens to us when we are engaged in organisations that are leading and breaking the sustainability barrier? The ten papers in this important issue explore the proposition that the quest for sustainability is the most significant human development opportunity of the 21st century – and that when people learn about and work toward building a sustainable world they too are poised to flourish in ways that elevate innovation, personal excellence and workplace well-being.
The pursuit of sustainability has taken center stage across industries on a global scale. However, many organizations find themselves grappling with the challenge of translating sustainability ideals into practical, long-lasting success. Traditional structures and approaches often fall short, leaving organizations struggling to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances and uncertain futures. The need for a comprehensive, holistic solution to sustainable business practices has never been more pressing. Fostering Organizational Sustainability With Positive Psychology addresses the critical gap in the sustainability discourse by showcasing how positive psychology and positive organizational behavior can serve as the linchpin to achieving sustainability in organizations. This book provides a roadmap for establishing these principles as the cornerstone of your sustainable business strategy.
In a world where just about every corporation is going greener and more socially responsible, and where many have found that building a better world and building a stronger business indeed go hand in hand, it is time for scholars and managers alike to explore the impact of sustainability action on the workforce and people; that is, to study exactly how the quest for sustainable value affects the human side of enterprise. If, as Aristotle observed, we are what we repeatedly do, and if much if not most of our waking lives is spent in the context of organisations, then what happens to us when we are engaged in organisations that are leading and breaking the sustainability barrier? The ten papers in this important issue explore the proposition that the quest for sustainability is the most significant human development opportunity of the 21st century and that when people learn about and work toward building a sustainable world they too are poised to flourish in ways that elevate innovation, personal excellence and workplace well-being.
In a world where corporations are going greener and more socially responsible, where many have found that building a better world and a stronger business indeed go hand in hand, this issue explores the impact of sustainability action on the workforce and people; to study how the quest for sustainable value affects the human side of enterprise.
The goal of this volume is to begin to create those critical linkages between positive psychological attributes and relevant research areas. Undoubtedly, there are many topics in positive psychology that could not be covered in just one volume, and many more topical linkages to business ethics and social responsibility that need to be made. While much research yet needs to be done in this nascent area, we hope that much as other volumes on positive psychology served as an impetus for research in social psychology (see Snyder & Lopez, 2002) and organizational behavior (Cameron, Dutton, & Quinn, 2003), this volume will ignite scientific interest in the role positive psychology plays in key areas such as ethics and social responsibility. As the study of positive psychology continues to emerge more fully, it may well help us to better comprehend the impact of this paradigm on predicting ethical decision making, organizational citizenship, and social responsibility toward the end of creating more positive and productive workplaces in general.
Today, managers and leaders of organizations, in both the private sector and civil society, are being challenged as never before to find ways to play a proactive role in addressing the concerns of sustainable development. But they are often overwhelmed by a bombardment of conflicting messages from the media, shareholders, customers, employees, and NGOs. The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook helps managers deal with this confusion. It teaches them how to strike a better balance, moving from an "either/or" mind-set to one that holistically embraces social, environmental and economic issues simultaneously. It addresses the "what" ("what is a sustainable strategy for a company or organization?") as well as the "how" ("how do we go about building a sustainable enterprise?"). The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook has been put together by an outstanding network of experts from business (Microsoft, Sony, Philips, and AIG), consultancies, and academia. Its aim is to teach and guide leaders, managers, practitioners, students, and professors in every sector of society, and in every industry, in creating a successful and sustainable enterprise. By making the steps needed clear, understandable, and simple to follow, the book naturally engages readers in their journey and encourages their participation in three key ways: by increasing their understanding and awareness of what sustainability means at a conceptual and practical, as well as a personal, level; by energizing and expanding people's commitment to building sustainable enterprises; and by providing readers with extensive tools and techniques so they can individually and collectively take actions that will improve the social, environmental, and economic performance of their organizations in both the short and long term. Each chapter of the book illustrates through models, tools, cases, stories, and examples from a wide range of companies how to integrate sustainability into the day-to-day realities of running a business. Managers are coached, facilitated, and guided to enable them to create a better balance between the short and long term, to help them to become change agents in their organizations and to provide answers to the question "How do I make a difference?" Some of the areas covered are leadership, strategy, managing change, employee engagement, metrics and measurement, networks, and globalization. Readers of The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook will find access to the innovative Living Fieldbook, which is an online community support service providing ongoing updated assistance in building a sustainable enterprise. The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook offers an ingredient that has been missing in the enormous outpouring of information on organizations and sustainability: an holistic integration of solutions, which will make the journey personal for each reader.
This book is a landmark in showing how industrial-organizational psychology and related fields contribute to environmental sustainability in organizations. Industrial-organizational psychology embraces a scientist/practitioner model: evidence-based best practice to solve real-world issues. The contributors to this book are experts in science and practice, demonstrating the ways in which human-organization interactions can drive change to produce environmentally beneficial outcomes. Overall, the authors address cogent issues and provide specific examples of how industrial-organizational psychology can guide interventions that support and maintain environmentally sound practices in organizations. Green Organizations can be used as a general reference for researchers, in courses on sustainable business, corporate social responsibility, ethical management practices and social entrepreneurship. The book will provide an excellent overview for anyone interested in sustainability in organizations, and will serve as a valuable guide to industrial-organizational psychology and management professionals.
This book explores a new area of psychology of sustainability and sustainable development with specific focus on organizations, and introduces a range of advanced perspectives for healthy business, harmonization and decent work. Split into two parts, the first half presents cross-cultural contributions that study in depth the benefits and drawbacks of sustainability, while the second half discusses theoretical approaches and empirical research that offer new prospects for innovation in prevention science. Gathering research from leading scholars and researchers from around the globe, this book offers an essential reference guide that will benefit researchers, professionals, students, and policy makers interested in promoting better business harmony and sustainability.
As we move further into the 21st century, the global challenges and consequences posed by climate change are becoming increasingly apparent. Although organizations are considered significant contributors to climate change, they also have the potential to positively affect it through their employees. As a result, understanding how employees' pro-environmental initiatives can positively affect climate change has increasingly become the focus of inquiry among organizational researchers. The Psychology of Green Organizations brings together a number of these researchers to review leading research in different areas of organizational environmental sustainability. In so doing, this book consolidates available knowledge on employees' contributions to corporate environmental initiatives, stimulates future empirical research on this topic, and provides recommendations for how organizations can improve their environmental performance through their employees. Many chapters provide case examples of environmentally sustainable organizations to illustrate lessons gleaned from research. Chapters in part 1 provide a conceptual, theoretical, and methodological foundation for research on workplace pro-environmental behaviors, while those in parts 2 and 3 review research on the promotion of workplace pro-environmental behaviors at the individual and organizational levels, respectively. Part 4 explores one organization that has been successful at promoting employees' environmental initiatives, highlighting how both organizational and individual factors can be used to effect major changes in corporate environmental sustainability.
This volume examines the importance of leadership in developing an effective sustainability strategy. It defines the sustainability mindset and surveys the primary motivations, conditions, or environment(s) that cause leaders to embrace sustainable practices. As described in the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8, embracing the sustainability mindset will lead to greater productivity and promote economic growth. Organized into themes of organizational operations, leadership competencies, and leadership practices, the chapters, written by contributors representing global perspectives, tackle topics such as strategy, culture, and leadership styles in developing a new form of mindfulness for leaders as well as organizations. Recognizing the need for accelerated change in organizations as well as society at large, this book presents scholars with a framework for establishing a mindset for sustainability to foster much-needed transformative leadership.
