Sustainable Organizations

Jeffrey Pfeffer ( 2010 ) argues that , in order to build sustainable organizations , we need to treat human sustainability as seriously as we do environmental and ecological concerns . Organization policies and management practices influence the human and social environment and affect employee well - being in various ways : provision of health insurance , effects of layoffs , working hours and work - life balance , job design and stress , income inequalities , organization culture , and emotional climate :

Companies that do not provide health insurance , lay people off , pay inadequate wages , and have work arrangements that stress and overwork their employees also impose externalities that others pay for even as they save on their own costs . ( p . 42 )

However , " green management , " which is concerned with environmental awareness , energy efficiency , and carbon emissions has not been matched by a parallel focus on employee welfare , " even though that might be an interesting and informative indicator of what companies are doing about the sustainability of their people " ( p . 36 ) . Actions affecting the physical environment are more visible :

You can see the icebergs melting , polar bears stranded , forests cut down , and mountaintops reshaped by mining , and experience firsthand the dirty air and water that can come from company economic activities that impose externalities . Reduced life expectancy and poorer physical and mental health status are more hidden from view . Even the occasional and well - publicized act of employee or ex employee violence has multiple causes and is often seen as aberrant behavior outside of the control and responsibility of the employer . ( p . 41 )

Pfeffer proposes a research agenda to explore the implications of " human sustainability " policies on both employee welfare and organizational effectiveness . What steps is your organization taking to address human and social sustainability ? What further action would be desirable , and why ?

1. As per the text, please share some brief remarks about sustainability in business leadership and the steps we are taking towards human sustainability.
2. How does sustainability benefit businesses?
3. What are some new sustainability measures that are being currently developed for business ventures?

Use APA Citations and include a bibliography