What strategies do leaders in modern organizations use to empower employees towards environmental sustainability?

Write down a 500 word report using APA intext and APA reference page.

M Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X 9 |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 1 / 22 - 75% + ... Article Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership Eun-Jung Woo ! and Eungoo Kang 2 1 Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Program in Environmental Education, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; victorywej@snu.ac.kr Business and Technology, DBA, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55404, USA Correspondence: exkang14@smumn.edu Received: 13 July 2020; Accepted: 24 August 2020; Published: 28 August 2020 updates Abstract: In an era of environmental crisis, the world is at a perilous moment. The fight between sustainability and economical choice has been a contentious matter and the world is facing environmental uncertainties today. The main purpose of the present study is to prepare an integrated exploration of the development of consciousness in all business categories. This study also focuses on the indispensable roles and impact of top management in merging the commitment and abilities to environmental leadership and thus, adds a contemporary insight into how businesses, economic stakeholders, government authorities, and the general human sphere can mitigate the runaway menace of environmental issues. Finally, the current authors conclude that the environment is the supernatural force that is making life a possibility on the planet. Therefore, every human operation should be regulated by the approaches mentioned in this study and efforts made through the strategic principles and theories of leadership Keywords: sustainable leadership; environmental sustainability; corporate sustainability 2 1. Introduction Business development and the emergence of technology have tremendously changed the planet more than ever before. As the sphere of business development and investment tasks, a new tone and calls for sustainable leadership and management have heightened. The environment has equally grown to a critical aspect of any kind of business set-up. From Family Businesses and SME (Small to Medium Enterprise) to multinational incorporations, the factor of the business environment and climate will never be the same again. True to the fact that unprecedented times are with us, businesses are on the run to balance business life and the enormous environmental issue. As the 21st century sets in, the business planet is incessantly approaching an arduous and obscure relationship with forces of nature and the environment altogether. Thus, there is little doubt that environmental issues cause worldwide conce ence every business industry. For example, many food service companies conduct environmental practices which consist of buying ecofriendly food materials and 3 trying to reduce waste [1]. Implications are soaring, and the environmental issues are bulging every day. Without the question of environmental sustainability, the item of sustainable development will remain unabated and utterly frivolous. Leadership is central to all organizational objectives, as changes in the dynamic, more competitive business environment compel leaders to stimulate innovation by inspiring vision. Changes that have impacted how corporations approach business include environmental sustainability issues due to the lasting effects of climate change. Ecological sustainability is a complex issue as it means that firms have to invest in newer organizational processes and technologies that disrupt not only the status quo but organizational structures. These disruptions can lead to hostile corporate cultures and resistance to Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014; doi:10.3390/su12177014 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainabilityM Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X 9 Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 2 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 2 of 22 change, severely impacting creativity and collaboration in the workplace [2]. Therefore, the role of leadership in mediating change within the organization is critical. The prior study [3] indicated that there would be no development without guidance, especially in the social-cultural and human domains. This research is vital for it demonstrates the role of leadership in meeting the organizational objectives without compromising the environment for future generations. While the part of leadership is critical for environmental sustainability endeavors, various leadership styles and perspectives on command may be more proactive than reactive and lead to positive outcomes for the firm. Therefore, ecological sustainability creates a p eadership often involves establishing a shared vision, aligning environmentally valid resources, and generating motivation by inspiring how to meet these goals. Leadership is critical, as leaders can augment workforce engagement through corporate social responsibility and a attaining engagement objectives requires leaders who can employ ha s-on employee development, which augments the development of "innovative solutions to environmental, economic and social problems." [5]. For SMEs, it is increasingly enigmatic and equally a predicament to strike a balance between environmental leadership and well-int ated initiatives a bigger business goals of economic change and profitability. The traditional culture of lack of information and resistance to government interventionism have rapturously undermined and downgraded their position and responsiveness towards external pressures. In that regard, SMEs' environmental commitment is quite limited and cannot impact from top management. Despite the vast literature on roles and values of environmental leadership, the respective meaning, abilities, and systems underlying the matter have been, unfortunately, underexplored. Away from the SMEs, the larger business enterprises, corporations, and multinationals have been a severe threat to the fight against the biting issues of environmental implications. Today, the big business giants across the globe are known by their insane market exploitations and the eventual profit margins and profitability. In this era, it is purely shameful to see the world becoming forgotten and overshadowed by the strategic profit and economic growth 2 strategies. Sustainable leadership is the way to go if the business planet is to impact the environment positively [6]. A lot of studies have demonstrated that managerial consciousness development has a significant influence on the manager's capacity to conduct change, promote innovation, and mitigate complex issues. For instance, Green prod duction and marketing are environmental commitments that are majorly discretionary. As the business environment becomes cause for concern for the current generation, the cause for change has been highly intricated. For that reason, the main purpose of the present study is to prepare an integrated exploration of the development of consciousness in all business categories. This study also focuses on the indispensable roles and impact of top management in merging the commitment and abilities to environmental leadership. Specifically, the study narrows down to the post-conventional stages of environmental sustainability, consciousness ental changes management. The context is of corporate greening and environmental green production and marketing. The next segment of the current study is structured as follows. First, past literature and recent studies on environmental leadership from the consid es are discussed. A bigger 3 picture of the role of sustainable leadership in handling environmental issues is also painted in the literature review text. In the literature review, past research shows the relationship between sustainable leadership and the overall improvement of organizations and their responsibilities towards the green economy and environmental protection. The next part of the paper is on the solutions towards ecological issues and the strategic interventions to bolster a green business environment-implications of the green approaches and the future of the global business landscape in consideration of the environmental problems. Aim of Research The research aims at exploring solutions that can augment environmental sustainability leadership.M Inbox X ChatC X 9 Parap X Senec X 9 |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 3 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 3 of 22 2. Literature Review Given the gravity of sustainable leadership in business and corporate management, many studies have been done. From learning scholars, experts in business leadership, government agencies, environmentalists, professors in environmental studies, the aspect of sustainable leadership propelled by environmental issues and consequences have been a pivotal concern. Their relentless efforts have produced some of the best literature and studies as far as environmental issues, business management, and policies are concerned. The following covers the various critical studies attached to sustainable leadership, ecological sensitivity and sustainability, and the role of business leadership in environmental sustainability. 2.1. Sustainabli On a literal ground, sustainability refers to the capacity and thresholds to maintain and protect a particular entity, process, or outcome over a period of time [7]. The prior study [8] connotes the concept of improving and maintaining a healthy ecological, social, and economic system for human development. That study [8] claims that if one of the mentioned realms is eliminated, full dispensation and sense of sustainability are lost. Anot Another prior study [9] defines sustainability as a proper dynamic equilibrium that exists in the platforms of interaction between various population groups and the inherent capacity of its interior and exterior environment. The phenomenon spells the population path to develop its ultimate potential with no gaps for irreversible adversities and negative attribution on the background environment it depends upon. He further expounds on human activities and their ability to satisfy and meet the basic and emerging human demands without exhausting the resources at disposal. The research group of [10] argued that to transform the global society, the economy, and the environment to a sustainable paradigm is a perplexing challenge, and the task confronts man given the context of the overall carrying capacity of the planet. Such calls have been reiterated by [11] with the 2 integration of innovative approaches regarded for efficiency towards the management of realities and business frontiers. In furtherance in the study of [10] argument, the monetary body posits that the ultimate goal of sustainability, in essence, is to keep appropriate equilibrium and alignment between the economy, society, and the general environment in aspects of the regenerative capacity of the planet's ecosystems for existence and support for life. Business entities view sustainability as an imperative strategy for long-term success and survival. According to the study of [12], sustainability forges a common ground for strategies for excellent interrelationships between the busi s, authorities, society, and the vironment. Enterprises and institutions that enjoy robust programs of sustainability have a lasting mark of positivity and progress to the environment, including the natural indispensables of doing and supporting business. According to the study, a growing number of organizations and companie es have been compelled to show verifiable information and evidence of social and en and environmental impact with a common ground and balance for business profitability and economic significance. For the past couple of decades, there was an exceptional increase in terms of corporate sustainability (CS) and Investors' recognition regarding 3 sustainability as a practical management strategy has grown over the years [13]. 2.2. Theories of Leadership that Cultivate Sustainability and Environmental and Sustainable Leadership According to the study of [14], there are a number of leadership theories that can, directly and indirectly, implicate environmental issues and challenges. They include Trait Theory, Participatory Theory, Contingency Theory, Great Man Theory, Transformational Theory, and Transactional Theory. The Great Man Theory is opined as the argument that leaders and men endowed and crafted with heroic potentials are poised to be successful leaders. The moral flaws of the theory are evident, and it calls for minimal efforts towards the bigger society's common good. A more inherent picture is painted by the Traits Theory that speaks vehemently on the distinctive nature of true leaders [14]. To standM Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X 9 |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 4 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 4 of 22 above all in a congregation, organization, or challenge, the individual with leadership traits shows unrivalled margins of confidence, social consciousness, self-confidence, and personality attributes [15]. The prior study [16] affirmed that characters born with special traits such as intelligence, confidence, determination, and idealism, have a firm inclination towards the top stairs of leadership and Trait theory became unpopulous, and its illogical speculations would be disregarded through behavioral theory. Behavioral theory is based on the behavior pattern, and it avidly differentiates the classes of leaders and followers. When it comes to environmental issues, the behavioral approach stands at the top position, as discovered by research centers such as the Michigan Center [16]. Job-centered behaviors are regarded as parallel to the paradigms of environmental consciousness and sensitivity. Employee-centered and job-centered leadership is the destination for a lost sense of the environment and consideration of independent dimensions of a quality relationship with the society. 2.3. Servant Leadership Being a timeless conception, servant leadership was coined by Robert Greenleaf and was published in 1970. Servant leadership is found in various religious contexts, but as a philosophy in management, leadership, and society, it transcends any form of religious tradition. The study [17] identified almost a dozen characteristics making the reality of servant leadership. They include empathy, healing, persuasion, listening, foresight, stewardship, community-building, and commitment to growing others. Servant leadership is designed with critical priorities of trust-building, developing people, and achieving results [17]. The fundamental principles needed for servant leadership are empowerment, persuasion, 2 and service first. A servant leader is guided by the spirit of serving others before one's personal needs. Through leadership to higher engagement, stronger relationships, and more, trust is built. 2.4. Ethical and Authentic Leadership For environmental and corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethical and authentic leadership is part of the broader scope of environmental leadership. Ethical leaders are destined for mutual trust, social justice, respect, and are solution-oriented to conflicting issues among various parties [18]. They are made to play non-favorites and fight the cloud of distrust all the time. They are guided and driven by integrity and values. On the other hand, authentic leadership incorporates the theories of ethical leadership, including transformation and overlap of the theory of transformational leadership. Authentic leaders are agents of honesty, compassion, altruism, resilience, and optimism. Linking authentic leadership with environmental issues is the foundation of a sustainable organization and roots of CSR. 2.5. The Relationship between the Economy, Environment, and the Society 3 Regarding the science of development, the phenomenon of sustainability seems to influence and shape the future discourse incessantly. By far, the best choices are the ones that are designed with protocols and systems to meet and support the needs of the community. The ultimate choice should be economically and environmentally viable, environmentally, and socially bearable and socially equitable. This relationship creates the interconnection between the domains and spheres of sustainability that define the relationship between the c aspects [19]. From the above, it can be concluded that almost everything planned, designed, or executed on the planet has tangible implications on society, the economy, and, most importantly, the environment. Akin to that, the trio of spheres represents interconnected concepts that should form the fundamentals of human, business, and organizational decisions. Sustainable decisions on resource management build a robust foundation for environmental sustainability and the general relationship between the human race and the rest of the planet. The argument made by concepts mentioned in the three sustainability spheres is the real thing once implemented. The spheres consider the role of the environment in every interaction whatsoever [20].M Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X 9 |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 5 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 5 of 22 2.6. Environmental Sustainability in a Literal Ground The paradigm of environmental sustainability is all about the stature and value of natural planet and environment and how it remains resilient and progressively productive to keep the support needed by human life. Since time immemorial, the issue of sustainable development and the relationship with the environment has been relevant. However, the relevance and sensitivity of environmental sustainability deepen at the dawn of every every new day. The question and challenge of context and the way 2 we use it for human economic gains are becoming a lethal dilemma. Many experts and authors have previously produced remarkable texts and reviews on the domain of environmental sustainability [21]. The prior study [6] related environ cosystem integrity and the capacity to external factors to support the landscape of doing and managing business enterprises and inventions. In their study, the duo focused on natural capital requirements to be sustainably tapped and used as reliable sources and inputs of economic production. According to the pair, the planet's systems are captured within limits beyond which the e rium might be lost. However, the soaring quest for unbridled growth in business imposes ever-bigger demands on natural resources, straining the limits since technology has become an accelerator for the exponential growth. As recently proven by an extension of [6], no sustainability is achievable without systems for social justice. Environment and the natural boundaries supporting the existence and performance of the business are protected through social justice and law. The metaphor of greening should no longer be the threshold for environmental sustainability but an extensive roadmap for sustaining the environment and social justice to every resource offered by the forces of nature. The paradigm of environmental sustainability is nothing new at all capacities, according to 3 the study of [22], which states that environmental welfare has been a focal point of concern, and attention directed to the issue has been skyrocketing year-by-year. All stakeholders, business owners, and company proprietors are a life of the issue of strained resources and the impact it imposes on environmental welfare. The international community has been engulfed in tussles of striking a balance between implications of businesses, economic expansion to the environment, and the production performance that com long with strenuous exploitation of resources. The traditional leadership strategy was designed for keeping the course alive. However, the changing world is no longer a welcoming destination for such leadership realms. The question of eco-sensitive sustainability is never complete without the input of environmental and strategic policies. At all times, the eco-sensitive leader will focus on positioning the conventional profitability and market goals below the integrated eco-sensitivity goals. The emergence and capture of new theories and information keep the spirit of a rejuvenated eco-sensitive business and organizational life. Such business requires growth patterns run and intricated with life-support environments. Ranging from domestic to regional ecosystems, the sensitivity is always the gear towards sustainable planning and leadership. 2.7. Corporate Greening and Environmental Leadership Sustainable leadership is synonymous with corporate greening. The two phenomena are strong pillars for the success story of any sustainable leader. The research group of [23] denoted corporate greening as the process by which small enterprises and corporate firms demonstrate their commitment and concern on matters environment through the implementation of the best strategies. Corporate greening is an addition of value to the ecosystem. The prior study of [24] focused on Green Corporate Image (GCI) and how it shapes the internal and external organizational operations. Their work emphasized the changing roles of management support and integration of the community in making the GCI. The duo also illuminated the Green Behavioral Intentions as part of the protocols and innovations attached to GCI. The relevance of the GCI should be inherently felt and supported by environmental management, firm performance realms, and the society around. The study of [25] highlighted the famous "green strategy". He also affirmed that to create a green culture entails behavior reinforcement that individuals are compelled to adopt. Policy formulationsM Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 6 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 6 of 22 have supported green considerations. Companies like Ricoh, a Japanese-based corporation, have been singled out for their digital office strategies and solutions that keep its impact as green as possible. The study of [25] also discussed the process and development of the enterprise-level green strategy. A maturity assessment within every area production requires adoption levels of the best practices and advancements that heighten the fundamentals of green awareness. To reach the fundamental thresholds of a greening enterprise capacity and implementation roadmaps to seal threatening gaps and overboard economic aspirations. Besides, gap assessments and process reengineering form a critical 3 component of the transformative initiatives designed towards environmental issues and leadership. 2.8. Environmental Leadership Leadership has been a strong scholarship focus for close to a century. Many have associated leadership with education, business, and geopolitics. However, the concept is a scope far much wider than that. The emerging issues and challenges facing humanity have changed the whole domain for good. Aspects of servant leadership akin to environmental leadership are taking a firm position in the world of today. Environmental leadership can be defined as the strategic art of creating an environment for people to o succeed. Greening extends beyond sustainability initiatives and keeps every investment and energy towards conservation and sustainable environmental designs [26] and is also mentioned as the support and practice of environmentally action-oriented movements towards protecting land, fauna, flora, and aquatic systems [27]. Environmental leaders are supposed to give a clear picture of a harmonious relationship between the environment, clean technologies, and all eco-products. The author attests the words of the famous American scholar Hellen Keller in his terms of "Alone we can do little, together we can do so much" [27]. Eco-products are the outcomes of a harmonious relationship according to the arguments raised by Hellen Keller. The below Figure 1 shows the summary of prior studies which were attached to sustainable leadership. Sustainability The Trio of Servant Spheres Leadership Sustainable Leadership Corporate Authentic Leadership 5 Figure 1. The summary of main prior studies regarding the elements of sustainable leadership. 2.9. Research Question What strategies do leaders in modern organizations use to empower employees towards environmental sustainability? 3. Methodology 3.1. Epistemology Positioning Epistemology relates to the nature of knowledge and diverse methods of attaining knowledge [28]. As such, an epistemology asks various questions such as "what are constitutes of valid knowledge, and how can people obtain that knowledge?" To fulfill the objective of this study, the current researchers used an interpretivism paradigm because it inquiries about subjective knowledge. A researcher oughtM Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 7 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 7 of 22 to demonstrate the validity and legitimacy of a model used for research [29], particularly for a philosophical grounding of what knowledge is possible [30]. The study integrated an interpretivist paradigm because it sought to create a framework that helps contemporary leaders and organizations merge environmental leadership business strategy. As such, 'interpretivism' was the adequate means to answer the research question because reality is socially constructed and shaped by cultural, historical, social, and political contexts at a given time. Because interpretivism guided this study, the current researchers uses qualitative methodology as it embraces a holistic procedure and action plans with various methods that align with an interpretivist approach A review by the study of [31] indicated that an interpretivist rules out natural science methodologies (quantitative) because a qualitative paradigm adopts individuals' knowledge of reality. No singular truth exists when within the interpretivist model because there are diverse meanings to leadership. Thus, assessing these different meanings in environmental leadership would be vital in creating an extensive framework that can guide organizations to adopt guidance that is competitive and still environmentally sustainable. Qualitative methodologies fit with Interpretivism approaches because they are holistic and because qualitative methods seek to understand how and why things happen inductively. A qualitative methodology is crucial because it is unlike methods used in positivist paradigms bound to the rules of science. Becker in seminal research described quantitative methods of analysis as "passive dolls" because they are limiting in that they seek to answer why things happen but are limited to understanding how and why things happen [32] 5 3.2. Research Design Research designs are an overall approach that a researcher uses to integrate diverse components of a study coherently and logically. The researcher needs to address the research problem effectively, and as such, the research design is a blueprint for the collection, measurement, and, most importantly, data analysis. A research design should thus be appropriate and align with the methodology. A method for social inquiry gains credibility and persuasiveness when these entire domains act in concert with one another, when their interlocking connections are smooth and well planned when the overall presentation is strong, coherent, well-articulated, and thus persuasive. As such, the current researchers collected data from existing research and analyzed data using a content analysis instrument. The research process thus created various codes to generate numerous themes that are solutions for the research problem. Content analysis used for this research was appropriate because there is tremendous research in the realm of leadership and environmental sustainability. Hence, the current researchers could collect adequate textual data. The prior study affirmed that the reliability of content analysis is dependent on the consistently coding the same way across themes and texts [33]. The safety will be maintained as long the data are interpreted the same way across by anyone analyzing the same data. The research design 6 using data collected from the existing literature is adequate if other researchers can replicate the same results when the same epistemology paradigm, methodology, and design are used. The qualitative primary data collection process is time-consuming and costly. Thus, this research is more appropriate for researchers with limited time and res urces as long as validity can be established. For example, methods could be adequate as long as the researcher ensures that there is other evidence available for scrutiny and that the evidence is entirely independent of the study [34]. The new evidence available should reflect the findings and can be in the form of text, open data, or competing theories or interpretations. The research here was qualitative, and thus, subjective meanings guided the context of the study. However, if there is no available means to measure the study, the entire research is prone to invalidity. Therefore, the research design was appropriate because: The literature review provided adequate evidence for data collection; The data collected were analyzed using an online software tool; The analyzed data encompassed the independence of observations among diverse themes;M Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X 9 |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 8 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 8 of 22 Additional evidence that is independent of this research can validate the data from the content analysis on the solutions found for augmenting environmental sustainability in mediation with leadership. 3.3. Method The advantage of qualitative research is in the ability to avail elaborate textual descriptions on how 5 human beings experience phenomena. Qualitative data incorporates various attitudes, norms, and often cultural factors that people gain subjectively. Unlike quantitative research that only logically predicts, quantifies, and describes statistical data, qualitative research attempts to help people understand issues and, in so doing, describe variation, relationships, and experiences. The researcher used qualitative research because it is more flexible, and since it adapts qualitative methods, it is more straightforward than in quantitative studies. The benefits of conducting qualitative research are that it is meaningful and culturally salient for the participant. Also, research suggests that qualitative research is unanticipated by the researcher and requires the researcher to explore diverse subjects and meanings, which adds a breadth of understanding of the study. Most importantly, the data collected in qualitative research are explanatory and abundant in nature. 3.3.1. Justification for the Methods Used by the Researcher One of the most vital issues in research is to justify why they use objectivist or interpretivist epistemologies. The research group of [35] noted in their study that researchers should use qualitative research when factual data are needed to answer the research questions. Also, the prior study found 6 that qualitative research is preferable when responding to questions about the opinions, attitudes, views, beliefs, and preferences. Regardless of the method, research is adequate if there is a high level of trustworthiness related to an extensive description, explanation, and justification for methods used [36]. For example, the researcher will incorporate a te a content analysis where the researcher will collect literature review data to assess themes that are most evident in the study. These themes will form the solutions that can be used by business leaders to enhance environmental sustainability and also by other researchers to conduct further research. Moreover, research can be adequate as long as the researcher can adequately demonstrate its validity [37]. The research, in this case, attempted to provide solutions for business leaders using a qualitative manner. Thus it would be ideal for delivering extensive documentary analysis that can illustrate and support their interpretations. 3.3.2. Content Analysis Content analysis can be used to analyze the written text in many forms, such as articles, letters, 7 and speeches. The key idea of the procedure of this analysis is to maintain the benefits of quantitative content analysis which has been developed in communication science. It can be applied for both manifest and latent text contents. The manifest text refers to the visible, countable textual factors, while hidden content refers to the analysis of data behind the manifest data. When analyzing this research data process, for example, advertisements containing environmental issues may contain fires, melting snow, and extreme temperatures. These aspects are manifest contents, but at a closer analysis, these issues relate to climate change impacts for the next fifty years. The prior study asserted that both types of data taken from a content analysis require interpretation but that elucidations vary in depth and level of abstraction [38]. The curre ated both latent and manifest themes of leadership and environmental sustainability to find solutions that leaders can use to initiate change in organizations. It is critical to note that the purpose of this study was to present solutions to leadership exploring environmental sustainability. Thus, the aim was to show detailed and predictive results. When presenting descriptive analysis, the researcher addresses the features of a message [39]. On the contrary, predictive results predict the outcomes or effects of the words analyze. For example, in a content analysis research [40], advertising printing impacted on the commodity recalls.M Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 9 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 9 of 22 3.3.3. Data Collection The current researchers collected data from existing literature, including seminal works. The databases were used to collect data mostly from peer-reviewed sources because we needed to augment validity. Additionally, this research utilized a PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement to identify research within the limits of the study. The PRISMA statement is a checklist developed to summarize evidence on systematic reviews [41]. 6 The research used a PRISMA checklist to ensure that eligible studies were screened, and studies that did not augment this review were excluded. The significance of using PRISMA is that the researcher identifies researches that has limited publication bias and, in so doing, augments the quality of the study [42]. The main measures incorporated into this study were choosing peer-reviewed studies and thus, the current researchers eliminated conference papers into the analysis. Secondly, the studies included in the research took a positivist or interpretivist dimensions. With these critical criteria, the current researchers could then analyze the text collected using qualitative software 3.4. Data Processing with a Content Analysis After collecting data using a PRISMA statement as a guide for the analysis, the current researchers used qualitative coding software to examine and interpret it. According to the prior research, qualitative research is vital to study because the value of knowledge includes comprehending credibility transferability, dependability, and conformability [43]. As such, collected data does not have to encompass a degree of confirmation, refutability, or logical consistency. Instead, as the prior study noted, the research covers wide-based knowledge on a subject that is useful in expanding understanding 7 of an issue [44]. The current researchers coded the collected data using Web QDA (Qualitative Data Analysis) online software. The online content analysis platform is helpful because it helps a researcher to analyze themes in texts and, in a way, enables an ideal method of understanding connection within data categories. For that reason, the researcher identified various groups and then identified emerging themes from the coded data. Qualitative research is inductive, and thus the main objective of the content analysis was to assess the items and emerging topics that would help in providing solutions for this research. However, past researchers discussed that the challenge with content analysis is "differentiating between abstraction level and interpretation degree," which increases the lack of trustworthiness of qualitative data [45]. The researcher limited this risk by showing the logic in how the study categorized themes and categories. 3.5. Results The results of the study are presented in this section, following a systematic process of analysis. 8 Firstly, the current researchers used the existing sustainability and leadership theories to understand the problem. The problem of the research then resulted in creating a research question that the researcher attempted to answer inductively. From this process, we collected data from various chosen journal articles about the potential solutions that can be used for coding development using Web QDA. After receiving data and uploading it on the content analysis platform, we coded the data and created various themes evident as solutions in the data. From these, solutions were found that leaders can use to enhance sustainability within their firm, are we then presented the findings. The following vital themes appeared in the research as the most fundamental solutions for improving sustainability for modern leaders attempting to balance corporate objectives with environmental sustainability: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); the case of the Information Technology Industry; . fighting the vicious culture of greenwashing in I.T. products and E-waste; ultra-regulatory environment; organizational sustainability drivers;M Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 10 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 10 of 22 ethical climate and incentive structure; supporting leadership in making of normative professionals; . drivers of individual-level psychology; upscaling the systems of environment communication and decision Information; intra-firm communication. 4. Findings: Solutions to Environmental Issues 7 In an era of environmental crisis, the world is at a perilous moment. The fight between sustainability and economical choice has been a contentious matter. Today, the world is facing environmental uncertainties, and the future of seven billion people is incomplete limbo [46]. The tough question of providing for the growing global human population is far from its answers. With the limitations offered by the natural resources and economic potential of technology, giving the seven billion people is a tall order. Many alterations and changes in attitudes, culture, and way of life for business enterprises, domestic and multinational companies, and the governments are a predetermined threshold. Sustainability is the central tool to align the world in a whole new direction in a business and environment common ground. For the entire past decade, sustainability and sustainable leadership have been a buzzword in keeping a balance bet etween the environment and the business space. All sectors of the local and regional economy are parties in the whole matter of sustainability and fighting environmental implications fueled by economic operations and business ventures [21]. As scholars engage in incessant studies ar re development, the challenge is the reality of handling the environmental gaps and intricacies threatening humanity and coexistence with 8 nature. The planet needs a changed tune towards mitigation of the environmental calamities of poor environmental and sustainability leadership. From the very grassroots in business and political leadership, environmental se d the challenge is growing at an extraordinary rate. The relationship between the business world and the environment is deteriorating every single day. The burden of solving the situation lies squarely on all of us. The collective responsibility is the lion in the room for many organizations, business enterpris he international community altogether. The following is a contemporary insight into how businesses, economic stakeholders, government authorities, and the general human sphere can mitigate the runaway menace of environmental issues. A life to the matter's reality, the following are some of the most imperative interventions and solutions towards sustainable leadership and environmental sensitivity. 4.1. Corporate Social Resposibility (CSR) In the early days, CSR was known as the Social Business and Business Ethics. The World Business Council for Sustainable Development was at the heart of the creation and definition of CSR. The CSR is the incessant commitment of an enterprise entity to act and behave ethically with continuous economic, 9 social, and environmental contributions with an overall intention of changing and impacting society at large. Based on the definition, the business planet has a huge role to play and share responsibility with the rest of the world. In the current era, people consider economic empowerment at the shadow of the adversities posed to the natural world around us [47]. Right from the grassroots, business protocols and regulations should be designed to support CSR. The business culture should be a subject for change if the war and fight against the woes of businesses on the environment succeed [48]. The triple bottom line should be the governing protocol with the ultimate protection on social, economic, and environmental fronts. Despite the business's capacity and size, striking a balance between the paradigms of the triple bottom line should be a mandatory affair and regulation. The world has been missing a moral fiber critical in shaping a sustainable interrelationship between business and the environment. For the past decade, the planet has felt the negative side of a lost foundation and universal approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. The heat is even on the rise and there is no sigh of relief if the demeaning CSR culture persists. 10M Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 11 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 11 of 22 The time for personal responsibility is far long overdue. The responsibility towards CSR is a sustainable medicine for what the earth is hailing from in this millennium. The political class has a huge role to play in fighting for the future of CSR. Policy regulations and incentives should be designed to phase the new CSR landscape right from the grassroots of the business sphere. Once the rules and policy adjustments are affected, the roadmap to sustainable leadership and environmental sensitivity becomes the order of life [49]. The problems hailing the environment emanates from the irate practices of leadership and corrupt networks that run the economic segments of many countries. 8 The efforts done by environmental experts, crusaders, and voices against business adversities on the environment are game changers. The future of the economic dimension of the planet is squarely on the responses towards Corporate Sustainable Responsibility. No matter the size of the business or investment, the culture of CSR and giving back in an ultimately good heart, to the society is the path to go. For the entire business planet, CSR is no longer a hy invaluable tool for assessing and strategizing on the ways of reduced costs, risk management, internal change actualization, and adoption of the bitter truth of the environmental responsibility from the top leadership [50]. Business interactions and operations are at the heart of the change needed in CSR. CSR should be placed at the top of all policy statement ements alongside economic goals and financial impact, and the giant industrial players should lead the course. For CSR to be a gamechanger, leaders should always walk the talk. From the political class, business philanthropists, and influential business organizations to he SME space, every leader should walk the talk to honor CSR. As of today, the business world is dominated and taken over by the massive forces of profitability and market dominance. 4.2. The Case of the Information Technology Industry 9 For instance, the technology industry is on a whole new level in terms of profitability and booming expansion. The economic status of the industry is extremely optimistic and on the right path [51]. The economic and consumer impact of technology and the I.T. industry is phenomenal. The world would be at nowhere without the input and interventions offered by I.T. industry solutions. From communication, educations, military, and support sectors to the broader auto and transport industry, I.T. has done wonders. The disastrous co cern for the environment plunges the industry leaders and stakeholders in a vast sustainability quagmire. For instance, numerous I.T. vendors worldwide have adopted the best business and product policies of all time [52]. However, the same agility and prowess are far less visible in their own leadership and ma ht of their relationship with the environment. What have the industry players done to demonstrate their respective sustainable picture of leadership and environmental protection? As the world sails through the space of digital and electronic products, the environment falls a culprit to blotted volumes of waste products and toxic pollutants. The aspect of waste management has plunged most I.T. vendors such as Dell, Apple, Samsung, and Huawei into one of the harshest times of their existence [52]. To show sustainability, the culture of a unilateral economic path should be 10 a thing of the past. Better and serious leadership positions should be taken to fight the agony of I.T. waste, threatening the future of the ecosystem. 4.3. Fighting the Vicious Culture of Greenwashing in I.T. Products and E-Waste Greenwashing is the act of misleading and unscrupulous practices by a company to its consumers on matters of environmental practices. In the space of I.T. products, firms engage in double standards and simultaneously behavioral traits [53]. On one side, they are speaking positive communication about environmental performance, and unfortunately, on the other end, the reality is poor environmental performance and consciousness. The culture that has engulfed the industry is hidden blackmail that equals "poor environmental performances". The infamous "brown firms" are incessantly and taking over. For instance, in Bangladesh and the war-torn nations of the Middle East, the catastrophic menace is killing the face of the natural environment. The legitimate "green firm" culture has been exploited for many of the I.T. vendor' and multinationals' gains. As at the moment, the "brown firms" shouldX Paral X E Sena X n' Mail X W Anm X Susi; X Envir X how X it: Sear X How X Rafe X ,1! Li hi X Li hi X a 9 9 C' (D File /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf O 3'} *- l] t YouTube l FMovieslto > Prime Video 0' Mail-Stacey Sha... E Seneca Important, 9 Seneca Blackboard ' Seneca Q WhatsApp _= S neca College N.a El Ameego 9 Job Search Canad.\" Envtronmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 12 / 22 75% + El OD Sustainability 1m, 12,7014 be compelled by the necessary business and economic sanctions to realign them to the protocols of "green firms". Studies have revealed that the most vocal firms structured in extreme degrees of positive communication about greerung practices are the biggest failures in the environmental leadership and protection of limited natural resources. They are made to blackmail the reality and push the rest of the world and environment to the crisis land of no redemption. The silent tinns which are acting in environmental goodwill are known as the "silent green firms". Silent green firms are unique entities in the business environment [53], They intend to maximize the business and process production with a singled eye on the life of competitions and regulatory organizations, Through inherent policy regulations, organizations in the l 1'. industry should transition to greening programs. Vocal green rms and silent green firms are suitable options for a company in terms of environmental topology. The drivers ofgreenwashing arebecomingly critical. Most rm environmental performance is void of honesty, integrity, and ultimate truth on the real issues facing the environment, Brown rms are the biggest consumers of the drivers of greenwashing, The desire to manipulate the outside world is iife, and they always \"communicate positively about their policies and performance on the environment. The intrigues and unfathomable forces of institutional and regulatory bodies should be fought, and countered intersively" 154]. To mitigate the adversities caused by brown companies, effective intraenterprise communication, ethical climate sensitivity, legitimate incentive stnicture, and organizational inertia should be modified in utter good faith to allow external regulations to take shape in the war against environmental pollution, degradation and overall change in the climate. 4.4. Uitrierzgltiatury Environment For many years, greenwashing has been limited in the United States. The enforcement of monitoring and regulatory has been hit endless blockades of uncertainty and perspective from affected, affiliate, and peer companies. The Federal Trade Commission (m) Act should be tentatively amended. The agency's powers should be heightened beyond federal watch on product and service advertisements that only fall in Section 5 [52]. The FI'C should scale up the punishments before violators ot the ultraregulatory environment. As companies grow their financial muscles, the law should be adjusted to support lougherr subtle enforcement laws with the FTC Act. The minimum ne of $10,000 should be increased to over $100,000 for business enterprises, and companies found guilty with an intent to mislead, delraud, orviolate environmental sustainability regulations [52]. The complexities that have emerged during the mitigation and heaiing of cases unsubstantiated claims supporting the false environmental cases should be condemned at all costs. Through the tightened consequences, the m should acquiesce all oxganiutioxs violating the "all-natural" and \"biodegradable" clarities. For multinationals with their roots beyond the American borders, the Frc Act should be also applicable. However, on that note, they should integrate with the hmt countries international equivalents such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Canadian Standards Association. Misleading advertisements should be eliminated through tougher product seizure, huge tine margins, and even imprisonments. The US. government should amend the current corporate disclosure clauses to ensure enhanced environmental practices [55]. Mandatory disclosure of environmental leadership and practices supported by third-party auditing services will ensure that brown firms do not go unpunished with greenwashing. 4.5. Organizational Sustainability Drivers While the external driver realm establishes an environment to incentivize firms towards greenwash, the negative strategies and interventions are never done in a vacuum. Corrupted and unscrupulous organizational drivers form the foundation of the greenwashing strategy Some of the critical firmlevel drivers to adopt a change in sustainable leadership and environment consciousness include intra-tirm communication, firrn characteristics, ethical climate and incentive structures, and organizational inertia, M Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X 9 |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 13 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 13 of 22 The mentioned drivers should dictate and align the company's reaction and adherence to external forces and drivers fighting greenwashing improprieties [53]. 4.6. Intra-Firm Communication Effective intra-firm communication is a powerful tool in the fight against greenwashing. Internal exchanges and the sharing of information with the boundaries of an organization are usually sticky to 10 achieve [53]. Suboptimal domestic transfers of information will help in the explanation of inadvertent greenwashing that is perfected by most "brown enterprises". The data from the technical team and product design specialists should be reliably correct and of utmost integrity for the consumer good and the life after its consumption and the environment around [56]. Connection systems between each department should be channels of i ht and use of product and service specifications. For electronics and other digital products, the less active components of intra-firm communication should restructure and given a whole new picture and connotation Internal subunits fighting is a common trend in many organizations and I.T. ventures as well. Direct relationship platforms are highly needed to build a rigorous and extensive communication and information sharing to avoid greenwashing products at the expense of the natural world around the consumer networks. As part of the wider sustainable leadership, knowledge dissemination, and frequent interaction segments between R & D (Research and Development), other functions, and top management should be the culture and order of life within the product and service lifecycle corridors. 4.7. Ethical Climate and Incentive Structure 11 A firm's ethical behavior and culture are notably shown through ethical climate and incentive structures of sustainability weights. Unethical behavior is the practice that causes or propagates harmful effects on others, and they may be morally unacceptable or illegal in the larger social sphere. The organizational ethical climate is made up of members and stakeholders' common perceptions and ideologies that specific ethical reasoning or practices are indispensables of decision making. The climate under ethical paradigms should be written on a trio of moral judgment [57]. These are egoistic climate, benevolent climate, and principled climate theories. The dominance of egoistic ethics should be plummeted and significantly replaced using benevolent or principled theories. Despite the audacity, intractability, and conundrum of th te theory, explicit industry standards should be formulated to fight the resulting culture and uncertainties. Leaders should rebuild their trust in the environment and deliver the best in the implementation of ethical codes. Incentive structures are an imposition to reward and uplift managers and leadership systems for attaining financial goals. However, the tricks used by the brown, firm category should not be featured if the environmental impact of the business planet is to be sustainable. Excellent performers in CSR policies and strategies should be given the top priority in the benefits of incentive structures [58] 12 Arbitrary marketing and P.R. quotas should be intelligently programmed to shade a legit and socially responsible image of the company and its product development. Greening should not be a hiding zone for unfortunate business marketing and P.R. quotas and strategies. The incentive policy should be designed to validate the truth about their products to protect their after-use implications. 4.8. Supporting Leadership in the Making of Normative Professionals The paradigm of normative professionalism insists on the significance of the personal side of a professional. Normative-reflexive competence makes the principles of a normative professional. Sustainable leadership is never a reality without normative professionalism. "Normative professionalism" m is built on awareness of one's actions as "value-laden' and encompasses all unified efforts towards morality in all professional obligations. Profit-organizations with the ambitious goals of sustainability should always work towards soft grounds for opening complex normative situations. Despite the market competition of today, profit- organizations should work around the clock to streamline and harden their polices on humanistic education to avoid the culture of lost morals 13M Inbox X ChatC X Parap X Senec X |Mail - X Annol X Susta X Enviro X G Searcy How X Refer X Light X Light X C File | /Users/staceydsouza/Downloads/sustainability-12-07014.pdf Error : YouTube FMovies.to Prime Video o Mail - Stacey Sha... Seneca Important... Seneca Blackboard Seneca WhatsApp Seneca College N... Ameego Job Search Canad... E Environmental Issues As an Indispensable Aspect of Sustainable Leadership 14 / 22 - 75% + ... Sustainability 2020, 12, 7014 14 of 22 towards CSR. Basic structures for moral learning should be established financed and supported by all members of the business entity. Normative leadership is intricately connected with environmental leadership. All actions should be the output of an integrated understanding of normative professionals. Imperatively, the new generation of normative professionalism leaders should never be afraid of the worst that may come their way during their explorations towards keeping the environment clean, conducive, and suitable before, during, and in the aftermath of production operations. 11 4.9. Drivers of Individual-Level Psychology Individuals and leaders play a critical role in explaining reality within a firm behavior. The phenomenon of bounded rationality is widespread in most companies whose market strategies are dominated by greenwashing. Managers who are perpetrators of greenwashing exhibit psychological tendencies that exacerbates the individual drivers of change. The change should be supported by optimistic decision framing and is free from the intricacies of intertemporal discounting. Optimistic bias should be condemned and regulatory frameworks instilled to limit the over-estimation of positive events and under-estimation of the likelihood of negative implications. Unrealistic optimism, self-evaluation, and illusional control for the expansive industries of agriculture and Information Technology should be replaced through training on legitimacies on consequential predictions [59]. Decision-makers should work in the best interest of the impacts of their products and integrity towards achieving green market controls. Third-party interrogation of outcomes and evaluation should be given under regulations envisaged in the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Act and NGO (Non-governmental organization) scrutinization. 12 4.10. Upscaling the System