Example of essay on environmental sustainability and business

1. What are the four mind-sets about the environment? Why are they important to our thinking about business ethics?

Four critical mindsets about the environment must be put into consideration in the management practice. These mindsets help to steer the organization towards a financial prosperity including generosity, vulnerability, candor and accountability. Generosity is the belief in mutual existence between the organization and the society. Other behaviors arise from this major behavior. It is the commitment to mutual support. It begins with the willingness to show up and willingly share our deepest insights and ideas with the world (Freeman, York & Stewart, 2007). Vulnerability entails fearless friendship where risks are taken up. Candor, on the other hand, is the freedom to be honest with those in whom we tell one’s secrets. Vulnerability clears the road of feedback so that a person can share his or her hopes or fears with others. Accountability refers to being able to be answerable for your actions. The four mindsets are immensely critical in business regardless of the sate of operation. This is because they are able to affect each activity taken by both the manager and employees.
A sustainable business is a business entity that participates in environment friendly or green activities to ensure that production; manufacturing and distribution of products address current environmental concerns and still maintain its profits. According to Brundtland Report, sustainability has three components namely the people, planet and profits (Wicks, Freeman, Werhane & Martin, 2010). A Sustainable business tries to balance all three through the triple-bottom-line using sustainable development and sustainable distribution to have a positive impact to the environment, business growth, and the society (Wicks, Freeman, Werhane & Martin, 2010). Sustainable business development is one, which values various partners and supporters of the organization. For example, this could be customers, investors or shareholders, suppliers and donors.

2. What is Pascal’s Wager? How does it influence how you look at the uncertainty surrounding the environment?

Pascal is a physical unit used to measure pressure. The name Pascal is owed to French mathematician, physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal. Pascal was of the view that even if one had evidence of experience not to belief in God; they ought to believe that God exists. This raised a lot of co0ntroversy, especially by scientists who believed so much on evidence in support of a sate or an argument. In fact, some argued that by having evidence that God does not exist, believing in him would make the person be on the same position as an atheist. Certainty is particularly important because it is the basis for applied science and engineering. This creates a condition in which utility and cost benefit analysis becomes straightforward. The decision-making environment is much more volatile in a case where there are high levels of uncertainty (Banerjee & Shastri, 2010). Pascal Wager clearly brings out the importance of certainty with regard to business and the surrounding environment. In essence, business depends on the environment for its raw materials. Where the supply of the raw materials is assured, that is certain the business becomes more stable.
Pascal Wager’s arguments also help in bringing out the need for taking of probability assignments by business managers. These assignments are meant to help protect the environment, but cannot be said to be an end in themselves, that is, we are not sure of such a step or action will help protect an endangered species (Wicks, Freeman, Werhane & Martin, 2010). However, managers have to believe in protection of the environment whichever the case. Wager’s argument helps business to engage in environmentally friendly activities than risking by not taking part in them. This is because the repercussions may not be definite.

3. What are the four Shades of Green? Where do most businesses operate? Where would you operate as a manager?

The four shades of Green refer to phases in which business operate in terms of conservation of the environment and observation of business ethics. In this regard, businesses are expected to facilitate environmental conservation as part of ethical requirements (Wicks, Freeman, Werhane & Martin, 2010. This is justified by an argument that a business cannot make a profit from people or the society, yet its profits are a result of environmental degradation. The four shades of green include light green, market green, stakeholder green, and dark green. Light green phase, facilities sustenance of the environment with regard to what the law sates. In this phase, organizations only work to sustain the environment as the law compels them to do so. Market green principle facilitates sustenance of the environment, based on the wishes of the customers (Freeman, York & Stewart, 2007). The third shade, Stakeholder Green, facilities sustainability of the environment as a response to the various stakeholders of the organization. The Dark green principle facilitates the creation of sustainable environment as a response to the need in the protection of the earth.
As a manger, I would prefer to put my organization at the dark green phase. I consider this phase as the best since it takes care of all the other phases of the four shades of green. At this level, the organization would be able to guarantee a better future for the society to come, while at the sometime make considerable profits (Freeman, York & Stewart, 2007). As a manger, I would also be happy if the business is at this level in that my conscience would b4e clear that am not in any way endangering humanity, by the activities of my business.

4. What do we need to do to help businesses do a better job regarding the environment?

Training needs to be done on the need to protect the environment. Many people get to business with the mind of making money regardless of the harm that is done to the environment. This is mainly because they are not well trained on the need to protect the environment. In order to get these entrepreneurs into activities of environment protection, there is a need for training on the same (Colyvan & Steele, 2008). Once they have been trained, they will appreciate the need for protection of environment and would engage in activities that support this course. There is a need for emphasis by authorities such as local governments on environment protection related activities as part of Corporate Social Responsibility. Many organizations have activities that help the society around them which are not closely related to environment protection. However, there is the need to emphasize that they participate in guarding the environment around them as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.
There is a need for government and other development partners to work with business organizations in order to help preserve the environment. Businesses do not operate in a vacuum. They operate in an environment with structures that affect decision-making. They also need some support in order to put up projects and take part in activities that will help preserve the environment. In order for this to happened, there must be proper laws and policies that will provide an enabling environment for the same (Wicks, Freeman, Werhane & Martin, 2010). This will ensure that every arm of the society helps in forging ahead with preservation of the environment. Where businesses have no support, they will work in futility.

References

Banerjee P. M., Shastri V., (2010), Social Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability in Business: How Organizations Handle Profits and Social Duties, Hong Kong: SAGE
Colyvan M., Steele K., 2008, Environmental Ethics and Decision Theory: Fellow Travellers or Bitter Enemies? Sydney: University of Sydney
Freeman R. E., York J. G., Stewart L., 2007, Environment, Ethics and Business, New York City, NY: Institute For Corporate Ethics
Wicks, A. C., Freeman, R. E., Werhane, P. H., and Martin, K. E.(2010), Business Ethics: A Managerial Approach, New York City, NY: Prentice Hall Publishing.