Rejection Phase Essay

Business

The challenge of integrating sustainability into organizational practices is significant. It is often argued that as most organizations move from the unengaged level of organizational sustainability to higher levels of engagement, then a shift in organizational culture becomes more significant. Therefore, if sustainability is not integrated into the underlying values of an organization, then the organization becomes unsustainable with time (Benn, 2004). A more important point to note that, even though, sustainable development can offer a considerable opportunity to the organization with high innovative capacity, it is risky and complex. Hence achieving organizational sustainability remains a challenge that increasingly occupies the attention of stakeholders and senior managers of organizations.
The definition of human sustainability can be viewed from two different perspectives. From the point of view of organizations, the most evident and familiar human sustainability imperative for enterprise is the alignment of the needs and interest of the business with those of their most important assets.. While, from the individual perspective, human sustainability is all about psychological well being that is evident by a capacity for renewal, nurturing capability and the increased capacity to handle and cope with varied and unpredictable situations. Human sustainability factors, therefore, include learning, trust, growth choices and freedom.
The extent by which organization sustainability change is dependent on human sustainability is well illustrated in the comprehensive sustainability model. This is the model through which corporation’s progress towards both ecological and human sustainability. The sustainability phase model enables comparison when assessing their current commitment to human sustainability. The phase include

In this phase, the organizational managers reject the need of taking sustainability initiatives. This is because they tend to regard the employees and the ecological environment as nothing but resources to be exploited for economic gain.

Non-responsiveness phase

This is an attitude that tends to pervade the majority of organizations. Sometimes the attitude arises from the ignorance of the global threat of unsustainable practices, or ideological belief that business has no responsibility beyond profit making.

Compliance Phase

Compliant organizations tend to focus on risk reduction of sanctions for reducing the minimum required standards. The organizations change their practices due to growing legal requirements for achieving the minimum standards corporate citizenship for more sustainable practices. The programmatic response aspect can then be harnessed to support the corporate move along the sustainability spectrum.

Efficiency

This reflects the growing awareness of the senior managers and stakeholders in the organization that there are real advantages to being gained by instituting sustainability practices within an organization. The practices are directed to reduce the cost and further increase the operational efficiency.

Strategic pro-activity

This is a stage where the senior elites in an organization recognize the gains made through ensuring sustainability become an integral component of the organization's business strategy. Organizational learning is another factor that is necessary for organizations to move beyond the non-responsive phase of sustainability, and this can be through organizations developing new knowledge through multiple partnership arrangements (Benn, 2004).
Finally, democratic system is another human sustainability factor which affects corporate sustainability. The democratic regimes that experience a more powerful, interventions role for government will often create a legal framework incentive in assisting organizations towards sustainability. Furthermore, the employees and managers views on organizational sustainable practices are the same. Both stakeholders believe that by instituting the concept of sustainability measures than they are capable of achieving a significant efficiency and will be more open to progressing their organization further.

References

Benn, S., & Dunphy, D. (2004). Can democracy handle corporate sustainability? Constructing a path forward. Innovation, 6(2), 141-155.