1. Introduction - Dynamic Perspectives on Sustainable Business
Want the Best Assignment Help in the UK? Look to Native Assignment Help for unparalleled expertise and support. Our dedicated team of professionals goes above and beyond to ensure you receive top-quality assignments that exceed your expectations.
Sustainable development means the need of the present generations is being fulfilled without neglecting the need of future generations. There is no denying that a sustainable business is the most effective for any business growth. The sustainable approach ensures that the business's long-term success because sustainable business always takes care of the surrounding environment and the social responsibilities in addition to the profitability of the business. In 2018 approximately 10.5 million companies were added globally and this shows how business is growing at a rapid pace (Clark, 2021). This can be easily identified that there are still many businesses that are not making much effort in taking care of the environment, social responsibilities and continuing destroying the environment and increasing the chance of long term hazards from the environment such as Chemicals, Pesticides, etc. Businesses are expected to operate sustainably because they are valuable contributors to the economy and their actions and decisions are important.
The most common damages that the businesses contribute are Rainforest Destruction, Deforestation, and Pollution from the business operations, etc. There are various theories such as Triple Bottom Line, Corporate Social Responsibility, etc which involve discussing the business growth while taking care of the social responsibilities, environmental sustainability, and economical sustainability. The potential of sustainable business growth is being recognized by many big organizations. For instance: Microsoft is promoting sustainable development by adopting low carbon practices and they are committed to becoming carbon negative by 2030 (Microsoft, 2018). The company has also created a water replenishment strategy in order to replenish water more than wastage, the project such as “Wetland Restoration” (STIFFLER, 2020). A company like "Unilever" tries to stay transparent about the sustainable ways of doing business and they identified the potential of sustainable business growth since 2010.
2. Main Body
Why Sustainable Growth Is Important For the Business
In the 1980s, the rise in problems related to the environment, depletion of resources, and the inequality between peoples spark the notion of Sustainable Development. Sustainable development means being able to meet the need of the current generations without neglecting the need of future generations. There is no denying the fact that the business needs to make sure that they are concentrating on sustainable growth because long-term success can only be accessible if the business is ready to take care of the environmental responsibilities as well as the social responsibilities. Businesses are the largest contributor to the economy worldwide and their decisions and actions are very important for the nations worldwide. The (ESG) Ratings stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, it is a kind of benchmark for businesses in determining how ethically the business is operating and how sustainable the businesses are.
The businesses with positive ESG ratings continuously perform better in the market than their competitors with lower ESG ratings in both the long term and short term (Henisz, Koller, and Nuttall, 2019). For instance, Microsoft has an ESG score of 76.3 and it is very high showing the business is making suitable changes considering sustainable business growth (Investor’s Business Daily, 2021). The businesses which are being established to make a sustainable world are not only going to contribute to the brand image of the company but also huge revenue generation from sustainability. This has also been proved by the world’s richest person i.e. Elon Musk. In 2021, TESLA was ranked as the most valuable automobile brand globally. As of 2020, the total worldwide revenue of TESLA was 31.5 Billion USD (Wagner, 2021).
The Nielsen survey showed that millennials are the biggest demographic on the planet. A poll by Nielsen reveals that millennials are twice than baby boomers and the millennials are adopting ways of reducing environmental impact (NielsenIQ, 2018). Generation Z is set to be the next prominent generation, and in many instances more alarmed, regarding environmental conflicts than millennials. This demonstrates that major brands may enhance their worth substantially by emphasizing sustainable development, and most of the biggest companies are emphasizing on sustainable development. Apple has vowed to attain 100 percent carbon-negative for its supply chain and distribution chain by 2030. Another study from Nielsen revealed that consumers are more likely to purchase commodities from sustainable companies. Over 80% of the customers believe that the company should invest in sustainable development to help improve the environment.
Factors for Sustainable Business Growth
Among businesses, sustainable business growth is the number one challenge to overcome in recent years. There is no denying that sustainable growth is the most important growth for businesses for their long-term visions and goals. Businesses need to concentrate on the core values of the company and align the core values of the business with the customers' problems. A real entrepreneur is one who can provide realistic solutions to the real problem; a successful business will always have a clear vision aligning with the customer or consumer. The popularity of sustainability is getting popular and the investors are more likely to invest in the company that is taking care of the environmental problems and also social responsibilities and conducting businesses in an ethical way (Eccles and Klimenko, 2019). A business that is growing faster is a problem as the huge requirement of the fund will be necessary to sustain the growth. On the flip side, the business which is growing at a very slow pace is also a problem because it might mean that the growth of the business has stopped or is stagnant.
The businesses can calculate sustainable growth by evaluating the profits of the company based on (ROE) Return on Equity (Arora, et al., 2018). The changes in the political, economical environment and tastes & preferences of the customer or consumer are consistent and the businesses have to keep evaluating according to the different factors rapidly taking place in the business environment. For example: Nowadays, people are more concerned about environmental problems and due to that customers are more likely to purchase products from sustainable brands or businesses. Sustainable growth is a notion that assists businesses in their healthy sustainable growth. This notion involves the businesses setting goals for sales growth if the sales are consistent with the operating and the financial policies of the business.
Triple Bottom Line
British author and entrepreneur John Elkington introduced this theory Introduced in 1994, the triple bottom line theory is a notion that transformed the way businesses operate or assess their success. Under this theory, businesses do not just concentrate on their profitability when analyzing their performance but the companies also began taking into account their efforts to both individuals and the environment. Due to the expanding world's population, global warming, contamination, and the depletion of natural resources, sustainable growth has become a basic focus for today’s enterprises (Elkington, 2018). Businesses operate sustainably when they consistently support all the elements of the triple bottom line (TBL) ecological, social, and economic. In other words, the triple bottom line is a theory that suggests corporations must devote themselves to monitoring their societal and ecological effect in parallel to their business efficiency instead of concentrating on profit generation.
People: Social sustainability implies assuring that everyone in the society can equal rights and opportunities. The businesses’ goal is to assist preserve and even promoting social development. Each organization must be concerned about corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards its many consumers or customers and contributing to the betterment of the environment. One basic and crucial approach may be to provide a safe work environment (Elkington, 2018). Furthermore, companies could even nurture good norms in their work environment and the companies can also partner with not-for-profit organizations to reduce inequality and promote equal rights for all the employees as well as the people.
Planet: Anyone from citizens to corporations must be concerned about the impacts of their activities on the world. In addition, research done by the Yale School of Environment reveals that the proportion of individuals frightened about the climate change problem in the United States has increased and climbed from 11 percent to 31 percent just in 5 years, 2013 - 14 and 2019. Lately, companies have started embracing modes of manufacturing in which eco-friendly products are being created and being sold to consumers (Elkington, 2018). One more survey showed that over 80 percent of customers feel that it is vital for corporations to start manufacturing things that are more ecologically responsible.
Profit: Profit is a vital part of any business organization as profit ensures the growth and success of the business (Elkington, 2018). A business organization that is not generating profitable revenue can lead to the failure of the business. Especially in a capitalist economy, the success of the business is majorly dependent on profitability. The businesses create strategies to get the maximum profitability with respect to reduced costs and lessened risk.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is a type of worldwide private corporate self-regulation that strives to assist philanthropic, activist, or charitable societal goals through volunteer or moral operations (Advantage, 2020). While an organization has historically relied on clarity and pragmatism to guide its planning and management, sustainability is a notion that defies easy and uniform description. It is flexible and evolves throughout time as new knowledge becomes available and current societal priorities shift. As per the statement of UNIDO (2021),
In order to encourage CSR adoption among businesses, approaches must be developed that are adapted to each company's objectives and abilities, and that does not jeopardize the company's financial existence (Bhattacharyya et al., 2008). The United Nations Industrial Development Organization's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program is centered on the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) method, which is an efficient tool to assist SMEs in developing nations in meeting environmental and economic requirements without compromising their survivability.
To evaluate and reflect on firm results in terms of financial, social, and external factors that create, the TBL paradigm is utilized. Private companies are being asked to become more aligned with the goal of sustainable environmental growth in an effort to provide them with a broader range of operational purposes than simply profit (Loviscek, 2020). Underneath the concept of sustainability is the notion that an enterprise must be financially sustainable while also limiting negative environmental repercussions and operating in line with social standards.
In a venture in the wide competitive market, the Improved access to money and markets, increased market share and profitability; cost savings; higher production efficiency; a strong human resource foundation; continuous progress in image and reputation; increased customer satisfaction; and improvements in the symptomatic quality improvement and corporate governance processes are all possible benefits of a fully integrated CSR strategy (Bernal?Conesa et al., 2017).
Traditionally, corporate social responsibility has been classified into four categories: environmental, philanthropic, ethical, and economic (Stobierski, 2021). It is the belief that organizations should operate responsibly when it comes to climate change. It is a group's moral obligation to ensure that it operates responsibly and fairly. It is the role of a company's philanthropy to support the advancement of humanity and the globe at large. The practice of a business adhering to all of its economic matters in order to fulfill its promise for improvement in the areas outlined above is known as economic accounting. Humans and the ecosystem should come first, rather than profit maximization.
Importance of Business Ethics in a business
Business ethics strengthens the law by detailing appropriate activities that are not subject to government regulation. Businesses adopt business practices in order to foster employee morality and earn the trust of important parties such as shareholders and customers (Redlands. n.d). While corporate citizenship programs are becoming more prevalent, their quality varies considerably.
Business ethics is an essential skill
This has become a standard practice for most businesses nowadays. In part, this is due to advances in technology that have made it easier to uncover and expose unethical practices. When it comes to financial morality, several companies are stepping up their efforts (Kacmar et al., 2013).
Business ethics drives employee behaviour
An investigation into Global Corporate Responsibility discovered that employees are more likely to participate in moral behaviour if their employers demonstrate why business practices are so crucial to the company's success (Rushton et al., 2021). And over 90 per cent of American employees working in an atmosphere where authenticity is a top priority believe they are prepared to cope with ethical dilemmas when they arise at work.
Business ethics benefits the bottom line
Additionally, a very good ethics programme can help minimize losses. 22 per cent of incidents studied in the 2018 Global Study on Occupational Fraud and Abuse resulted in a loss of $1 million than at that victim organization. Companies with questionable morals may also see a drop in stock value and the termination of commercial relationships, which may have a direct effect on profitability (Rushton et al., 2021).
For instance, Green issues have been a prominent concern in the corporate sector during the last few years. A lot of firms desired to become more environmentally friendly, and many have succeeded (Ogbeibu et al., 2021). Green energy merely means minimizing the influence or harm that a business may have on the ecosystem. It includes lowering CO2 emissions, minimizing waste, conserving energy, and utilizing environmentally friendly energy sources. Green consumption is estimated to be valued at £35.5 billion.
Walmart and other retailers have already taken steps toward sustainable retailing. They did so for commercial gain. They fitted miniature generators in the foot of their 7200 rig trucks, allowing the engines to be shut off while the vehicles are parked, in addition to other fuel-saving measures. This resulted in annual savings of $200 million. They saved $3.4 million each year by reducing the package by 5%. Additionally, they intend to cut 30% of their energy use. There are currently two green shops in Colorado and Texas. Wind turbines produce electricity for those shops. LED lights, which are more energy-efficient, have begun to supplant incandescent bulbs.
Importance of market in the business growth
Marketing is a method used by businesses to promote their products or services. Every corporate entity should understand and be able to implement such a plan. Marketing tactics have been used by several business areas. There are several critical functions that marketing may provide for various company sectors (Elali, 2021). That is why many companies employ a variety of marketing methods. However, marketing is about more than simply brand recognition; it's about increasing revenue, growing businesses, and engaging with customers. Clearly said, no business would be successful without promotion.
Marketing helps to boost the sales
Marketing is one method of communicating with customers. In this manner, buyers will have a general understanding of what the item is and what it is really about. Additionally, they will understand the advantages of purchasing the merchandise (Ziginov, 2021).
Marketing creates revenue options
Marketing enables several commercial entities to generate revenue streams. It occurs when businesses employ a range of marketing methods in order to enhance their earnings.
Build a Reputation of the Brand
Another advantage of marketing methods is that they help establish a brand's reputation. However, it is critical to guarantee that marketers are providing superior quality and valuable items to the target audience (Elali, 2021).
Improves Decision-Making
When a business engages a market expert, they will do all possible to increase product sales through targeted marketing efforts.
According to the statement of Elali (2021), Marketing in the modern day is a far less expensive endeavor than in the past. Reaching out to customers has become far more financially feasible thanks to social media sites and email advertising (www.businesswire.com. 2018). For SMBs, effective marketing may level the playing field when fighting against established brands, as Business 2 Community members stated. Marketing is a critical strategy for corporate success (Ziginov, 2021). While maintaining relationships with current clients should always take first, marketing initiatives can assist to grow this base.
On the other hand, Many obstacles may and should be solved by the marketing department. Marketing entails examining and resolving the complete customer experience; it establishes the framework within which people can comprehend the innovation; and it assists in identifying new partnerships and platforms essential to engage with clients at the correct time, location, and way (Yohn, n.d).
Sustainable Business Strategies
A viable business strategy is one that incorporates economic, ecological, and social objectives into a corporation's goals, actions, and planning with the purpose of generating lengthy value for the company, its customers, and the general community (Velita, and Suson, 2020).
Sustainable value proposition
The term "value proposition" in the context of sustainable development relates to stakeholders other than the "traditional" consumer, shareholder, or stakeholder. All other stakeholders, like workers, trade organizations, suppliers, municipalities, non-governmental groups, and communities, should be considered, as well as the ecology and society. To successfully implement this method, businesses should place a premium on client satisfaction (Aagaard and Ritzén, 2020). Firms can rely on technical, social, and organizational innovation to transform the way business is done in this environment. Additionally, organizations should develop strategic objectives to guide their decision-making around how to satisfy different stakeholders (Velita, and Suson, 2020). This might be accomplished by rethinking productivity along the supply chain and establishing a firm commitment to corporate sustainability.
Value creation and delivery
Additionally, this aspect includes "classically" company's operations, including Porter's primary components in supply chain and production, and also procurement. Sustainable decision-making must take into account not only economic but also health and environmental considerations (Aagaard and Ritzén, 2020). The organization may do this by leveraging both its intrinsic and external capabilities and resources. Firms can push for the creation of certain company resources and expertise, such as the ability to reimagine the firm's business plan, technology that is incorporated into healthy products and processes, leadership effectiveness, and a name for servicer practices.
Corporations can also work closely with suppliers, and also planning and engineering partners, to fill the gap between economic interests and community involvement. As a result, organizations may deal with the complexities of sustainability problems by engaging the help of a large number of partners.
Sustainable value capture
Economic accomplishments alone will not secure lengthy asset usage in the framework of services. This is due to the fact that sustainability is about producing value for the company and all of its consumers while taking into consideration both short-range and long repercussions (Gregori and Holzmann, 2020).
Triple Bottom Line performance indicators, such as those published by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), might be used to measure a company's economic, environmental, and social consequences (Gregori and Holzmann, 2020). For example, efficiency assets enable efficiency gains for the corporation by trying to lower production costs of production such as raw resources, energy, as well as water, for the aim of minimizing depletion of resources and promoting conservation programs, and for culture by bringing down health issues linked to lower pollution in the air and emissions tiers.
3. Conclusion
Sustainable growth would prioritize decreasing CO2 emissions and preventing climate change. Taking care of scarce resources Development through the utilization of nonrenewable resources indicates that the advancement will be unsustainable if the finite money supply goes out. It is difficult to have a viable, functional company in a world with increasing inequality, poverty, and climate change. Companies have a unique chance to align with the SDGs and embrace them as a driving factor behind their strategy, innovation, and capital holdings. This makes business sense and provides them with a competitive edge.
Firms that accept corporate responsibility are often structured in a way that allows them to be and behave responsibly. It is a sort of self that can take the shape of projects or tactics, based on the aims of the organization. To encourage corporate CSR uptake, techniques that are tailored to each firm's particular aims and capabilities while without jeopardizing the corporation's economic viability must be devised. Social responsibility has historically been divided into four categories: ecological, charitable, ethical, and financial. Ecological leaders are responsible for ensuring that businesses should conduct in an environmentally friendly manner.
Regarding this matter, this particular essay has described the importance of the ethical notion along with CSR and sustainable development. In this essay some instances are provided from there it can be said that in the operational process of any business or venture it is very important to maintain sustainable performance. The appropriateness of sustainable performance has helped the business to maintain its endurance across the globe and in the stream of the competitive global market. Alongside, this report, it has been seen that there are many types of CSR roles and responsibilities from the environmental to economical aspects which are clearly elaborated in this essay.
References
Clark, D., 2021. Global companies growth 2020. [online] Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1261299/global-companies-growth/ [Accessed 23 Dec. 2021].
STIFFLER, L., 2020. Microsoft vows to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030, in latest sustainability initiative. [online] GeekWire. Available at: https://www.geekwire.com/2020/microsoft-vows-replenish-water-consumes-2030-latest-sustainability-initiative/ [Accessed 23 Dec. 2021].
Investor’s Business Daily., 2021. This Is Why Microsoft Is The Best ESG Company Now. Investor’s Business Daily. [online] 26 Oct. Available at: https://www.investors.com/news/technology/microsoft-stock-attracts-esg-investing-interest/ [Accessed 23 Dec. 2021].
Henisz, W., Koller, T. and Nuttall, R., 2019. ESG framework | McKinsey. [online] www.mckinsey.com. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/five-ways-that-esg-creates-value [Accessed 23 Dec. 2021].
Wagner, I., 2021. Topic: Tesla. [online] www.statista.com. Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/2086/tesla/ [Accessed 23 Dec. 2021].
NielsenIQ., 2018. Was 2018 the year of the influential sustainable consumer? [online] NielsenIQ. Available at: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2018/was-2018-the-year-of-the-influential-sustainable-consumer/ [Accessed 23 Dec. 2021].
Eccles, R.G. and Klimenko, S., 2019. Shareholders Are Getting Serious About Sustainability. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2019/05/the-investor-revolution [Accessed 23 Dec. 2021].
Arora, L., Kumar, S. and Verma, P., 2018. The anatomy of sustainable growth rate of Indian manufacturing firms. Global Business Review, 19(4), pp.1050-1071.
Elkington, J., 2018. 25 years ago I coined the phrase “triple bottom line.” Here’s why it’s time to rethink it. Harvard Business Review, 25, pp.2-5.
Hammer, J. and Pivo, G., 2017. The triple bottom line and sustainable economic development theory and practice. Economic Development Quarterly, 31(1), pp.25-36.
UNIDO , 2021. What Is CSR? [online] Unido.org. Available at: https://www.unido.org/our-focus/advancing-economic-competitiveness/competitive-trade-capacities-and-corporate-responsibility/corporate-social-responsibility-market-integration/what-csr. [Accessed On: 23/12/21]
Advantage, C., 2020. Corporate Social Responsibility. CSR and Socially Responsible Investing Strategies in Transitioning and Emerging Economies, 65.
Bhattacharyya, S.S., Sahay, A., Arora, A.P. and Chaturvedi, A., 2008. A toolkit for designing firm level strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Social Responsibility Journal.
Loviscek, V., 2020. Triple bottom line toward a holistic framework for sustainability: A systematic review. Revista de Administração Contemporânea, 25.
Bernal?Conesa, J.A., de Nieves Nieto, C. and Briones?Peñalver, A.J., 2017. CSR strategy in technology companies: Its influence on performance, competitiveness and sustainability. Corporate social responsibility and environmental management, 24(2), pp.96-107.
Stobierski, T. 2021. Types of Corporate Social Responsibility to Be Aware Of. [online] Harvard Business School Online. Available at: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/types-of-corporate-social-responsibility.[Accessed On: 23/12/21]
Redlands. n.d. 3 Reasons Why Business Ethics Is Important | University of Redlands. [online] Available at: https://www.redlands.edu/study/schools-and-centers/business/sbblog/2019/may-2019/3-reasons-why-business-ethics-important/#:~:text=Business%20ethics%20[Accessed 23 Dec. 2021].
Kacmar, K.M., Andrews, M.C., Harris, K.J. and Tepper, B.J., 2013. Ethical leadership and subordinate outcomes: The mediating role of organizational politics and the moderating role of political skill. Journal of Business Ethics, 115(1), pp.33-44.
Rushton, C.H., Wood, L.J., Grimley, K., Mansfield, J., Jacobs, B. and Wolf, J.A., 2021. Rebuilding a foundation of trust: A call to action in creating a safe environment for everyone. Patient Experience Journal, 8(3), pp.5-12.
Ogbeibu, S., Jabbour, C.J.C., Gaskin, J., Senadjki, A. and Hughes, M., 2021. Leveraging STARA competencies and green creativity to boost green organisational innovative evidence: A praxis for sustainable development. Business Strategy and the Environment.
Elali, W., 2021. The importance of strategic agility to business survival during corona crisis and beyond. International Journal of Business Ethics and Governance, pp.1-8.
Ziginov, S., 2021. CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. HOW DOES SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING AFFECT CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING PROCESS AND SALES? CASE: ASOS.
Yohn, D.L. n.d. Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/deniselyohn/2019/01/08/marketing-matters-now-more-than-ever/?sh=67c7a530117a [Accessed 23 Dec. 2021].
www.businesswire.com. 2018. Importance of Market Analysis in Improving Business Growth - Infiniti Research. [online] Available at: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180801005423/en/Importance-of-Market-Analysis-in-Improving-Business-Growth---Infiniti-Research.[Accessed On: 23/12/21]
Velita, L. and Suson, J., 2020. Green marketing strategies for a sustainable business. Journal of Agriculture and Technology Management, 23(1), pp.26-34.
Aagaard, A. and Ritzén, S., 2020. The critical aspects of co?creating and co?capturing sustainable value in service business models. Creativity and Innovation Management, 29(2), pp.292-302.
Gregori, P. and Holzmann, P., 2020. Digital sustainable entrepreneurship: A business model perspective on embedding digital technologies for social and environmental value creation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 272, p.122817
