دانلود رایگان مقاله استفاده از اکولوژی صنعتی و مفاهیم مدیریت استراتژیک به منظور پیگیری اهداف توسعه پایدار

Abstract

The subjectivity, complexity, and often competing interests of sustainable development have limited the effectiveness of integrating these important ideas into mainstream business strategy. With the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in January 2016, there are now global sustainability benchmarks that apply across diverse sectors and national contexts, allowing public and private organizations to orient and evaluate their activities, strategies, and business outcomes. However, it is not directly apparent where the advantage for business lies in pursuit of these actions within the prevailing economic paradigm, highlighting the need for new analytical frameworks and tools. Industrial ecology (IE) has been successfully used in engineering practice for decades and has been suggested as a method that can provide the concepts and methods necessary to bridge the gap between traditional business practice and sustainable development. To test this, literature bridging the fields of industrial ecology, business strategy, and sustainable development was collected and analyzed using the textual analysis software LeximancerTM. The analysis showed that while the SDGs are primarily aimed at the national level, they also hold relevance for business through innovation, partnerships, and strategic positioning, inter alia. The analysis found that the integration of IE and business strategy is highly relevant for three of the SDGs, but captures elements of all 17 to varying degrees. IE has a strong focus on innovation and its potential in new markets, products, and business models. IE is also consciously aimed at the efficient use of energy and resources, ideas that are relevant to mitigating, adapting, and building resilience in a changing future, but are also relevant to traditional concepts of business strategy and competitive advantage. This paper shows that through the combination of IE and strategic management theory, commercial organizations can positively contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals while building competitive advantage.

6. Conclusion

The traditional business practices fundamental to 20 th century economic development have largely ignored the natural environment and society in which they have operated. As we move further into the 21st century – a period in which human activities are the primary drivers of planetary environmental and climate dynamics (Waters et al., 2016) – it is evident that business leaders cannot operate in isolation, but must alter their view of the firm to one in which they recognize their critical role in a larger social-ecological-industrial system. A shift in strategic direction for business is required, one that identifies the competitive advantages associated with environmentally and socially responsible business practices through the science of industrial ecology, its focus on sustainable industrial systems and its interconnection with modern business strategy. The analysis presented here contributes to the growing body of evidence that proactive sustainability practices are strategically advantageous for firms.