The sustainability applied in business administration not only leaves a positive impact on the world, but also shows itself as a trend that the markets perceive as an added value when deciding their consumption. In reference to this, a new path by which companies could choose to improve their business models.
Sustainable development is considered by Carro Suárez et al. (2017) as the model shown in illustration 1, visualizing the four dimensions of sustainability from the following perspective:
Illustration 1. Sustainable development model. Source: Carro et al. (2017).
In the environmental dimension, it is considered that the products and processes must be friendly to the environment through the prevention of contamination and good management of natural resources, recognizing the design of green products from their raw material to the end of their Lifecycle.
In the social dimension, the benefit of the staff and their environment is sought with an efficient administration of human resources, providing health, safety and economic growth, both to the organization and to the staff and to the place where the company has been established.
In the economic dimension, the proposal of both economic and social profitability is proposed, in the search to generate results and / or benefits based on investment in technology to decrease energy consumption and improve the environmental quality of processes, conceiving, In addition, that its objective is not only to generate economic profits, but also to give back to society at a social, economic and environmental level that allows the company to take root permanently.
Finally, in the institutional dimension, the model proposes the creation of a sustainable culture, with a mission and vision that impacts all its members, establishing norms, habits and values so that they are practiced inside and outside the organization, making them a new one. form of behavior and education.
Toledo, VM (2015) argues that sustainability manages to overcome the double exploitation of the work of nature and human work, through the implementation of actions that concern different spheres of daily life, such as ecologically appropriate systems, an economy solidarity that gives rise to fair and organic markets, use of eco-technologies, direct and participatory democracy, exclusively solar energy sources (direct or indirect), and application of knowledge stemming from a liberating science carried out by researchers with social and environmental awareness. All this aimed at the empowerment of social groups and the control of their territories. As a realizable utopia, sustainability defined as social power exists, grows and expands in many parts of the world.
Focused on science for sustainability Casas et al. (2017), point out that building science for sustainability implies training scientists with new visions. The complexity of the systems to be addressed requires a broad vision and a willingness to disciplinary interaction. Simplistic views on "hard" and "soft" sciences are worthless in this new search for more open approaches. Natural scientists must be able to value the contribution of the social sciences and vice versa. There is no science of first or second category, each field has its contributions and all of them are of high value for solving problems. Similarly, basic scientists must have the necessary openness to value applied science and technological innovation processes in a similar dimension.There are no better sciences than others, they are different scientific fields and the plurality of approaches is more than ever necessary. The training of professionals prepared for disciplinary interactions and capable of assessing the knowledge of other sectors of society (transdisciplinary research) must be consolidated. It is not a matter of opposing the value of the disciplines that have been developed throughout the history of science, but of articulating them, of orchestrating them to address problems to which they can only give partial answers.The training of professionals prepared for disciplinary interactions and capable of assessing the knowledge of other sectors of society (transdisciplinary research) must be consolidated. It is not a matter of opposing the value of the disciplines that have been developed throughout the history of science, but of articulating them, of orchestrating them to address problems to which they can only give partial answers.The training of professionals prepared for disciplinary interactions and capable of assessing the knowledge of other sectors of society (transdisciplinary research) must be consolidated. It is not a matter of opposing the value of the disciplines that have been developed throughout the history of science, but of articulating them, of orchestrating them to address problems to which they can only give partial answers.
They suggest that this involves making curricular adjustments in various academic programs, but also in the institutions that will implement them. There are already developing experiences that allow us to analyze the lessons of multi-interdisciplinary educational efforts. We have now analyzed it from the perspective of the environmental sciences, but in reality there are multiple fields that increasingly require the vision of complexity and the need for interdisciplinary research work. Finally, it should be noted that the individual initiatives of researchers and citizens concerned about the environmental problems that prevail in this great socio-ecological crisis are all of great value. However,It is time for institutions to build their agendas to give collective attention to problems that are beyond the possibilities of individuals. This is perhaps the greatest challenge, since it involves bringing government, non-government institutions, social organizations, and academic institutions into harmony at different scales to facilitate their interaction. These are major organizational and operational challenges that involve valuing participation in building a vigorous science for sustainability.operations that involve participation valuation for the construction of a vigorous science for sustainability.operations that involve participation valuation for the construction of a vigorous science for sustainability.
Sustainability, based on the reflection made by Pastor et al. (2016), is a matter of common sense; however, the social representation of sustainable development is not shared among social actors and this makes it difficult to debate how to transform development. In the search for sustainability, the process matters as much as the goal, and in this evaluation must be a fundamental part because it allows feedback and improvement of the process itself. However, the design of the evaluation is a complex matter in which numerous aspects must be considered so that the result of the evaluation goes beyond the single generation of indicators of limited utility.
Continuing with Pastor et al., As in any other evaluation exercise, the evaluation of the sustainability of a system must derive and agree with an adequate planning in which those involved have agreed on their vision of how they want to relate to the environment considering the needs from the environment, yours and those of future generations. From this, the proposal of coherent and clear, unambiguous objectives is fundamental to attend to the assessment of the dimensions of sustainability. Subsequently, the measurement of the changes caused by the actions of the social group, requires that the indicators be applicable to the particular reality and serve to measure changes, which ideally should be progress towards the previously established goals.
Sustainable development must ensure that the strategies implemented respect the fact that sustainability, although it is multidimensional, originates from the imbalances generated by man's actions in the physical environment we inhabit. In this sense, a greater effort to reduce the environmental impact is essential, so the policies that are implemented must prioritize this aspect.
The need to boost the productivity of the Mexican rural sector should not undermine environmental criteria. For this reason, actions such as the National Network for Sustainable Rural Development should strengthen its emphasis on sustainability through education and the promotion and support of socio-economic development alternatives that are novel, especially in reducing their environmental impact.
Regarding the current panorama in relation to profitability and sustainability in businesses, Cavazos and Giuliani (2017) believe that economic, hybrid or social ventures have a critical function, since they add value in the economic and social systems in which they are inserted. Because they contribute directly and indirectly to regional growth, job creation, innovation dynamics, productivity and growth, being able to generate satisfaction of needs, improvements and social well-being in the contexts where they interact. Business scaling is a key aspect to improve performance and invigorate the organization's competitive position. However, not all ventures are usually suitable for a scalability process,its development takes time and in addition to financial sustainability, an organizational culture is required that values and practices flexibility, adaptation and is prepared for change. A frankly growing business model is characterized by having a strong financial position, a strong brand identity, a leading market position, a clear strategy and a high-performance management team.
With a futuristic approach Pérez Espinoza et al. (2016) emphasize that modern organizations that want to be successful in their commercial operations must have as a priority the consideration of corporate social responsibility in their management, not only as an aspect often required by the laws of the countries, but as a Transparent awareness of the impact each industry causes on the environment, resources and society in general. No matter the size or nature of the company, what really matters is awareness at all levels, from top management to the lowest organizational levels, that the land is the one that provides all the resources used to production, therefore, must be cultivated so that future generations can enjoy it.
In addition, they continue, if an organization goes unnoticed by social responsibility it damages its corporate image both with its customers, with its collaborators and also with its suppliers, who often take them as role models in these practices. It is important to emphasize that companies can play a very important role in people's lives, not only as providers of employment and wealth, but as a development agent in the communities in which they are inserted. Many large companies are aware of this and have tried to take advantage of the expectations generated by Corporate Social Responsibility to obtain competitive advantages and maintain relationships between different interest groups. Finally, corporate philanthropy is no longer an autonomous activity entrusted to a foundation and is part ofincreasingly, of the strategies that contribute to achieving the corporate purpose of the company.
In summary, the implementation of a management focused on sustainability is a task that covers an entire organization and needs human, material and technological resources. The business world faces new changes and therefore the regulations derived from environmental needs request a zero or minimal impact from companies, which implies a challenge in the management of companies.
References
- Carro-Suárez, J., Sarmiento-Paredes, S., & Rosano-Ortega, G. (2017). Organizational culture and its influence on business sustainability. The importance of culture in business sustainability. Estudios Gerenciales, 33 (145), 352-365.Casas, A., Torres, I., Delgado-Lemus, A., Rangel-Landa, S., Ilsley, C., Torres-Guevara, J.,… & Castillo, A. (2017). Science for sustainability: research, education and participatory processes. Mexican Journal of Biodiversity, 88, 113-128. Cavazos-Arroyo, J., & Giuliani, AC (2017). Scalability: Concept, characteristics and challenges from commercial and social entrepreneurship. Cuadernos del CIMBAGE, (19), 27-41. Pérez Espinoza, MJ, Espinoza Carrión, C., & Peralta Mocha, B. (2016). Corporate social responsibility and its environmental approach: a sustainable vision for the future.University and Society Magazine, 8 (3), 169-178. Pastor Pérez, M. d. P., Ávila, AER, & Torres, ASM (2016). Evaluation of sustainability: a reflection based on the case of the National Network for Sustainable Rural Development (Mexico). Inter-sciences: dialogues in the Knowledge Society, 4 (9), 61-72.Toledo, VM (2015). What are we talking about when we talk about sustainability? An ecological political proposal. Interdisciplinary Magazine, 3 (7), 35-55.What are we talking about when we talk about sustainability? An ecological political proposal. Interdisciplinary Magazine, 3 (7), 35-55.What are we talking about when we talk about sustainability? An ecological political proposal. Interdisciplinary Magazine, 3 (7), 35-55.
