MBS662 Report: Business, Society and Environment Analysis

This report analyzes the concepts of business, society, and the environment, focusing on shared value creation, innovation, sustainable supply chain management, and the importance of alliances. It begins with pre- and post-seminar entries for two key sessions: Shared Value Creation and Innovation, and Alliances, Supply Chains, and Value Alignment Challenges. The report then provides a contextual evaluation of these sessions, highlighting the significance of value management in organizational growth and sustainability. The report discusses how organizations are increasingly aligning their strategies with environmental and social responsibilities, emphasizing the creation of shared value (CSV) and the adoption of sustainable supply chain practices. The analysis covers the unit's core topics, emphasizing the interconnectedness of business, society, and the environment and how organizations can foster mutual development and ethical operations. The report also includes the student's reflections on the readings, discussions, and their implications for organizational practices and sustainable development.

Running head: BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
Part- A
Topic 6, Session 6 – Shared value creation and innovation
Pre-seminar
Innovation and shared value creation are both very significant aspects of organizational
sustainability over long term. It is important to note that shared value can cause more number of
organizations to survive productively for long. Innovation greatly complements the factors that
ultimately lead to the creation of essential shared value. In today’s world organization need to
align their technological resources towards creating better shared value for the industry.
Presently, it can be seen that a large number of organizations have come together to form
strategies that are innovative on the one hand and on the other hand sustainable over longer
periods of time. Innovative value creation exercises have taken place among organizations for a
long time. Creating Shared Value or CSV is the act of creating a shared value for production of
goods and utilization of the required resources in the same (Pfitzer et al.). Nexera canola and
sunflower seeds have been used in 2005 to create cooking oils that can provide greater yield to
the farmers. Some have emphasized the formation of the blended value system. Meaning that the
integration of environmental, social and technological factors and resources that are available.
Others have focused on the sustainable value, cleaner technology usage and pollution prevention.
However, these are not the only perspectives that exist with reads to shared value creation as a
number of other factors have been considered for providing essential views on shared value and
sustainable growth of organizations. Increasingly it can also be seen that the organizational CSR
activities are being linked with the CSV activities.

2BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
Post seminar
In the seminar some of the important aspects of thinking that were challenged were in
regards to the productive outcomes of organizations. Previously it was thought that profit
maximization, cost reduction and optimal usage of the available resources were very important
for the essential growth of organizations. However, this was a significant aspect that was
challenged due to the fact that I learnt about the various communities that were very intrinsically
related to the organizational procedures. Hence, an organization is not only a profit making entity
but at the same time it is involved in various social functions. It was confirmed that the
organization has to function in relation with the communities that were part of their operational
environments. The development of the communities along with the development of the
organization is very important for creating sustainable organizational growth. The main
questions that were answered were how organizations work in environments that they share with
the local communities, how organizations share essential relationships with their operational
environments, how organizations take onto consideration the growth factors that affect their
progress considering the local communities and environments and how technology can be used
to create better shared values.
The session have helped me to think differently in terms of sustainability value and
effective resource utilization. The session has been important as it has made me understand
deeper and greater values that are related to share creation of value and sustainable development.
The sessions have been systematically effective in developing essential learning about the
various processes that are intrinsically related to better resource based organizational growth
factors. Hence, it becomes important that they develop in ways in which the society or
communities around their production facilities and organizations also develop at the same time.

3BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
Session 8- Alliances, supply chains and value alignment challenges
Pre-seminar
The session is to touch upon some of the most important topics that concern the current
corporate environments within which organizations tend to operate. One of the key factors that
large corporations across the world have recently focused on is sustainable supply chain
management. In the wake of recent reports that have shown the deplorable conditions where the
workers work to make clothing for some high profile names in the fashion industry,
organizations are taking preventive measures. Large fashion brands are trying hard to provide the
same working conditions to the workers in the developing countries that are present in the
developed countries. The examination of 9 such fashion companies that have taken these
necessary steps revel that they have improved their sustainable supply chain conditions much
more than previous times. The companies have worked well towards finding out the problems in
the production process of the developing source countries. Moreover, they have established
standard code of conducts for both the developed countries and their subsidiaries in the
developing world. There is a need for making better alliances (Turker, Duygu, and Altuntas).
This include utilizing better stakeholders, engaging more effectively with the environment and
developing sustainable approaches that ensure diversity and sustenance.
Post seminar
The seminar reading challenged the thinking about the purpose of supply chain of an
organization. At the same time the thought about organizational alliances were greatly
challenged. Previously it was known that organizations need to utilize sources that are cheap to
reduce cost of production. However, the price that are paid by people in the developing countries
to make the desired source products were seen to be very high in terms of their health and

4BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
welfare. The fact that organizations can enter into alliances to improve their sustainable functions
was a significant revelation. It was also clarified how organizations are getting into alliances that
greatly improve their sustainable values. At the same time it was seen how organizations are
focusing towards optimally developing their sustainability functions. It was confirmed that in the
future organizations are focusing towards better sustainable supply chain management. The
questions that were answered were what the organizations are actually doing to improve the
working conditions of their workers that were present in the developing countries. Some of the
questions that remain however were how effectively organizations can sustain their values in the
future.
Some people respond more to stories than to metrics as they provide better
understandings of any subject matter. Values alignment is a process that considers the alignment
of the processes that are important in an organizations and the systems that are greatly utilizable
towards achieving them. These values are important or inducing organizational growth.
Measurement should hence be done in ways that improve the understanding of the organizational
processes that are required to improve the sustainable practices.
Part-B
Introduction
The unit speaks about the innovative ways in which organizations are constantly focusing
on improving their operational environments. The units that have been reflected upon in the
respective pre and post sessions concerned with the topics of Shared value creation and
innovation and Alliances, supply chains and value alignment challenges respectively. The two
sessions were important as they focused on the value that each of the essential topics assigned

5BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
with the organizational perspectives on sustainability. The greater importance of the sessions on
the unit titled business, society and environment is provided through the rest of the work. The
value of the learning derived from the sessions in regards to both the unit concepts and the
organizational sustainability concepts are discussed.
Contextual evaluation
The contextual element of both the sessions are concerned with the greater significance
of value management in terms of organizational environment. It is important to understand that
shared value and innovation and Alliances, supply chains and value alignment challenges are
both very important in terms of organizational growth and sustainability. Session 6 discusses
about innovation and creation of shared value. Large numbers of organizations have come
together to form strategies that are innovative on the one hand and on the other hand sustainable
over longer periods of time. Innovative value creation exercises have taken place among
organizations for a long time. Creating Shared Value or CSV is the act of creating a shared value
for production of goods and utilization of the required resources in the same (Pfitzer et al.). As
companies are related to the communities of the environments within which they essentially
operate, they are required to pay more attention towards the benefit and development of these
communities. Shared value creation can be achieved through re-conception of the products,
redefining the value chain productivity and enable the essential development of the surrounding
communities. In session 8, the focus is on supply chain management and creation of better
sustainable alliance. The activities of organizations and their essential relationships with the
related communities were essential learnings that were generated as a result of evaluating the
entire subject matter. Multinational corporations across the world have recently focused on is
sustainable supply chain management. The most important developments can be noticed in the

6BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
fashion industry ("Larry Fink's Letter To Ceos | Blackrock" 2019). Fashion industry supply chain
depends on materials and human labor sourced from developing countries. Whereas the markets
within which the larger fashion brands tend to operate are present in the developed nations of the
world. In the wake of recent reports that have shown the deplorable conditions where the
workers work to make clothing for some high profile names in the fashion industry,
organizations are taking preventive measures. An important question that remains is how the
sustainable alliance and the sustainable supply chain management can be improved in the future.
I would like to explore how better ground level improvement can be brought in regards to the
sustainable activities of the organizations. Additionally, it also remains to be found how better
alliances can be created between organizations and environmentalists. The contextual evidences
show that the factors that affect the organizations across the globe remain same more or less. It’s
the organizational practices that define their importance.
Unit Discussion
The unit discusses about business, society and the environment. Both the session content
were intrinsically related to all the three important topics that were the discussion points
throughout the unit. The unit concerns understanding the sustainable development of business
and connects them with the society and the environment. In essence, session 6 concerns with the
understanding of shared value creation and innovation. Session 8 on the same or related lines
concern the sustainable supply chain management and effective alliances. Both the topics are
intrinsically connected with the unit learnings. In accordance with session 6, CSV is focused
towards mutual development of both the society and the organization. In this case organizations
create a win-win value for everyone. Measure of shared value have been opined by many experts
to be effectively possible only if they are done across three levels. These are reconceiving,

7BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
redefining and enabling. If these three factors are effectively measured then it is possible to
create better value through the CSV activities of the various organizations (Genovese et al.). It is
important to develop the local communities where the organizations operate to create better
standards of shared value. Some of the result that are very importantly focused are increased
revenue and reduced carbon footprint, improved productivity and reduced water usage and
reduced costs and improved health. When session 8 is considered it is found how organizations
are utilizing sustainable supply chain systems to improve upon their ethical responsibilities
towards human capital. An important thing that was studied in this session was organizational
purpose. It can be said to be not only the profit motives that guide the organizations. However, at
the same time they are forces that are to be utilized for achieving them. There is a need for
making better alliances (Turker, Duygu, and Altuntas). This include utilizing better stakeholders,
engaging more effectively with the environment and developing sustainable approaches that
ensure diversity and sustenance. It is important to understand that companies are bound by
various factors that determine their standards of operations. It is in regards to these factors that
the organizations have to essentially participate. Some important aspects of new organizational
alliances are corporate strategy, capital allocation, environmental risk assessments and
prioritizations of the most important commitments. The focus should thus be on engaging with
partners that help to drive long term, sustainable growth of both the organizations and
themselves. Government legislations, social activism and various other forms of awareness
campaigns contribute essentially towards the organizations participating in sourcing functions
that are ethical and mutually beneficial for the world and society. It can be said that when one
session described how shared value is being created and optimized through innovative measures,
the other session describes the supply chain of businesses. Both of these factors can be

8BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
effectively contribute towards the understanding of business society and the environment. The
topics focus on how business can utilize innovation and create shared value. At the same time
they also focus on how supply chain can be sustainably utilized. Important developments can be
noticed in the fashion industry. Fashion industry supply chain depends on materials and human
labor sourced from developing countries. Whereas the markets within which the larger fashion
brands tend to operate are present in the developed nations of the world.
Essentially, ground breaking success that can be achieved through optimally balancing
efficient technology, sustainable resource utilization and essential knowledge is still to be
known. Further exploration of the possibilities of the utilization of bio-technology and IT
technology is needed towards both the creation and utilization of resources that provide efficient
sustainable value ("Larry Fink's Letter To Ceos | Blackrock" 2019). Alliances that organizations
tend to make and their values towards the effective operational factors of the organizations are
important considerations. The supply chains of the organizations tend to affect their market
operations and their overall growth strategies. Aligning values to these two most important
factors that affect organizations become important towards the effective sustainable development
of both the organizations and the environments (Porter and Kramer.). It is important to note that
previously the concepts of shared values between the organizations and the communities were
not known. Large fashion brands were found to be trying hard to provide the same working
conditions to the workers in the developing countries that are present in the developed countries
(Chegg.Com 2019). The organizational aspects that encompass the productive performances of
all the large businesses around the world made identification of the future scope for sustainability
possible.
Conclusion

9BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
The implications of the study derived from the sessions point towards the importance of
the sessions towards developing greater understanding of the unit topics. The various aspects
connected with the development of business and its relationship with the environment and
society have been considered. It is important to note that organizations are being increasingly
affected by outside pressures. At the same time organizations are understanding that the only
path for long term growth is through sustainable growth. Newer more innovative technologies
are being used for the same process. Both the session have contributed essentially to the greater
unit learning. The session learning processes has been greatly responsible towards changing the
sustainability oriented outlooks. My thinking is now influenced by more perspectives than the
previous times.

10BLOG: BUSINESS, SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
References
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material-q11450087.
"Larry Fink's Letter To Ceos | Blackrock". 2019. Blackrock.
https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/larry-fink-ceo-letter.
Pfitzer, Marc, Valerie Bockstette, and Mike Stamp. "Innovating for shared value." Harvard
Business Review 91, no. 9 (2013): 100-107.
Porter, Michael E., and Mark R. Kramer. "A response to Andrew Crane et al.’s
article." California Management Review56, no. 2 (2014): 149-151.
Turker, Duygu, and Ceren Altuntas. "Sustainable supply chain management in the fast fashion
industry: An analysis of corporate reports." European Management Journal 32, no. 5 (2014):
837-849.
Tantalo, Caterina, and Richard L. Priem. "Value creation through stakeholder
synergy." Strategic Management Journal37, no. 2 (2016): 314-329.
Genovese, Andrea, Adolf A. Acquaye, Alejandro Figueroa, and SC Lenny Koh. "Sustainable
supply chain management and the transition towards a circular economy: Evidence and some
applications." Omega 66 (2017): 344-357.