Leadership, Diversity, and Sustainability in IT: A Detailed Analysis

This essay examines the interconnected themes of sustainability, leadership, and diversity within the IT sector. It begins by defining sustainability in IT and advocating for green initiatives like recycling cardboard to reduce environmental impact, discussing the benefits of such practices, and highlighting their role in corporate social responsibility. The essay then transitions to explore leadership, emphasizing the qualities of an ideal leader, such as confidence, empathy, humility, and vision, while also stressing the importance of employee engagement and independent thinking. Finally, the essay addresses the significance of cultural diversity, gender equality, and anti-discrimination policies in the workplace, arguing that embracing diversity fosters innovation and success. The essay stresses the importance of treating all employees fairly regardless of their background, and encourages open communication to address and prevent issues like racism and discrimination. Overall, the essay presents a comprehensive overview of how these three elements are crucial for a successful and responsible IT environment.

Running head: SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
Sustainability, Leadership and Diversity in IT
Name of the student
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1SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
Executive Summary
The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on the issue of sustainability in the workplace. This
will focus on how to tackle environmental resources that would help in reducing adverse impact
on the environment. It will also throw light on leadership issues and ideal leadership behavior
that will create a perfect atmosphere in the office and lead to the overall profit of an organization.
The key traits of being a successful leader will be talked about in this essay. It will also elaborate
on the importance of having different culture and ethnic diversity in the workplace. The
advantages of having people from different ethnic background will be talked about in this
assignment.

2SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
Table of Contents
Part 1: Sustainability in IT...............................................................................................................4
References:......................................................................................................................................6
Part 2: Leadership............................................................................................................................7
References:......................................................................................................................................9
Part 3: Harnessing Culture and Diversity......................................................................................10
References:....................................................................................................................................12

3SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
Part 1: Sustainability in IT
Sustainability in IT refers to the principles and methods that will help in effective running
of an organization. Running an organization is a complex process and many environmental,
social and economic dimensions have to be kept in mind for a successful company (Bebbington,
Unerman and O'Dwyer 2014). In accordance with the Australian Government ICT Sustainability
Plan, green initiatives have been integrated into the workplace that will contribute in reducing
pressure on the environment.
In order to reduce environmental pollution, the cardboard boxes can be reused. Throwing
away such boxes will lead to wastage. The card boxes can be used to make stationary containers
and egg cartons. They can be used in the office and the egg cartons in the kitchen. They were
utilized to make disposal bins and shelves at the workplace. It reduced the necessity to buy these
from outside thus reducing the average expenditure. External help from environmentalists and
green house specialists guiding the process would be of great help (Crane and Matten 2016). The
disposal bins can be kept at different places which would help in reducing the clutter and help in
keeping the office clean. The shelves can be utilized to keep books and stationary articles that
would help in cleaning up the tables. Motivators can be called in from outside who will talk
about the advantages of using recycled products. Everyone’s contribution is crucial when it
comes to reducing the environmental waste. The recycled products will give rise to the
realization that the world can be such a beautiful place by using natural made products. The
material of cardboard is also biodegradable which lessens environmental footprint. It offers
“green” solutions of packaging. Their reuse percentage is 100% which can then be used to
manufacture innovative cardboard products. It also helps in creating more jobs as it requires the

4SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
utilization of more man power. For a business, it is all the more important as it becomes a part of
corporate social responsibility and it saves costs incurred on waste disposal (McKendrick et al.
2017). Recycling cardboard also reduces the release of sulphur dioxide which is produced when
pulp is made from trees. It needs only 75% of energy that is essential in order to manufacture
new cardboard. Water consumption will be reduced by above 7000 gallons for a single ton
recycled material. It will also contribute in reducing the greenhouse gas emission because
creation of paper from trees will use up more of energy.
It can hence be concluded that implementing recycling policies will pave the path for
green IT that will reduce the pressure on the environment. Cardboard can be utlized by small
scale and big business that will help them to reduce expenditure. The thick sheets of paper
recycled can be of much help in our day to day life. Their durability is advantageous for making
disposal bins and shelves. It helps in creation of more jobs because it would involve people who
would be engaged in the process of collection, sorting and shredding of the cardboard paper
(Sardot, McDonald and Smith 2013). It clearly reveals how a little bit of caution on our part can
create a beautiful and pollution free world. The world is reeling under the effects of
environmental degradation and it is high time that people realize their responsibility towards
Mother Earth.

5SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
References:
Bebbington, J., Unerman, J. and O'Dwyer, B. eds., 2014. Sustainability accounting and
accountability. Routledge.
Crane, A. and Matten, D., 2016. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
McKendrick, D.R.A., Snedden, L.J., Bunch, R. and McGregor, H., 2017. Pragmatic recycling of
paper and cardboard in the operating theatre: an audit. Journal of Perioperative Practice, 27(3),
pp.43-48.
Sardot, T., McDonald, A.G. and Smith, G., 2013. Characterization of a cardboard recycling
facility’s mixed plastic waste for beneficial use. Waste and Biomass Valorization, 4(1), pp.161-
171

6SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
Part 2: Leadership
Leadership is of supreme importance for the successful running in an organization. An
ideal leader will be able to co-ordinate perfectly and bring about desirable changes in an
organization. The leader is responsible for handling all the important affairs and his role will be
crucial in case of an emergency (Bolman and Deal 2017). Leadership will account to a great
extent for the success of an organization.
Leaders have power but instead of utilizing it they should also engage themselves and be
active in the organization. Simply sitting at the corner and giving lectures will be of no use if he
does not engage with the workers. A blending of the traits of confidence and down to earth
attitude will account to a great extent for being the successful leader. Confidence is necessary in
order to handle controversy and conflict in the workplace (Jaques 2017). One should always
protect information that is told in secrecy and it helps in building trust in an organization.
Restraint is another important quality that an ideal leader should have. Listening and being
empathetic towards the problem of others can account to a great deal for one’s popularity and
status in an organization. Leadership is necessary in order to bring about changes in an
organization and not to change oneself by virtue of the power of leadership. One should always
identify the values and evaluate intent in order to be an ideal leader. Clarifying the agenda is
important and it should be done while taking into consideration the opinions of others and the
agenda of other shouls always be respected. An ideal leader is full of humility and laying bare his
or her mistakes and failures will surely uplift the image of the leader and other workers will also
be able to gain knowledge from this and implement it in the workplace (Prusak 2013). An ideal
leader should have vision and being able to communicate that vision is an indispensable quality

7SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
of ideal leadership. Dampening the opinion of others in order to exhibit one’s own point of view
is a bad quality and should be done away with instantly. True leadership will be able to inspire
others so that they get encouraged to work effectively and give a better performance. An ideal
leadership would be able to utilize the potential, skill set and knowledge of the employees to the
fullest extent for the overall growth of an organization. Leadership should also have the ability of
independent thinking who will be able to challenge the existing system. The perfect leadership
do not argue and embarrass others. An effective leader will listen to the sayings of others. They
will know the method to relate as well as initiate. A respected leader knows very well that one’s
action is more strong as compared to words. Those who are great leaders do not give fake
promises and they loath people who are always looking for attention (Tannenbaum,Weschler and
Massarik 2013).
Thus it can be concluded that an ideal leader will be able to bring changes to the
organization through his hard work and practice. Confidence and trust are essential facets of a
leader and through his behavior he will be able to create the perfect atmosphere that nurtures
talent and respects dedication. All the people who are at the helm of administration should come
together and matured leadership would be able to bring about positive outcome in the
organization.

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References:
Bolman, L.G. and Deal, T.E., 2017. Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
John Wiley & Sons.
Jaques, E., 2017. Requisite organization: A total system for effective managerial organization
and managerial leadership for the 21st century. Routledge.
Prusak, L., 2013. A handbook of practical wisdom: Leadership, organization and integral
business practice. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 12(2), pp.312-313.
Tannenbaum, R., Weschler, I. and Massarik, F., 2013. Leadership and organization. Routledge.

9SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
Part 3: Harnessing Culture and Diversity
Cultural diversity refers to the co-existence of different ethnic groups within the society.
Cultural diversity is extremely essential as through the mingling of various ethnic groups will
bring in new positive changes in the overall structure of the society. (Bellini et al. 2013).
Welcoming the views and opinions of others is a good move and it paves the path for a
pluralistic culture. There are rigid and conservative people who do not want to bring about
changes in the society and who want to stick to their own point of view.
Gender equality in an organization can be achieved when the women will be able to
enjoy same resources as that of the male counterpart. Even in this modern era women continue to
suffer from the effects of glass ceiling and their average earnings are a lot less as compared to
that of the men. Women have surely come out of the kitchen but the gender gap still prevails in
the workplace. It has been seen through research that inaccessibility to resources accounts to a
great deal creates barriers that limit the progress of the women in the organization. There is a
prejudice in the society that women will not be able to handle leadership roles as this will require
more skill sets. Maternity leave care for women will be a great booster and this will encourage
women to come out of their home and bridge the gap between men and women (Brunow and
Blien 2014). Socity still suffers from the scars of previous injustices and differential treatment
on the basis of race and ethnic group should not be tolerated in the workplace. Diversity spells
good in a business because different kind of employees will be able to bring innovative ideas that
will contribute for the success of an organization. The progression in one’s career should be
solely on the basis of merit. Reality often does not work along this direction and employees
coming from different backgrounds should be encouraged which will in turn instill faith in them

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towards their organization. Those who are from ethnic minority are ignored and they are
relegated to an inferior position in an organization (Rice 2015). The existence of an anti-
discrimination policy that addresses the issue of racism will prove to be a boon. A training can be
held once in a year that will reming the employees of proper behavior. A committee to address
such kinds of issues that will identify racial abuse is a necessity in the workplace arena. All the
employees should be warned from the administration that perpetrators of racial abuses would not
be tolerated at any cost in the organization. Open communication should be encouraged in the
workplace so that they feel free to report about racism. A reporting system that is anonymous
will help the employees and remove fear of any retaliation (Trax, Brunow and Suedekum 2015).
Thus it can be concluded that treating someone differently on the basis of race and gender
should not be tolerated in the workplace. Law has forbidden unemployment in any form and
harassing a person for belonging to a different ethnic culture should be punished. Discrimination
based on birthplace, culture and linguistic characteristics should be abolished at the outset.

11SUSTAINABILITY, LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY IN IT
References:
Bellini, E., Ottaviano, G.I., Pinelli, D. and Prarolo, G., 2013. Cultural diversity and economic
performance: evidence from European regions. In Geography, institutions and regional
economic performance (pp. 121-141). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Brunow, S. and Blien, U., 2014. Effects of cultural diversity on individual
establishments. International Journal of Manpower, 35(1/2), pp.166-186.
Rice, M.F., 2015. Diversity and public administration. ME Sharpe.
Trax, M., Brunow, S. and Suedekum, J., 2015. Cultural diversity and plant-level
productivity. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 53, pp.85-96.