Individual Sustainability Assessment: A Self-Reflective Report

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ASSESSMENT INDIVIDUAL
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Table of Contents
LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................4
SELF-REFLECTION..................................................................................................................... 5
SUSTAINABILITY........................................................................................................................5
(TBL) TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE BUSINESS GOAL............................................................................7
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.......................................................................................9
CONSIDERING HOW THE THEMES APPLIES AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND AS A POTENTIAL
FUTURE MANAGER.............................................................................................................12
CONSIDERING IMPLICATIONS OF THESE AT A PERSONAL LEVEL........................................13
DEMONSTRATING CRITICAL THINKING ON THESE REFLECTIONS.......................................14
CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................... 16
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................... 17
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Pillars of Sustainability................................................................................................5
Figure 2 Triple Bottom Line Theories.......................................................................................7
Figure 3 Corporate Social Responsibilities................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
This report is based on self-reflection of an individual and the concept of sustainability. This
report will address the triple bottom line theory and corporate social responsibility and will
demonstrate an understanding of the individual on the basis of these selected themes. This
will show the impact of these selected themes on an individual as well as show how these
selected themes will apply on an individual and a potential manger in future. This report will
also reflect the implications of corporate social responsibility and triple bottom line at the
personal level and will also demonstrate the serious thinking on the reflections. This will also
show the actions taken by an individual based on new thinking.
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SELF-REFLECTION
Before starting this, I was idyllically uninformed about the issues of sustainability of our
planet as well as durable consequences of our mode of life. I did not have any idea of the
sustainability of the environment, society and economy are the responsibility of the
individuals for their growth and development. In this report, I will get to know the
importance of sustainability as well as the methods for measuring sustainability (Mantell,
2018). In this report, I will reflect the implications of corporate social responsibility and
triple bottom line at the personal level and will demonstrate serious thinking on the
reflections. I will also show the actions taken by me based on new thinking. Being socially
responsible, I must consider my personal objectives to be of secondary importance and
thus, prioritize the goals of the organization (Mantell, 2018).
SUSTAINABILITY
It is a broad term which refers to the development of the requirements for sustainable
models which are important for the Earth and the human race for surviving (Clayton and
Radcliffe, 2018). It focuses on gathering the requirements of the current situation without
compromising for the ability of the future generation for meeting their requirements.
Sustainability concept is a collection of three pillars: environmental, social and economic
these pillars also called a planet, people and profits (Bhamra and Lofthouse, 2016).
Figure 1 Pillars of Sustainability
(Source Bhamra and Lofthouse, 2016)
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1. Environmental protection
It is important to save the environment whether it is reducing or recycling our consumption
of power by switching off electronic devices or by walking for covering the short distances
except using any vehicle (Albrizio et al., 2017). In my concern, safeguarding our environment
is helpful for all living things as it is precious to be maintained effectively for the survival of
human and animals. I can protect the environment by preventing pollution from the vehicles
and by keeping the carbon releases low (Albrizio et al., 2017). I can protect and study air
quality, ecosystems, integrity and focus on the elements and resources which pressure the
environment (Albrizio et al., 2017). It is necessary to protect the present as well as the
environment for the future for the development of the biotechnology and technology will
drive future greener and provides sustainability to the environment (Albrizio et al., 2017).
2. Social development
It is important to be aware of the legislation of the protection of the health of humans from
pollution and other injurious activities of the organizations and businesses (Sicora, 2017). In
my concern, I should protect the society and make them strong in context to ensuring them
for protection for their wellness and health (Sicora, 2017). It is important to manage the
scarce resources for living the quality of life without compromising so I should manage the
resources which I can. I can also encourage the people of the society for participating in the
sustainability of the environment by guiding them about the effects of the protecting
environment as well as its consequences (Sicora, 2017).
3. Economic development
The business and societies get impacted from the economy so, in my concern about
economic development, it is important to use the resources effectively for increasing the
productivity of the business and well as profit to it (Panayotou, 2016). The business gets
affected by the employment, economic crises, inflation rate etc. and society also suffers for
these reasons. The demand from the society gets affected by the less supply from the
business because of lack of resources which are uncontrollable in using by every business
(Panayotou, 2016).
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(TBL) TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE BUSINESS GOAL
TBL is a theory of defining the concept of sustainability by measuring the impacts of the
activities of the businesses and organizations on the globe by including the value of
shareholders and social, environmental and human capital (Zak, 2015). The businessman
reflected themselves traditionally with their bottom line and the TBL theory expands the
traditional framework of accounting by adding other areas of performance: environment
and social impacts on the businesses. This theory includes 3 Ps: Economic is Profits, the
environment is Planet and Social is People (Żak, 2015).
Figure 2 Triple Bottom Line Theories
(Source Żak, 2015)
1. Economic measures:
TBL framework refers to the organizational impact on the activities of the economic system.
This includes average incomes, revenue by segment, distribution of employment by
segment and underemployment costs which mean the economy consists of these
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differences based on the segments of people (Hammer and Pivo, 2017). I have found that all
the people want to get profit economically and sustain their business by ignoring the
aspects of the environment as well as society. So as to support our future generation we
have to maintain the sustainability of the economy and provide economic values to the
business (Hammer and Pivo, 2017).
2. Environmental measures:
TBL framework in context to environment refers not to compromising the resources of the
environment for our future generations. It concerns with the efficient use of resources of
energy, decreasing greenhouse gas releases, and reducing the environmental impression,
etc. In my concern to the environment, people have to consume water and electricity
scarcely for preserving them (Hammer and Pivo, 2017). The industries increase the use of
fossil fuels which is effective for the environment and it also helps in managing the waste.
The environmental and ecological resources are limited so the businesses take care of the
resources by using them effectively and efficiently for the purpose of using them as well as
saving them for their future use (Hammer and Pivo, 2017).
3. Social measures:
In my concern, people are the employees or the labours involved in the working of
corporations. This includes the medium of household income where the people are working
for any company which is the source of their income (Hammer and Pivo, 2017). After
measuring the impacts on the society, I felt that the rate of employment is low and the
people are suffering from unemployment which also results in increasing the rate of crimes.
Society gets to benefit from the triple bottom line theory as it helps the businesses in
enhancing their activities related to employment and creating many job facilities for
unemployed people (Hammer and Pivo, 2017).
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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
CSR is a self-regulatory model for business which helps an organization or a company for
being accountable socially for itself, for public and its stakeholders (Grayson, and Hodges,
2017). It can also be called as corporate sustainability and companies get conscious for the
impact of CSR on the economy, environment and society. It includes the responsibility of the
society through the cooperation of the corporations for their as well as societal benefit.
Some of the businesses use this model for widening their business on the national, regional
and international level (Grayson, and Hodges, 2017). This concept is very broad as it
depends on the forms of industry or company as the programs of CSR, volunteer efforts and
philanthropy businesses can support and benefit the societies while enhancing the brand of
a particular company. CSR initiatives are measures and standards which any business can
put for benefitting society (Unit, 2015). There are some types of social responsibility are as
follows below:
Figure 3 Corporate Social Responsibilities
(Source Unit, 2015)
1. Environmental Sustainability Creativities:
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The sustainable creativities of the environment endorsed by the businesses as it focuses on
two major areas: 1) Pollution limitation which means to reduce the pollution in the
environment to keep it safe from air, water, noise pollution. 2) Limiting greenhouse gases
from the emissions of carbon-do-oxide which affects the environment (Kolk, 2016). It is
important to gain environmental sustainability as the issues are increasing as well as their
awareness also increases and the businesses take some steps for reducing the air, water and
land pollution which helps to them as well as to the societies (Kolk, 2016).
2. Direct Charitable:
This includes the donation of money, resources and time to the organizations and charities
at the levels of local, regional, national and international. All of these donations can be
engaged to the wide variety of earnest reasons comprising relief from disaster, cleaning
water, human rights and educational activities in the emerging countries (Harjoto et al.,
2015). For example, Bill Gates who is the co-founder of Microsoft has contributed billions of
dollars to the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation, which benefits to the education,
development of agriculture and the abolition of malaria (Harjoto et al., 2015).
3. Ethical Business Practices:
This is the primary motive of the business to focus on ethics and to provide fair and equal
labour practices for the employees of the business as well as the company’s supplier’s
employees (Crane and Matten, 2016). Fair payments to the employees reflect towards the
equal payment in kind of compensations and equal attention at the workplace which helps
in increasing their ability to work for themselves as well as for the benefit of the society
(Crane and Matten, 2016). The ethical practices of labour for the suppliers include using
products which have been qualified under the fair trade standards. Corporate social
responsibility helps the employees as well as the suppliers’ employees in increasing their
profit ratio and the standard of living (Crane and Matten, 2016).
4. Focus on Economic Responsibility:
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This includes the responsibility of the economy by focusing on the practices which facilitates
the businesses towards the growth for the long term. This also helps in meeting with the
standards which are already sated for the practices of environment, ethics and charity
(González-Rodríguez et al., 2015). This is important to manage the economic decisions by
affecting on society, the business can enhance their operations and functions as well as
engaging in the activities of sustainability. It is important to focus on the economy before
establishing any company or modifying the process of manufacturing (González-Rodríguez
et al., 2015). The economic responsibility reflects towards the process of the company
which are in concern of recycling the products for modification and which can result in
benefitting the society as well by lowering its cost and by consuming less resource
(González-Rodríguez et al., 2015).
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