Reflective Journal on Sustainable Business Practices and Impacts

This reflective journal assignment delves into the multifaceted realm of sustainable business practices. The paper begins by defining sustainable business and providing real-world examples, such as Ford and Nike, highlighting their commitment to environmental and social responsibility. It explores the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework, emphasizing the importance of social, environmental, and economic sustainability. The journal further examines various forms of capital, including financial, human, intellectual, manufacturing, social, and natural capital, and their significance in achieving sustainable business objectives. The paper then analyzes the six phases of business approaches to sustainability, from rejection to the sustaining corporation, providing a framework for assessing and improving a company's sustainability performance. The author concludes by emphasizing the potential benefits of sustainable business practices, including employee education and cost savings. This assignment reflects on the implications of these concepts for the business sector, demonstrating an understanding of sustainable business principles and their practical application.

Running Head: SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS
Sustainable Business
Name
Institution Affiliate

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Sustainable Business
I perceive a sustainable business as an enterprise which strives to have a minimal
negative influence on the environment, community and its people. A sustainable business is also
referred to as a green business since it normally acts in the favor of people and the environment
by observing the rights and policies enacted (Capaldi, Idowu, & Schmidpeter, 2017).
Examples of business using sustainable business
A sustainable business to me comprises of principles and products which are
environmentally friendly. The Ford Motor Company which was created by Henry Ford was the
pioneer for sustainable business in the early years (Shurtleff & Aoyagi, 2011). In 2008 a Subaru
assembly plant in Lafayette implemented the principles and policies of a sustainable business
into their organization. This led to an increase in production of the automobiles and also a
decrease in the number of accidents in the years between 2008 to 2012. A sustainable business
also faces some challenges and issues. Hence approaches and concepts of surpassing these issues
are incorporated into the business (Heizer & Render, 2014). Nike franchise is a giant in the
sports industry by using efficient innovation and technology strategies on its products
production. The company uses a sustainable business plan and this has led to its current success.
75% of all Nike shoes and other products contain recycled materials. Nike creates a vast list of
products from plastic materials and manufacturing scraps into new products (Hargadon, 2015).
Triple Bottom Line and business
I regard it as a system used by a business to assess the profits it generates through its
corporate sustainability solutions. This type of thinking enables the business to broaden its profit-
making indifferent. The triple bottom line has three concepts social, environmental, and

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economic or financial profits. Social sustainability measures the business profits in human
capital. If one endorses fair and beneficial labor practices through engaging in the corporate
community with his or her employees the business tends to profit immensely. This ensures a
reliable workforce for even the future since the community will be motivated to join the business
after witnessing what the organization is all about. Environmental sustainability enables a
business to realize that to be successful, it must use small amounts of natural resources for it to
have a smaller impact on the environment. It also encourages waste reduction and green policies
to be included in business strategies. Economic sustainability tends to measure the influence of
the business economic capital has on its economic environment. The business flourishes because
it supports all the economic health of its community. I believe that using the triple bottom line in
business helps you understand and identify the impact your business has on the environment and
its community (Weidinger, Schmidpeter, & Fischler, 2014).
Forms of Capital
To me, a sustainable business uses all forms of capital that the business has. Financial
capital is normally generated from debt and equity of the business because it tends to influence
the successful start of the business. Human capital is the skills and abilities that the employees
provide the company with. Companies that value human capital that is the well-being of their
employees experience immense benefits. This occurs because the employees are happy and
efficient work is normally carried out. Intellectual capital is the skill sets and knowledge that
employees provide for the company that gives it an advantage to its other competitors.
Manufacturing capital is the economic value of all the resources used. Companies should ensure
that all the resources are used effectively and efficiently. Social capital involves the tangible and
non-tangible resources such as information, innovative ideas and financial support which aid in

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balancing the economic growth of a company. This enables a company to be able to develop new
strategies to improve its impact, product, and services to the community. Natural capital refers to
natural resources such as oil and water which help a company increase its output through an
efficient supply of raw materials available (Gleeson-White, 2015).
Six Phrases of business approaches to sustainability
I regard these six phrases as key components that aid business to become sustainable.
They are rejection, non-responsive, compliance, efficiency, strategic proactivity and the
sustaining corporation approach. I view these phrases as pivotal to business sustainability
because they provide a framework that enables a business to assess its approach towards
achieving a sustainable world. I later concluded that these phrases help organizations formulate
strategies that influence positively the environment and the community. Rejection approach
involves the exploitation of people as profit is basically the main concern. The non-responsive
approach, the business tends to be ignorant of any issues raised by the environment and its
surroundings. I noted that in this phase the business remains in denial about change and sticks to
its normal practices. In the compliance approach, the business starts to change the way it
conducts its business and starts ensuring that minimum standards required to safeguard the
environment and the community are met. Efficiency approach involves the company becoming
more aware of the benefits of changing the means of conducting its business. Afterward, I came
to the conclusion that the business experiences cost-saving benefits since it starts using efficient
resources enhancing the reduction of pollution levels to the environment. Strategic proactivity
approach, the business at this stage uses the change it has enhanced as a competitive advantage
to other businesses. This ensures that the company is set to gain profits in the current time and
the future. Sustaining corporation, I regard this as an ideal phase where the investors in the

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business benefit gracefully through their commitment to the business. The business is able to
create a completely conducive environment that sustains the needs of the people and at the same
time safeguard the environment existence (Ehnert, Harry, & Zink, 2014).
I know that the implementation of sustainable business practices may affect the profit and
a company's finance. But if effective and decisive strategies as the ones I have discussed above
are followed by any company. The company`s business tends to flourish. A sustainable business
also educates your employees by creating awareness of environmental conservation to them.

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References
Capaldi, N., Idowu, S. O., & Schmidpeter, R. (2017). Dimensional Corporate Governance: an
Inclusive Approach. Cham: Springer.
Ehnert, I., Harry, W., & Zink, K. J. (2014). Sustainability and human resource management:
developing sustainable business organizations. New York: Springer.
Gleeson-White, J. (2015). Six capitals: or, can accountants save the planet? : rethinking
capitalism for the twenty-first century. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Hargadon, A. (2015). Sustainable innovation: build your company's capacity to change the
world. Stanford, [Californie]: Stanford University Press.
Heizer, J. H., & Render, B. (2014). Operations management: sustainability and supply chain
management. Boston: Prentice Hall.
Shurtleff, W., & Aoyagi, A. (2011). Henry Ford and his researchers: history of their work with
soybeans, soyfoods and chemurgy (1928-2011): extensively annotated bibliography and
sourcebook. Lafayette, CA: Soyinfo Center.
Weidinger, C., Schmidpeter, R., & Fischler, F. (2014). Sustainable Entrepreneurship : Business
Success through Sustainability. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg .