The Strategy of Sustainability: A Systems Perspective on Environmental Initiatives

The article presents a systems perspective on environmental initiatives as they relate to the efforts of firms looking to become environmentally sustainable. To achieve environmental sustainability, firms need to implement principles, policies, and practices (such as budgeting systems, job design, recruitment and selection, and organizational structures) from the standpoint of long-term ecosystem viability. Because this process requires firms to establish challenging goals, managers are often confronted with significant conflicts between the financial and the environmental and social considerations when introducing socially or environmentally oriented decision making. The author recommends the adoption of a commonly shared corporate vision to allow for clear direction in decision-making. The author looks at the environmental initiatives of Norm Thompson Outfitters as example.