Although sustainable operations have many benefits for
organizations, consumers, and society, they also come with many
business risks. In this discussion, you will explore sustainability
operations of major organizations to reflect on what they are doing
well, the benefits their sustainable operations may bring, and the
potential risks associated with their sustainable operations. In
evaluating the risks and benefits of prioritizing sustainability, you will
also learn the importance of justifying organizational priorities, which
will assist you in completing the first section of your course project.
First, take some time to explore a few different organizations'
sustainable operations statements on their websites. You may
explore organizations you are familiar with or use the following:
Starbucks Stories
oSelect Social Impact from the navigation bar, then select
from the story topics in the drop-down menu to explore
the stories. Be sure to explore the Sustainability topic.
L'Oréal Group: Commitments and Responsibilities
Dixie Cares: An Eye Toward the Future
Peabody: Sustainability Approach
In your initial post, address the following questions:
How did the organizations you explored address sustainability
concerns inherent to their industry, if at all?
oFor example, a company that manufactures plastic has
inherent environmental risks regarding plastic waste and
pollution.
What other sustainable practices did the organizations you
explored identify as priorities, and what kinds of business risks
may they be taking on to prioritize those sustainable practices?
Do you think that the business risks the organizations are
taking to prioritize their identified sustainable operations are
worthwhile from a business perspective? Why or why not?
In your replies to at least two peers, contribute to the discussion by
sharing the potential repercussions of not taking risks to prioritize
sustainability. Examples of how you could contribute to the
discussion include the following:
Provide examples of organizations that experienced the
repercussions of not prioritizing sustainability.
Reflect on how you or people you know might react to
organizations and products that don't prioritize sustainability
from a consumer perspective. Consider how factors such as
age, geographic location, and finances might affect consumers'
reactions.
Name some specific impacts of not remaining competitive in
the market based on what you learned from your reading in the
Resources section.
Provide other reasons to justify prioritizing organizational
sustainability.
To complete this assignment, review the Discussion Rubric
.
