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14th International Scientific Conference on Economic and Social Development Belgrade, Serbia, 13-14 May 2016

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WORK DEVELOPMENT IN ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE

PROJECTS

Abdulbaset Elesawi

Ministry of Education, Tripoli Libya

[email protected]

Dinko Primorac

University North, Croatia

[email protected]

Djordje Colovic

John Naisbitt University, Serbia

[email protected]

ABSTRACT

This research thesis is conducted for the reasons of explaining the advantages of having

educated and trained workforce on the environmental safety issue in order to successfully

operate in modern organizations. We made conclusion that there are great advantages in

achieving sustainable development in organizations that pay attention and invest in education

and training programs for increasing awareness on environmental protection. Benefits of

sustainably managed workforce for achieving the sustainable goals we explained through case

studies conducted earlier and a review of numerous research taken by people highly competent

in this area. In this business performance one of the key advantages is to have a quality

competent green human resource management (HR).

Keywords: advantages, development, environmental, goals, quality, safety

1. INTRODUCTION

Sustainability makes references to the continuation of a project’s goals, principles, and efforts

to achieve desired outcomes. Although many grantees think that guaranteeing the sustainability

of a project means finding the resources to continue it “as is” beyond the grant period, ensuring

sustainability really means making sure that the goals of the project continue to be met through

activities that are consistent with the current conditions and workforce development needs of

the region, including the needs of both workers and industry. Thus, sustainability does not mean

simply maintaining the status quo in terms of funding, staffing, and activities

2. SCIENTIFIC BENEFIT

The importance of the study is to explain expected impacts of the skills and abilities of

evaluating influence of HR management to create efficent workforce that participate in

developing engineering project plan that has the special assignement in sustainable projects.

3. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Development is improving the wellbeing of people. Raising living standards and improving

education, health, and equality of opportunity are all desirable and are essential components of

economic development. Sustainable development, on the other hand, is development that lasts,

because in addition to an economic component, there are social and environmental components.

So that sustainable development must be a proactive strategy to develop sustainability. As it

was proposed initially by the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987)

sustainable development must meet "the needs of the present without compromising the ability

of future generations to meet their own needs." Sustainable development requires mobilizing

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governments, the private sector, and the general public toward sustainable communities. And

"sustainable urban development is ultimately a cultural statement about ourselves, how we want

to live, and our ability to manage our needs, desires, and dreams in ways that are effective and

caring." Improvement of global quality of life imply the implementation of change that to

provide to every person a life of dignity; or life in a society that respects and helps realize all

human rights. These changes must include the eradication of poverty, unemployment, and

inequitable social conditions. Sustainable development ensures the well-being of the human

person by integrating social development, economic development, and environmental

conservation and protection. Sustainability is also a business strategy that drives long-term

corporate growth and profitability by mandating the inclusion of environmental and social

issues in the business model. Unlike corporate social responsibility, which retroactively

addresses issues, sustainability looks forward by changing the nature of the company. At the

2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, there was made some

important conclusions. If the concept of sustainable development is to be put into widespread

use, its principles must be integrated in to all disciplines at every level of society. This necessity

was explicitly recognized by Agenda 21, which placed education among its top priorities for

the advancement and implementation of sustainable development. Even in countries with strong

education systems, there is a need to reorient education, awareness, and training to increase

understanding and support for sustainable development (HDRC, 2003).

Figure 1: Sustainable development

(Barnes, P. E., Green standards, B & E Review (Oct/Dec), 1996)

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Social development implies that the basic needs of the human being are met through the

implementation and realization of human rights. Under basic needs we are considering access

to education, health services, food, housing, employment, and the fair distribution of incomes.

Economic development expands the availability of work and the ability of individuals to secure

an income to support themselves and their families. Economic development includes industry,

sustainable agriculture, as well as integration and full participation in the global economy.

Social and economic developments reinforce and are dependent on one another for full

realization.

4. ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS AND IMPACTS

The most important adverse impacts on the urban environment affecting people and caused by

man and nature are:

 Water pollution and depletion

 Energy use and wastage

 Air pollution:

 Outdoor, by industrialization and motorization emissions, and indoor, from household

and occupational sources

 Solid waste, especially hazardous waste, when improperly discharged by households

and industries.

 Resource Losses:

 Groundwater contamination and depletion

 Land and ecosystem degradation

 Degradation of historic structures and cultural resources

 Environmental hazards:

 Natural disasters (e.g. hurricane, earthquake, volcano, flooding, etc.)

 Man-made hazards (e.g. chemical spills and other industrial accidents)

We used the definition of sustainable development established in ASCE Policy Statement 418,

“sustainable development is the challenge of meeting human needs for natural resources,

industrial products, energy, food, transportation, shelter and effective waste management while

conserving and protecting environmental quality and the natural resource base essential for

future development”

5. DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

Economic development could only lead to sustainability if it is decentralized, carefully planned,

environmentally sensitive, locally based, and focused on creating jobs and improving quality

of life in all island communities. Development benefits must be maximized beyond industrial

estates and business centers, while the adverse impacts of development must be minimized in

our residential areas and our parks and beaches. A comprehensive, integrated, and strategic

approach which combines the local government role as a service provider, its regulatory and

legislative powers, and its internal economic policies can have a remarkably positive effect on

moving economic activities and development toward improving socioeconomic quality and

achieving sustainability. This is why it is said that the three core elements of sustainable

development are:

 Environmental considerations must be entrenched in economic policy-making.

 Sustainable development must incorporate an inescapable commitment to social equity.

 "Development" must not simply mean "growth". It must imply qualitative as well as

quantitative improvement.

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In sum sustainable development must be different from economic development of the past. It

must be a proactive strategy to develop sustainability. And its benefits must last well into the

next generation, and beyond.

6. TRANSITION TO THE GREEN ECONOMY

Climate change is a major driver of technological change and innovation in the search for

measures and policies to mitigate or help adjust to its effects. Sustainable development and the

integration of environmental protection into economic and social development objectives are

among the most challenging issues on the national and international policy agenda. The level

and structure of employment and skill needs worldwide will be affected both by the direct

impact of global warming (particularly in agriculture, fishing, tourism and mining) and by the

policies adopted at the local, national and international levels to reduce carbon emissions. The

meaning of green works has become symbol of a more sustainable economy and society. Jobs

in all economic sectors are could be greener, but six sectors have particular salience in this

respect: energy supply, especially of renewable energy; construction; transportation; basic

industry; agriculture; and forestry. Millions of green occupations already exist worldwide. The

report launching the Green Jobs Initiative counted at least 2.3 million in the renewable energy

sector alone in just six of the G20 countries. The same report estimated that measures to reduce

energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the residential building sector could generate 3.5

million new jobs by 2050. Alarmingly, the lack of relevant skills may turn out to be a bottleneck

in the “greening” of economies. There is an urgent need for training in the full complement of

skills required across a broad range of jobs so that economies can both become greener and

realize the potential growth in employment the process offers. Lessons from previous

experiences of transition suggest that the transition to cleaner energy requires proactive steps

to facilitate the adjustment of labor markets, both to maximize opportunities for new jobs and

to address the problems associated with potential job losses. Skills development will play a

prominent role in both aspects of this endeavor. Several countries have reported that a “skills

gap” already exists between available workers and the needs of green industries. A 2007 survey

of Germany’s renewable energy industry concluded that companies are suffering from a

shortage of qualified employees, especially in knowledge-intensive occupations. The

Confederation of British Industry has likewise expressed concern that sectors going green are

struggling to find technical specialists, including designers, engineers and electricians. In the

United States, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has identified a shortage of skills

and training as a leading barrier to energy-efficient growth. In Brazil, large biofuell refineries

are constrained in their development by a shortage of highly skilled personnel.

Table following on the next page

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Table 1 European Commission “Employment in Europe, 2009” report and ECOR (Cegara

J.G., 13th European Conference on Knowledge Management, Cartagena, Spain, 2012)

7. “THREE LEVELS” APPROACH

This model, developed by the National Research Centre of Alcohol and Other Drugs, clusters

inter-related strategies at three levels of activity:

- systems,

- organizational, and

- team or individual.

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Figure 1: Workforce Planning Model (Final Report of the World Conference on Education

for All: Meeting Basic Learning Needs, Jomtien, Thailand, 5-9 March 1990 (New York, Inter-

Agency Commission (UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank) for the World Conference on

Education for All, 1990)

To create a workforce plan begin by identifying the current state of the organization, define

any gaps that exist and determine drivers that will impact your future plans. Successful

utilities have followed the path described below.

Create a core task force or committee comprised of a small number of cross functional team

members.

Develop and conduct an assessment to identify the utility’s needs. The assessment should be

developed in the form of a questionnaire and can be administered via pencil and paper or by

using online survey software. Once the survey is complete, follow up one-on-one interviews

should be conducted to clarify as needed. Assessment questions should focus on:

- Identifying critical positions that accomplish the core business of the organization

- Defining current workforce demographics and retirement projections

- Determining skills and competencies that will be needed in the future

- Learning what training and knowledge resources are currently available

- Identifying existing recruiting, selection and on boarding practices

Create a workforce plan that identifies actions to fill the components of the workforce pipeline,

from recruiting to fulfillment to retention that aligns with the utility’s strategic business

direction.

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The structure of organization will partly determine how the process of workforce planning,

including consultation and data retrieval, should be progressed.

The main tasks of workforce planning are:

developing an understanding of the internal and external environment and how those factors

will affect current and future workforce

understanding the makeup of current workforce and the knowledge, skills and competencies

are required to achieve intended business goals in the current and changing environment

linking human resources strategies with business objectives

thinking about future service pressures and needs, and putting in place staffing strategies to

address these.

8. ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Employees who believe that their work is important and that they can make a difference have

much more positive perceptions about their work and their work environment. They find their

responsibilities and work meaningful. Previous studies have demonstrated the positive impact

of meaningfulness on employee engagement (Cohen 2008, Kahn 1990, May et al 2004). Having

a meaningful job is the most important factor influencing levels of engagement. This is true for

all types of worker in all kinds of jobs. Employees who are able to relate their tasks to a broader

context and feel that they can make a difference have higher levels of motivation and are more

likely to be engaged. The nature of the organization might facilitate this process and help

employees find their jobs meaningful. Traditionally, individuals working for public sector

organizations find greater meaning in their jobs, compared with their counterparts in the private

sector. Moreover, meaningfulness is largely attached to the type of work individuals are asked

to carry out in an organization. Managers are essential in helping individuals find meaning in

their work. One way to facilitate this is through regular communication about the organization’s

vision and future objectives. Creating a common framework helps employees to see a bigger

picture in their daily work. Moreover, managers play a crucial role in designing jobs in such a

way that individuals are enabled to experience positive feelings during their work. Job

enrichment with environmental safety concern is just one of the effective techniques that enable

organizations to create meaningful jobs, even for more routine tasks. However, independently

from the type of work, it is important to match people to their jobs according to their

qualifications and skill `levels to raise their level of engagement.

Engagement levels are affected by the working environment. Where employees can see that

they have support from others to help them do their job, there is a sense of teamwork and they

can safely express themselves, then engagement will be higher. This is one area where HR

professionals can play an important role helping line managers design jobs effectively, and

develop selection processes that match individual skills to jobs.

Line managers act as the interface between the organization and the employee, and can do much

to impact on engagement. Another key HR role is therefore to pay close attention to the

selection, development and performance management of line managers to ensure they

maximize their potential to be engaged.

A diverse workforce is a reflection of a changing world and marketplace. Diverse work teams

bring high value to organizations. Respecting individual differences will benefit the workplace

by creating a competitive edge and increasing work productivity. Diversity management

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benefits associates by creating a fair and safe environment where everyone has access to

opportunities and challenges. Management tools in a diverse workforce should be used to

educate everyone about diversity and its issues, including laws and regulations. Most

workplaces are made up of diverse cultures, so organizations need to learn how to adapt to be

successful. Most reviewed associations have understanding of the principles of sustainable

development, but implementations approached in many different ways. Integration across all

business areas such as development, asset management, and housing/community services, and

tackling each aspect of sustainability (social, environmental, economic, organizational) appears

incomplete, and translating broad commitments to action appears less well balanced. Training,

development and learning plans should include programs, workshops and sessions to enable

employees to develop and acquire knowledge in environment management, green skills and

attitude. Job rotation in green assignments should become an essential part of career

development plans of talented green managers of the future. Training contents should be

developed to increase employee competencies and knowledge in environment management.

Extensive use should be made of online and web-based training modules and interactive media

as training tools for not only for environment management training but for other functional

areas as well. Environment- related aspects of safety, energy efficiency, waste management and

recycling can become the focal points of green training.

9. CONCLUSION

Environmental management and sustainability is a multidisciplinary field which focuses on

finding solutions to the world's most pressing environmental problems. Focus on real-world

problem solving and the development of applied solutions to environmental issues at local,

national and international levels. In a green economy, growth in income and employment

should be driven by public and private sector investments that reduce carbon emissions and

pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and

ecosystem services. The energy, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, forestry, fishery, and

water management sectors and sub sectors all provide viable opportunities for diversification

with green economic potential. Specific areas targeted under an industrial diversification policy

will be developed and supported. These include: knowledge-based industries; cultural and

entertainment industries; ethnic products; food processing; the maritime industry; services

industries; biotechnology; information technology (IT); high-tech manufacturing;

pharmaceuticals; food production and processing; alternative energy and third and fourth

generation renewable energy industries. A diverse workforce is a reflection of a changing world

and marketplace. Diverse work teams bring high value to organizations. Respecting individual

differences will benefit the workplace by creating a competitive edge and increasing work

productivity. Diversity management benefits associates by creating a fair and safe environment

where everyone has access to opportunities and challenges. Management tools in a diverse

workforce should be used to educate everyone about diversity and its issues, including laws and

regulations. Most workplaces are made up of diverse cultures, so organizations need to learn

how to adapt to be successful. Most reviewed associations have understanding of the principles

of sustainable development, but implementations approached in many different ways.

Integration across all business areas such as development, asset management, and

housing/community services, and tackling each aspect of sustainability (social, environmental,

economic, organizational) appears incomplete, and translating broad commitments to action

appears less well balanced. Training, development and learning plans should include programs,

workshops and sessions to enable employees to develop and acquire knowledge in environment

management, green skills and attitude. Job rotation in green assignments should become an

essential part of career development plans of talented green managers of the future. Training

contents should be developed to increase employee competencies and knowledge in

14th International Scientific Conference on Economic and Social Development Belgrade, Serbia, 13-14 May 2016

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environment management. Extensive use should be made of online and web-based training

modules and interactive media as training tools for not only for environment management

training but for other functional areas as well. Environment- related aspects of safety, energy

efficiency, waste management and recycling can become the focal points of green training.

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