Business Studies

Why Should Business Be Concerned About Social Sustainability?

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability is a concept that relates to the maintenance and enrichment of the environment, social and economic resources so as to meet the needs of the present and future generations. The components of sustainability are divided into three:

• Environmental sustainability – this requires that all the natural capital remains unharmed. In this regard the environmental source and sink functions should remain un-degraded. This means that the rate of extraction of the minerals should not exceed the rate at which they are renewed and the environmental absorptive capacity to integrate with the wastes should not be exceeded. The extraction of non-renewable resources should be limited to the allowed strategic levels.

• Social sustainability requires the society to work in harmony and cohesion so as to meet the set standard and common goals. Personal needs, which include health, shelter, education and cultural right of expression, should be achieved.

• Economic sustainability, on the other hand, is realized when improvement is geared towards social and environmental sustainability.

Inter-Relationship of Sustainability Factors

Sustainability is composed of the above three dimensions that inter-link with each other. For instance, natural systems may be protected if there exist good social conditions, and this may not happen in times of crisis such as war. On the other hand, a good natural environment that is not prone to climate change is a requirement for the survival of a society. However, the above factors cannot be met without the proper management of the scarce resources that are at the disposal of human beings in both economic and environmental te...

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...e behaviour that is considered appropriate. One must learn the value of cultural code switching in order to succeed as a global leader.

Works Cited

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DesJardins, J. R., & McCall, J. J. 2005, Contemporary issues in business ethics (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Ghiara, H. 2012, The new economic port landscape: economic performance and social progress = Il nuovo panorama economico portuale: performance economiche e progresso sociale. Milano: McGraw-Hill.

Hartman, L. P. 2002, Perspectives in business ethics (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Moors, J. F. 1916, Ethics in Modern Business. Harvard Theological Review, 9(01), 21-35.

Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. 2007, The right thing to do: basic readings in moral philosophy (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.