The Sustainable MBA: The Manager’s Guide to Green Business
February 9, 2010 by Editor
Filed under Marketing & Communications, Operations & Management, Strategy & Leadership
Author: Giselle Weybrecht
ISBN: 978-0-470-74114-6
Hardcover; 416 pages
Published in November 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Recommended Retail Price: US$34.95 / S$62.01
Available at all major bookstores
Book Review
The Sustainable MBA is for managers and business leaders who wish to learn and apply sustainable practices in their business. The author introduces green trends, explains various aspects of greening businesses, and shares a wide range of concepts, tools and guidelines.
The book is organized like a typical MBA programme with the coverage of core topics such as:
- Accounting
- Economics
- Entrepreneurship
- Ethics and corporate governance
- Finance
- Marketing
- Operations
- Organizational behaviour
- Strategy
This is a comprehensive book that would give you a good overview of sustainability practices and tips on how to green your business.
Promotion for Green Business Times Readers
Readers in Singapore can now buy the book from John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd at a 20% discount from 9 Feb 2010 to 9 Mar 2010.
1. Place your order to this email address: csd_ord@wiley.com or call: +65 6463 4604
2. Quote the ISBN of the book title
3. Quote the 4 digit promotion code to be entitled to the 20% discount – Promo Code 2465
Good to Green: Managing Business Risks and Opportunities in the Age of Environmental Awareness
July 13, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Strategy & Leadership
Author: John-David Phyper and Paul MacLean
ISBN: 978-0-470-15942-2
Hardcover: 464 pages
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Recommended Retail Price: SGD 52.38 (including GST)
Available at all major bookstores
Book Review
Good to Green provides an in-depth analysis and guide for companies that wish to change and become a sustainable company. The authors provide comprehensive knowledge, trends and cases studies on sustainability based on their years of experience, and they managed to cover the various topics hot on the green agenda.
Some topics covered include:
In developing a green strategic plan, the authors emphasized the need for leadership and ongoing planning. The senior management must believe in fundamental change in how the company conducts business, and monitor the results of the strategic plan continuously. A green plan is not a one-time event nor is it about “cosmetic environmentalism”.
The company’s environmental management system should also be embedded into the general management systems and business software solutions, and not become isolated from other aspects of the business.
On eco design, companies should adopt a motto of “zero waste” to reduce costs and improve the environment. Companies also need to avoid toxic chemicals and manage the supply chain to reduce environmental risks.
For green marketing, the authors recommend that the product should be aligned with company values, and the focus should be making green normal. Companies should communicate their values through real action and not just talk about it.
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Promotion for Green Business Times Readers
Readers in Singapore can now buy the book from John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd at a 20% discount from 13 July 09 to 13 August 09.
- Place your order to this email address: csd_ord@wiley.com or call: +65 6463 4604
- Quote the ISBN of the book title
- Quote the 4 digit promotion code to be entitled to the 20% discount – Promo Code 2427
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Smart Green: How to Implement Sustainable Business Practices in Any Industry – and Make Money
May 18, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Operations & Management
Author: Jonathan Estes
ISBN: 978-0-470-38779-5
Hardcover: 224 pages
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Recommended Retail Price: SGD 52.38 (including GST)
Available at all major bookstores
Book Review
Smart Green is a green resource guide for entrepreneurs and business leaders interested in creating sustainable businesses. There is no single definition of a green company or what sustainability means for every company, but the author managed to describe the steps for a company to become Smart Green, which includes the following:
Smart Green companies must first reflect on what it takes to be green and be aware of sustainability issues. They should become green-aware; bio-aware; socially-aware; energy-aware and regionally-aware.
Smart Green companies conduct a needs analysis through footprint analysis, product life cycle analysis, business relationship analysis, and cash flow analysis. The outcomes help in the preparing of a green mission statement, which includes goals and objectives, desired outcomes, and involving stakeholders.
When Smart Green companies work on their strategic planning, they understand the seven tiers of Smart Green growth:
- Awareness of the Need for Change
- Recognition of Implications
- Analysis of Current State
- Applying a Systems View Approach
- Planning and Implementing a Strategy
- Analysis of and Reflection on Outcomes and Impacts
- Innovation, Creativity, Growth, and Meaning
Smart Green companies also measure sustainability outcomes based on the analytics approach that looks at financial outcomes, long-term strategies, return on investment, continuous growth and best practices.
Smart Green companies are led by leaders who are aware of environmental, social and economic indicators, and measure success on profit and the extended footprint of the company.
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Promotion for Green Business Times Readers
Readers in Singapore can now buy the book from John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd at a 20% discount from 18 May 09 to 18 June 09.
- Place your order to this email address: csd_ord@wiley.com or call: +65 6463 4604
- Quote the ISBN of the book title
- Quote the 4 digit promotion code to be entitled to the 20% discount – Promo Code 2402
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Green Business Practices for Dummies
May 4, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Operations & Management
Author: Lisa Swallow
ISBN: 978-0-470-39339-0
Paperback; 384 pages
Recommended Retail Price: SGD 38.47 (including GST)
Available at all major bookstores
Book Review
Green Business Practices for Dummies is a practical and hands-on guide to help your company implement green practices throughout your organisation. It covers the creation of a sustainability vision and plan, the implementation of sustainability practices, involving stakeholders in your efforts, and measuring and reporting the results.
First, you will learn about the business case for sustainability, and understand the opportunities and challenges in going green. The book also helps you develop a sustainability plan for your company, including conducting a SWOT analysis, creating green goals, and planning initiatives to reach them.
Second, the book shows you what is needed to start implementing the green practices in your company. It includes greening your daily office practices, product development, production processes, building and facilities, and accounting and investment practices.
Third, you will learn about involving relevant stakeholders in your sustainability efforts, how to market to green consumers and promote your green products or services, working with non-profit organisations, and engaging your employees with green HR practices.
The last part of the book discusses the relevant standards and certifications available in the green market, shows you how to gather data and measure your organisation’s progress, and prepares you to create a sustainability report for your stakeholders.
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Promotion for Green Business Times Readers
Readers in Singapore can now buy the book from John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd at a 20% discount from 4 May 09 to 4 June 09.
- Place your order to this email address: csd_ord@wiley.com or call: +65 6463 4604
- Quote the ISBN of the book title
- Quote the 4 digit promotion code to be entitled to the 20% discount – Promo Code 2401
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The Green Marketing Manifesto
April 20, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Marketing & Communications
Author: John Grant
ISBN: 978-0-470-72324-1
Hardcover: 320 pages
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Recommended Retail Price: SGD 52.38 (including GST)
Available at all major bookstores
Book Review
John Grant is the co-founder of the St Luke ad agency and has worked with clients such as IKEA, LEGO, Body Shop and innocent on green marketing and sustainability. His experience and thoughts can be summarised in The Green Marketing Manifesto, which articulates a green marketing strategy grid with 9 different approaches to green marketing.
The green marketing strategy grid is made up of three marketing objectives:
A. Green: Setting new standards in responsible products, policies and processes
B. Greener: Sharing responsibility with customers
C. Greenest: Supporting innovation – new habits, services, business models
And three levels at which marketing can operate:
1. Personal: Product/benefits/individual
2. Social: Brand meanings/herd instincts/tribes/communities
3. Public: Company as credible source, as cultural leader or partner
This 3 x 3 grid results in nine strategies that companies can adopt for their green marketing:
A1: Set an Example (Framing vs Pointing)
A2: Credible Partners (Eco-label vs Cause-related)
A3: Market a Benefit (Less vs More)
B1: Develop the Market (Educate vs Evangelise)
B2: Tribal Brands (Exclusive vs Inclusive)
B3: Change Usage (Switch vs Cut)
C1: New Business Concepts (Social Production vs Property)
C2: Trojan Horse Ideas (Tradition vs New Cool)
C3: Challenging Consuming (Treasuring vs Sharing)
Besides the green marketing approaches, John explains that companies need to go beyond image marketing to create sustainable brands. Companies should not make normal products seem green (greenwashing), instead they should make green products seem normal and acceptable. His vision is:
Green (and sustainable) products are not just responsible. They are better: more durable, cheaper, nicer, healthier, more thoughtful, offering extensions into social communities, belonging to something. The green products, services and businesses of the future are creative, in a sparky, thrilling way.
The Green Marketing Manifesto is an essential guide on green marketing for companies with green products and services, marketing executives and CSR professionals.
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Promotion for Green Business Times Readers
Readers in Singapore can now buy the book from John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd at a 20% discount from 20 Apr 09 to 20 May 09.
- Place your order to this email address: csd_ord@wiley.com or call: +65 6463 4604
- Quote the ISBN of the book title
- Quote the 4 digit promotion code to be entitled to the 20% discount – Promo Code 2400.
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Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage
April 6, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Strategy & Leadership
Authors: Daniel Esty and Andrew Winston
ISBN: 978-0-470-39374-1
Paperback: 408 pages
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Recommended Retail Price: SGD 35.26 (including GST)
Available at all major bookstores
Book Review
Green to Gold is a must-read for every CEO and business leader who wishes to include environmental thinking into the company’s strategy and achieve competitive advantage.
The authors first give a concise summary of the Green Wave that is sweeping the business community, the environmental problems and challenges companies faced, and the stakeholders involved in shaping environmental strategies.
Next, to help companies integrate the environment into business strategy, the authors introduce a toolkit including the Eco-Advantage Mindset, Eco-Tracking, Redesign and Culture.
Companies that have an Eco-Advantage Mindset usually:
- Look at the forest, not the trees
- Start at the top
- Adopt the Apollo 13 Principle
- Recognize that feelings are facts
- Do the right thing
The toolkit includes Eco-Tracking elements such as the AUDIO analysis to help companies understand their environmental impacts by looking at various categories: Aspects, Upstream, Downstream, Issues and Opportunities.
Companies should also Redesign their products and processes by adopting Design for the Environment (DfE) and closed-loop systems, and support the building of an eco Culture that promotes green thinking and innovation.
Besides the toolkit, the book helps companies to achieve Eco-Advantage by mapping out eight Green-to-Gold Plays, which are business strategies that reduce cost and risk, and increase revenue and intangible value:
Costs
1. Eco-efficiency – Improve resource productivity
2. Eco-expense reduction – Cut environmental costs and regulatory burden
3. Value chain eco-efficiency – Lower costs upstream and downstream
Risks
4. Eco-risk control – Manage environmentally driven business risk
Revenues
5. Eco-design – Meet customer environmental needs
6. Eco-sales and marketing – Build product position and customer loyalty on green attributes
7. Eco-defined new market space – Promote value innovation and develop breakthrough products
Intangibles
8. Intangible value – Build corporate reputation and trusted brands
It’s time for businesses to go green and Green to Gold is a valuable guide to help business leaders make profits while benefiting people and the environment. The book addresses both strategic thinking and practical actions that companies can adopt immediately to build an Eco-Advantage.
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- Place your order to this email address: csd_ord@wiley.com or call: +65 6463 4604
- Quote the ISBN of the book title
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China Green Business Summit 2009
| May 13, 2009 | to | May 15, 2009 |
China Green Business Summit 2009 – Driving China’s Green Revolution through Leading CDM and Water Business
JW Marriott Beijing (May 13th – 15th, 2009) will welcome the opening of the China Green Business Summit 2009, expectedly a grand gathering of 300+ senior level executives from global green business fraternity in China and elsewhere around the world.
Delegates from all sectors of the green industry, including socially responsible companies (power generation, energy & utilities, chemical, iron & steel, cement, coal); water operators; water investment companies; wastewater treatment companies; CDM project developers; CDM potential project owners; green technology/equipment providers; capital owners, lawyers etc are attending and the swell of interest in this meaningful event has been remarkable!
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Anita MENG, Marketing Manager
Tel: (8621) 6875 8108
Fax: (8621) 6875 8750
Email: anitam@cfeci.com
Website: http://www.cfeci.com/cgbs2009
(Green Business Times is a Media Partner of China Green Business Summit 2009)
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