Sustainable development-organizing an organization in a way that it can function in the long term-began gaining global attention in 1983 when the United Nations created the Brundtland Commission to offer various ways to save the human environment and natural resources and promote economic and social development. Corporate sustainability not only depends on the business's ability to function over a long period but also on sustainable relationships with stakeholders. This text offers a comprehensive perspective covering salient aspects of sustainable development with chapters contributed by experts from various countries. It provides guiding principles and tools for transformation and generates knowledge about sustainable organizational designs, sustainable business models, co-creating value with multiple stakeholders, and organizational transformation for sustainability. Written for students, faculty, researchers, professionals, and practitioners in the corporate world, this book will be a valuable resource in promoting sustainable development. Chapter 8 highlights challenges social entrepreneurs (SEs) face while promoting their cause, the range of sustainable products offered, and their goal of convincing potential customers that their products are good for the customer, society, and the environment. Marketing and social entrepreneurial business models can assist in achieving sustainable development goals. To balance the consumers' need for high-quality products and the SEs' goals of environmental safety and societal well-being, finding a middle ground is essential. This includes educating consumers, adopting professional marketing techniques, and creating customized communication for stakeholders. Sustainable consumerism is increasingly becoming the norm; entrepreneurs and managers working with sustainability-related products need to rethink their marketing strategy.
Eco Femme (EF) was a social enterprise founded in 2010. It developed re-usable cloth sanitary napkins and marketed towards those looking for sustainable products to manage their menstrual hygiene. The enterprise faced several challenges in reaching their target market of poor women in rural India. There was a taboo attached to menstruation and it was thus a difficult topic to discuss. Also, there were popular, commonly used, and easily available substitutes in the market, which were heavily marketed and distributed. EF had narrowed its options down to three broad distribution options—community groups, small convenience stores, and apparel retailers; the team needed to choose and develop a plan.
Eco Femme (EF) was a social enterprise founded in 2010. It developed re-usable cloth sanitary napkins and marketed towards those looking for sustainable products to manage their menstrual hygiene. The enterprise faced several challenges in reaching their target market of poor women in rural India. There was a taboo attached to menstruation and it was thus a difficult topic to discuss. Also, there were popular, commonly used, and easily available substitutes in the market, which were heavily marketed and distributed. EF had narrowed its options down to three broad distribution options-community groups, small convenience stores, and apparel retailers; the team needed to choose and develop a plan.
In 2017, the general manager and head of business conglomerate Mahindra and Mahindra Limited (M&M)’s largest factory in Igatpuri, Maharashtra, faced several challenges related to the company’s goal of achieving zero-waste-to-landfill certification from an environmental agency. Since the Mahindra Group’s chief executive officer had decided to focus on sustainability as a key to long-term growth, M&M had to find practical ways to manage waste in the Igatpuri factory. Reducing the waste produced in the factory would require the company to deal with both production-related hazardous waste such as toxic camshaft-grinding waste and other waste such as the cotton gloves iemployees had previously discarded after every shift. The general manager knew that diverting a high percentage of waste from the landfill could produce material savings and cost reductions and boost M&M’s image as a sustainability-focused global brand. He wondered how best to embed waste management policies into the factory’s processes.
In 2017, the general manager and head of business conglomerate Mahindra and Mahindra Limited (M&M)'s largest factory in Igatpuri, Maharashtra, faced several challenges related to the company's goal of achieving zero-waste-to-landfill certification from an environmental agency. Since the Mahindra Group's chief executive officer had decided to focus on sustainability as a key to long-term growth, M&M had to find practical ways to manage waste in the Igatpuri factory. Reducing the waste produced in the factory would require the company to deal with both production-related hazardous waste such as toxic camshaft-grinding waste and other waste such as the cotton gloves employees had previously discarded after every shift. The general manager knew that diverting a high percentage of waste from the landfill could produce material savings and cost reductions and boost M&M's image as a sustainability-focused global brand. He wondered how best to embed waste management policies into the factory's processes.