Sustainable Business Strategy Proof Reading Services

MAX is a family owned fast food company that sells hamburgers and was keenly inclined in outperforming and creating a differentiation with other industry competitors like McDonald’s and Burger King. This scope of differentiation was provided through sustainable leadership that was made in an attempt to reduce their business process impact on climate change. MAX in collaboration with The Natural Step (TNS) made action plans based on TNS framework that made significant changes in their actions to create a positive impact on the planet. And today MAX is known to be the leader in exploring sustainability opportunities in fast food operations. Earlier before the partnership with TNS, MAX took discretional community development initiatives in Africa and employed disabled individuals in their restaurant. From very early times MAX success came from uniqueness in thinking and approach. MAX earlier adopted FIRO theory in their practices where their operations focused on core human elements aspects of openness, self-determination, self-awareness and aliveness. These evolving approaches were further strengthened through a partnership with TNS.

Fast food industry has always faced challenges of reflecting a bad image for unhealthier food, inappropriate work conditions and extension approaches that pressed local alternatives out of business. In particular meat industry also faced additional challenge as they were biggest contributors of global greenhouse emissions, being accountable for nearly 18% of emissions. As MAX’s business operations is around hamburgers and meat so it was even significant for them to move towards sustainability and they championed this move with support from TNS.

TNS framework is based on four principles that are scientific based and focuses on cause-effect correlations and integrates larger environmental-social-economic systems that direct actions and behaviours to attain sustainability. It is based on: Four system conditions, Backcasting, Ideological TNS funnel. Four system conditions are principles that are needed to be attained to meet sustainability and describe basic conditions which are: application of materials derived from earth, application of materials originated by society, degeneration by physical means and that society and people are not exposed to situations that undercut scope to meet their needs. The initial conditions correlate to manner humans interact with planet and last one is attaining sustainable global society. These principles focus on utilising resources effectively and justly, replace rare or toxic substances with environment-friendly and wider available substances, create technologies and preserve ecosystems. While Backcasting is applied for planning, making decisions and innovative outlines through identification of need or product, service or firm, identification of stakeholders, evaluating existing scenario, establishing a future scenario and identifying and executing approaches. While TNS funnel is illustration of resource availability and usage. It describes that as population and resources demand or usage rises their availability levels decreases and freedom get limited. However there exists a level when sustainable supply and demand can be attained and through TNS framework equilibrium is attained.

TNS framework has been utilised by MAX to improvise their operational process so that in future events of resource crisis they would not have to restructure their business in an alarming way. So with TNS framework, MAX has adopted capacities to become ready for uncertain future through focusing on approaches based on elementary, infinite science. In this manner, MAX sustained to make initiatives for continued profits in future. 

MAX in attempt to adopt TNS framework transformed their business to meet principles, such as to focus on material derived from earth MAX restaurants made initiative to power their chains with 100% wind energy, removed toys from kid meal that were battery operated and released toxic substances for planet and ensured all delivery vehicles were low carbon. Secondly, to focus on applying materials made by society MAX converted their used fry oil into biodiesel, increased recycling rates for cardboard, food wastage, metals etc and used no Genetically Modified Organisms in their foods. Thirdly, to support third condition of TNS framework, MAX buys their fish ingredient that are MSC approved and are managed in good ecosystems, used paper products that are FSC approved and invests in reforestation projects under Plan Vivo in Africa. Lastly to support fourth principle of TNS framework, MAX does not use transfat, their product lines are redesigned into healthiest standards in industry, employs at least one employee with mental disability, delivers sustainable leadership based on FIRO archetype and has collaborated with TNS Real Change Program to research on social sustainability.

MAX made some invaluable strategic decisions and actions to support sustainability like Dematerialisation where they down-sized materials by removing cardboard from kid meals where they attempt was to cut out sustainability violation practices from source which could result to degradation of land from paper, toxic dyes etc. Also they cut down battery operated toys to cut violations and have plans to use sustainable wood harvested and carved toys in future. Other action is De-carbonising and carbon labelling of their products where they label menus after measuring carbon impacts of food from farmer to customer which provides customers insight into carbon information and gives them scope to select their menus based on implication.⁵ This approach has reduced carbon footprint of MAX and made their menus tastier with de-carbonising and undercutting of beef in their hamburgers to make it more moist and flavourful, which increased demand. Also at MAX carbon information is provided at POS to customers which has boosted sales of their low carbon menus like chicken fingers and veggie chilli.

Limitations to The Natural step

One of the limitations of TNS is its failure to entirely actuate the health of humans though the framework ensures survival of humanity in concert with business. Principles of sustainable development focus on equal development of human needs with conservation of natural resources to meet their needs but TNS archetype does not fully address the correlation amid business environment and rising number of chronically ill staffs that has emerged as vital problem for business and nations because of previous ecological pollutions.

In my opinion TNS began integration of social or people element in their dimensions of sustainability recently so they are too new to impel impact particularly on consideration of TNS archetypes principle of system conditions as till late theory focused majorly on planet and profit. TNS archetype fuelled a debate on sustainability approaches and irrespective of essential interpretations and rectification some of the TNS emphasises does not meet requirement of business that greatly provides significance to workplace wellness of people and their implications and evaluations. TNS is more inclined on ecological aspects and directs their focus on overall organisational well being with less focus on needs of individual or staffs which describes limitation of TNS in regard to addressing sustainability as there is raising rate of illness that has resulted to low productivity with higher direct and indirect cost to organisations

Hence the framework is at cross that whether it does well to theory or business. Though value of TNS in educational perspective is accepted but it involves latent reasoning and value judgement as because it involves zero growth in physical scale of economies and organisations without articulating it in particular. Rather TNS is exaggerated in its usage of risk assessment, pointing out a rise in concentration criteria for consideration of universal debate in the judgement that it is incompetent for environmental protection.

References

1. Broman, Goran, John Holmberg, and Robert Karl-Henrik. "Simplicity without Reduction: Thinking Upstream Towards the Sustainable Society." Interfaces 30, no. 3 (May, 2000): 13-25. https://search.proquest.com/docview/217137776?accountid=30552. [Accessed on 24/9/2018]
2. Hauser, Regina. "Commentary: Food Chains can be Sustainable, Too." Daily Journal of Commerce (Aug 24, 2011). https://search.proquest.com/docview/885882856?accountid=30552. [Accessed on 24/9/2018]
3. Lyakurwa, Felichesmi Selestine. "INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY A NEW PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY: AN EMPIRICAL REVIEW." Independent Journal of Management & Production 5, no. 3 (Jun, 2014): 623-635. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1661322025?accountid=30552. [Accessed on 24/9/2018]
4. Rindell, Anne, Gö Svensson, Tore Mysen, Anders Billström, and Kristoffer Wilén. "Towards a Conceptual Foundation of 'Conscientious Corporate Brands'." Journal of Brand Management 18, no. 9 (08, 2011): 709-719. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/bm.2011.38. https://search.proquest.com/docview/877759060?accountid=30552. [Accessed on 24/9/2018]
5. Svensson, Gö and Beverly Wagner. "A Process Directed Towards Sustainable Business Operations and a Model for Improving the GWP-Footprint (CO2e) on Earth." Management of Environmental Quality 22, no. 4 (2011): 451-462. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14777831111136063. https://search.proquest.com/docview/872345912?accountid=30552. [Accessed on 24/9/2018]
6. Wainger, Lisa and Marisa Mazzotta. "Realizing the Potential of Ecosystem Services: A Framework for Relating Ecological Changes to Economic Benefits." Environmental Management 48, no. 4 (10, 2011): 710-33. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-011-9726-0. https://search.proquest.com/docview/887948362?accountid=30552. [Accessed on 24/9/2018]
7. Lyakurwa, Felichesmi Selestine. "INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY A NEW PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY: AN EMPIRICAL REVIEW." Independent Journal of Management & Production 5, no. 3 (Jun, 2014): 623-635. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1661322025?accountid=30552.
8. Wainger, Lisa and Marisa Mazzotta. "Realizing the Potential of Ecosystem Services: A Framework for Relating Ecological Changes to managerial economic Benefits." Environmental Management 48, no. 4 (10, 2011): 710-33. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-011-9726-0. https://search.proquest.com/docview/887948362?accountid=30552.
9. Svensson, Gö and Beverly Wagner. "A Process Directed Towards Sustainable Business Operations and a Model for Improving the GWP-Footprint (CO2e) on Earth." Management of Environmental Quality 22, no. 4 (2011): 451-462. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14777831111136063. https://search.proquest.com/docview/872345912?accountid=30552.
10. Rindell, Anne, Gö Svensson, Tore Mysen, Anders Billström, and Kristoffer Wilén. "Towards a Conceptual Foundation of 'Conscientious Corporate Brands'." Journal of Brand Management 18, no. 9 (08, 2011): 709-719. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/bm.2011.38. https://search.proquest.com/docview/877759060?accountid=30552.
11. Hauser, Regina. "Commentary: Food Chains can be Sustainable, Too." Daily Journal of Commerce (Aug 24, 2011). https://search.proquest.com/docview/885882856?accountid=30552.
12. Broman, Goran, John Holmberg, and Robert Karl-Henrik. "Simplicity without Reduction: Thinking Upstream Towards the Sustainable Society." Interfaces 30, no. 3 (May, 2000): 13-25. https://search.proquest.com/docview/217137776?accountid=30552.