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Ants, Galileo and Gandhi - Designing the Future of Business Through Nature, Genius and Compassion (Hardcover)
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Ants, Galileo and Gandhi - Designing the Future of Business Through Nature, Genius and Compassion (Hardcover)
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Although sustainability efforts in business are still a work in
progress, it is increasingly clear that key elements of a new
generation of enterprises will be radically different from those of
our contemporary modern industrial economy. The core distinctions
between what currently exists and what is being created are
communicated in this book through the compelling metaphor of "Ants,
Galileo, and Gandhi."This collection, developed from The Natural
Step's conference on Sustainability and Innovation in 2002,
provides radical ideas for generating a new perspective on the
dynamics of business systems. 'Ants' symbolize the lessons to be
learned from nature and the dependence of individual beings on
broader, complex systems. "Galileo" embodies brilliance in
perceiving and proving that the current paradigm is flawed.
"Gandhi" exemplifies exceptional compassion in fighting for
fundamental change. All of these attributes are increasingly
relevant in a world where, globally, we are experiencing both a
steady decline in life-supporting resources and rising demands.
Recognition of these challenges is sparking innovation within the
private sector where the first glimmers of systemic change can be
seen. The book examines the emergence of 21st-century enterprises
that recognize their reliance on broad social and ecological
systems ("ants"), incorporate sparks of genius rooted in rigorous
analyses ('Galileo'), and acknowledge the importance of compassion
and determination within any endeavour ('Gandhi'). With
contributions from Ray Anderson, Gretchen Daily, Karl-Henrik
Robert, Alois Flatz, Allen White and many more, the book
illustrates that pioneering companies recognize that new
opportunities emerge from recognizing the broader systems on which
all businesses rely. Efforts to work with ecological and social
dynamics of vibrancy and resilience offer a new space for
innovation. Companies are stepping into this space and exploring
innovative approaches to developing sustainability-focused
products, operations and strategies. These sustainability-inspired
business efforts are considering new ways to address human needs
and desires. The most promising approaches are based on systems
thinking and recognition of the linkages between 'upstream' and
'downstream' effects of actions. Understanding the undesired
'downstream' impacts of a firm's practices draws attention
'upstream'. This assessment highlights the most expedient approach:
to design these impacts out of enterprises from the very start.The
book is divided into five sections to present a set of theories
emerging about sustainability and its application to: business
strategy and operations; financial-sector practices; accountability
and reporting drivers; and organizational change pathways.
Together, these sections illustrate the current range of
sustainability theories and applications."Ants, Galileo, and
Gandhi" will be essential reading for both academics looking for
robust teaching material, practitioners looking for inspiration and
the general reader interested in exploring the state of the art in
the realignment of 21st-century business."
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