Entering the Fourth Environmental Wave - Essay Example

Running Head: Critical Review Critical Review [Institute’s Critical Review Introduction Since centuries, human society has been benefiting from unlimited resources of the world, and it is an observation that until few centuries ago, there was no havoc regarding the validity of the term ‘unlimited’. However, since few decades, there has been a paradigm shift noted in the nation states and concerned organizations around the globe that has resulted in the utilization of the term ‘limited resources’. Such replacement of terms has begin a completely new field of study that devotes its efforts to identify, examine, evaluate, and resolve environmental issues, Environmental Management. In this regard, ecologists, environmentalists, and even business organizations are now carrying out researches and studies to benefit from the available resources of the planet efficiently. In other words, environmental management has now become a notion of survival for the organizations and even states globally that are now focusing primarily on opportunities that may bring environmental benefits that will be an alternative warfare and most importantly, dominating tool to rule the world in coming years. This paper is a little attempt to discuss some of the aspects of environmental management while focusing mainly on a scholarly piece (MacLean, 2009) that will be the fundamental basis of this paper. Summary Richard MacLean (2009) is the author of a significant article, “Entering the Fourth Environmental Wave” (MacLean, 2009) in which, author has done a remarkable job by defining and discussing specific issues of environmental management while providing some solutions and implications that seem practical and beneficial theoretically. In brief, the author (MacLean, 2009) began by defining that the world has been experiencing different periods of environmental alterations that occur in the form of waves. Presently, the world is confronting the fourth environmental wave that now requires business organizations to take a step forward in a strategic manner, in order to survive in this competitive era that will be involving huge efforts to acquire remaining natural resources globally. After indicating beginning of the fourth wave, author (MacLean, 2009) specified that in order to acquire material benefits, business organizations will have to start thinking out of the box rather than following cluster of similar perspective, such as trade associations, conferences, etc. Additionally, environmental managers must begin to focus on long-term vision rather than short-term goals that may result in revenues, but in a long run, it will cause contradictory confrontations in the organizations. The author (MacLean, 2009) used the example of CERES, in order to illustrate an option of staying ahead of the society, in order to acquire strategic edge from the competitors. Lastly, article (MacLean, 2009) has identified four specific waves of environmental changes that focus on conservation, regulation, sustainable development, and subsequently, rush for remaining natural resources respectively. In this regard, it has now become very imperative for business organizations to be aware of such environmental dynamics, and put efforts to develop expertise in this field that will be major factor of success and dominance in competitive arena globally in the coming years. Discussion Now the paper will endeavor to discuss fundamental concepts and issues highlighted in the selected article (MacLean, 2009). As mentioned in the summary, author focused primarily on the fourth environmental wave; however, it is very imperative to discuss briefly about the other three waves that will enable a better understanding of the effects and aspects of the fourth wave. Although author (MacLean, 2009) did not discuss the other three waves comprehensively, however, analysis of the material regarding environmental management has indicated that during different historical periods, technology or more specific, development and advancement were the major factors of a new wave of environmental change. Experts (Welford, 1997) have indicated that every new wave brings a new perspective of looking at the world, living in it, and benefiting from its resources. In other words, every wave of environmental change is a kind of business theory that provides innovative perspective and approach of considering environmental issues around the globe. Before 1960s, human societies and states were focusing on the notion of maintenance of the environment, and during this era, fields like agriculture, fishing, hunting, etc were at the heights and benefited from the first wave of environmental change. However, industrial revolution brought a paradigm shift in different parts of the world that resulted in the commencement of second environmental wave that focused primarily on the standardization and control of the environmental issues. Subsequent decades indicated advancements in the field of information technology, organizations began to include IT in every field that resulted in the development of greener or sustainable equipments and technologies, and thus, the focus of third wave of environmental change remained on sustainable development, and has continued to do so until today. Presently, organizations are investing in greener technologies to benefit from the third wave; however, a very few experts (Aragon-Correa, 2003) have argued that organizations focusing on sustainable development will not be able to acquire a completive edge. As author of the selected article (MacLean, 2009) argued, organizations with long-term strategic vision will be able to survive during the fourth wave of environmental changes that will be worse than ever, and will decide the fate of organizations globally. Environmentalists (MacLean, 2009) believe that fourth wave will involve efforts to acquire control over the available natural resources of the world that are now scarce and reducing drastically and rapidly. However, very few experts (Porter & Kramer, 2006) include Richard MacLean believes that fourth wave is not a notion of future, but the world has already entered into the fourth wave. Additionally, if studied comprehensively and critically, a number of countries, especially super powers and huge organizations are already putting efforts and struggling to get the control over land of natural resources (Russo, 2008); however, by exploiting the local owners. In this regard, responding while considering the approach of third wave may be beneficial for the organizational success; however, it is very imperative that organizations should plan and think one-step ahead of the market that has become the foremost rule of competitive edge while the society is experiencing fourth wave of environmental changes (Porter & Kramer, 2006). In support of this discussion, as well as the article (MacLean, 2009), few other experts (Aragon-Correa, 2003) of environmental management have indicated drastic alteration in the approaches of developing competitive policies by the business organizations in contemporary era. The major reason as earlier mentioned in the introduction is the replacement of terms such as abundant, unlimited, etc by scarce, limited, remaining, etc. Another important notion identified during analysis of few studies of environmental management is the objective of environmental management as the improvement and enhancement of quality of human life rather than focus on the quality of the environment itself. In other words, environmental managers are giving importance to environmental issues for their own survival, rather than survival of the environment that is an interesting conception, and an unfortunate one as well. Alternatively, environmental management has now become a tool similar to marketing to acquire competitive value in the market rather than eliminating threat of the environmental crisis, and author of the selected article (MacLean, 2009) has ignored such regrettable concept of environmental management that needs immediate attention, in order to save this planet for the future generations. In addition, at one place, MacLean (2009) argued that business organizations will have to alter their policies according to the requirements of the fourth wave, as focus on only sustainable development will not be enough, and dearth or absence of natural resource is evident. In addition, he stated that advocates of sustainable development would not be able to keep a balance between supply and demand that itself is a very pessimistic viewpoint, and encourages actions of few countries and organizations that are exploiting available natural resources in an adverse manner. In this regard, scrutiny of studies (Russo, 2008) related to environmental management shows that it has resulted in greater importance of strategic survival of organizations and countries with the utilization of natural resource, and secondary alarm towards the natural environment. In this regard, besides putting efforts to acquire competitive value in the market, organizations must categorize their objective into economic, social, and environmental divisions that is important step for the companies. However, analysis (Hart & Milstein, 2003) has indicated that there has been a huge clash between two of the categories: environmental and economic, as companies seek and acquire economic benefits by utilizing natural environment, and thus, both are inversely proportional to each other. At this point, it becomes the responsibility of the third division to put efforts to minimize the chances of conflict between the two factors. In other words, while environmental management encourages companies to create their policies according to the environmental waves, it promotes companies to become socially responsible, and such realization enables companies to become eco-efficient or environmental efficient in the market that has become a marketing symbol in contemporary era (Porter & Kramer, 2006). Due to such significant importance of social perspective, there is another popular term in the field of environmental management: Ecocentrism that promotes balance between economic activity and natural environment, discussed under the heading of ‘Resources and Rivalry’ in the selected article (MacLean, 2009). In this regard, ecocentrists have now become imperative part of environmental management that struggle to liberate natural environment from exploitation and unethical utilization of ecosystems by the human societies. Although this is not the objective of environmental management; however, ecocentrists perform such tasks while considering social and ethical existence of human societies. Thus, there are two models in the environmental management: one that encourages humans to benefit from the nature, but promotes its utilization in a socially responsible and ethical manner for the survival of future generations. Conversely, there is another conception that considers humans as part of the ecosystem, and thus, humans can take any actions to benefit from its own system even unethically (Hart & Milstein, 2003). In the result, a major division in the field of environmental management has the cluster that focuses on terms such as competitive value, company prospects, economic advantages, etc while avoiding other flaws in the approach as MacLean (2009) did in his article. Such experts argue that it is the default character of the world to continue rivalry between social and the nature, and thus, it will never end. In other words, such experts have accepted differences as temperament of life. On the other hand, ecocentrists play the role of adversaries of abovementioned school of thought while criticizing principles of the environmental management that are exploiting resources of ecosystems in an adverse manner. Besides theoretical arguments, on ground reality, a huge number of business organizations are not creating departments for environmental management in which, e-managers struggle to acquire a balanced approach to implement most efficient model of environmental management for the acquisition of competitive value for the company (Russo, 2008). In addition, it is an observation that e-managers are now collaborating with marketing and even production departments to implement EMPs on every level of the company. However, even after such extent of implementation of EMPs, companies are facing huge drawbacks, and experts (Porter & Kramer, 2006) believe that ambiguities regarding the appropriate policies, as well as confusion related to the wave of environmental change are some of the major factors that create loopholes on ground realities. Interestingly, a huge number of environmentalists and experts have carried out researches to discuss and propose different approaches of the environmental management. However, a very few or rare studies (MacLean, 2009) have strived to elucidate unclear and confusing conceptions of the field that is the urgent need of time, as the field is suffering from enormous amount of blurred conceptions. In this regard, clarification of vague notions in the field will allow companies to implement EMPs in appropriate manner. Although it is evident that fourth wave will, and it is still affecting almost every business organization on this planet, however, extent will be different depending on the industry in the future. Thus, business organizations should put efforts and make investments in monitoring the processes of extraction of resources that will allow business executives and e-managers to take effective environmental decisions while providing competitive advantages to the companies. Last of all, companies involved in greener technologies are playing a valuable role in continuing the process of environmental efficiency as well; however, they should prepare themselves for the demands and absence of resources that will not allow them to depend on such technologies in the future, as situation will be very different by then. Besides, there is a need of global commitment, as a single effort may not make any significant difference, and the whole world will have to confront the outcomes subsequently. In other words, there is an urgent requirement of environmental leadership (MacLean, 2009) that can provide a theoretical framework to follow; however, it will require long-term vision, strategic understanding, and indulgent behavior to create a balance between environmental and social responsibilities and the necessity of economic benefits. Conclusion Finally, scrutiny of the article (MacLean, 2009) and few other sources has indicated that although experts and organizations are making enormous efforts to promote environmental management, and they have been successful in introducing and implementing EMPs in the business field. However, there is huge room for the improvement, as still, many things are unplanned, many issues are unresolved, and many conceptions are ambiguous that require further research and theoretical framework. Besides such efforts, it has now become very crucial for business organizations to take a step ahead and invest in expertise of environmental management that may examine, evaluate, and foresee prospects that will enable the companies to acquire competitive value in the market, a strong point of the selected article (MacLean, 2009). In other words, besides investing in physical and managerial stakes, organizations should make investments in human resources, as well as social structures that will be very beneficial in providing them competitive edge in the market, and will be fruitful for the ecosystem as well. In addition, it is an observation that advocates of environmental management should alter their objectives and approaches as well, as focus on only economic activities and economic benefits will make things worse, and will be poorer for the future generations that are our responsibility. Moreover, experts of environmental management should make efforts to categorize different issues rather than putting everything under a single term that is the major cause of confusion. Conclusively, the paper has discussed some of the significant aspects of environmental management while focusing primarily on the scholarly work of Richard MacLean, an extraordinary piece involving viewpoints of the author regarding different notions and conceptions of the field, and implications of the author that can make a huge constructive effect economically, socially, as well as environmentally. Although paper has attempted to discuss and cover every aspect; however, future researches and studies will be significant in understanding the environmental management issues in noteworthy manner. It is an expectation that the paper will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the topic. References Aragon-Correa, A. (2003). "A contingent resource-based view of proactive corporate environmental strategy." Academy of Management Journal. Volume 28, Issue 1, pp. 71–88. Hart S. L. & Milstein, M. B. (2003). "Creating sustainable value." Academy of Management Executive. Volume 17, Issue 2, pp. 56–69. MacLean, R. (2009). “Environmental Leadership.” Environmental Quality Management. Issue of Autumn 2009, pp. 97-104. Porter M. E. & Kramer, M. R. (2006). "Strategy and society." Harvard Business Review. Issue of December, pp. 78–92. Russo, M. V. (2008). Environmental Management. Sage Publications. Welford, R. (1997). Hijacking Environmentalism. Earthscan. Read More