Sustainability in a changing environment
There are several issues that are critical in the running of a company or an organization. These issues determine whether the company survives in the current world and its competition or not. Different companies have different goals to achieve. These goals however are best planned when they include the plans of the society at large to avoid conflicts. The same case applies to the company of Monsanto. The company needs to reshape its style of play so as to avoid the conflict and critique that it is undergoing now. The changes that should be applied to the company’s structure should help the company evade the critics in the society who look out for faults in the company’s production.
The Monsanto Company has been at quarrels with the society in the past over a number of issues. The issues the company has been dealing with range from social, economical to environmental issues. The issues need to be erased so that the rapport between the company and the society may be improved (Robin, M. -M. 2010). For instance, the company has been battling allegations of bribery cases in some of their subsidiaries in several countries. The bribery cases clearly tarnished the company’s name and its ability to produce quality work to the people. Sustainability is the ability of running an activity that will not by any chance make the life of the future generations hard. These activities should be done in a way that they do not conflict with the needs of the future generations. The needs of the future generations such as favorable weather and clean environments are partly contributed by the current society. In the creation of a sustainable environment, there are several key measures that should be met (Robin, M. -M. 2010). These measures ensure that the environment is placed in a balance where none of the negative factors is tolerated (Barr, S. 2008). There are different areas that determine whether the activities engaged by an individual or a group are aimed at creating a sustainable environment.
Sustainable environment therefore is aimed at reducing the different activities that do not lead to a sustained life. Pollution of the environment has been a chief problem in the quest for a sustainable environment and society. Individuals and groups are therefore advised to develop change strategies that aimed reducing pollution both at the commercial sector as well as the industrial sector (Tueth, M. 2010). Monsanto therefore, should aim to make sure that the activities it indulges in are aimed at making a better future than the current state is. The seeds that are produced by the company should be able to improve the future through all means possible. Sustainability of the company will include measures taken to ensure that there is very little carbon emissions from the activities that the company engages in (Jordan, J. P., Clarke, N. P., Buchanan, G. A., & Jordan, K. C. 2013). There are complains that have been pressed forward by residents who claim that the company dumps its industrial use in the river of the town and this disturbs the ecological balance. The company should be able to deal with the production process so that the environment is placed in a good state.
The Monsanto Company needs a change strategy that will see the company increase the sustainability of the environment and other determining factors. The change strategy will cover elements of the society. The change strategy is intended to address the social, economic and environmental elements of the society. The change strategy covers these aspects since they are correlated and a better company would be formed when all the relevant sectors have been rectified to support the sustainability action (Newton, L. H. 2005). The actions are rectified in such a way that the probability of future generations enjoying good surroundings is raised. Different bodies have put up measures that are aimed at guiding the current population into creating a sustainable environment and world at large (Glover, D. 2007). The change strategy for the Monsanto Company aims at ensuring that the company remains in the leading face of the relevant sectors and that it creates a healthy environment around it.
In the change strategy, there are few priorities that are set first. These priorities help the company identify the areas that it needs to change. The areas of priority also define the different places that will help the company realize its intentions of creating sustainability. The aims at providing effective support to the deliverance of a green economy and ensuring that a sustainable economic development is achieved through the different actions it undertakes (Connor, R., & Dovers, S. 2004). The company also aims at ensuring that the pollution levels are reduced throughout its production procedure. The company aims at ensuring that the environment is protected and the relevant protection methods are enhanced through the support of the customers. The customers play a major role in deciding whether the company will create a sustainable environment or not (Faucheux, S., Gowdy, J. M., & Nicolai, I. 1998). The last priority is the provision of products that are aimed at improving the lives of the people and the aims of tackling current issues that may recur into the future. The scope of the sustainability strategy remains tied to the use of the different documents such as the sustainability charter that are used in the quest for a sustainable environment.
The change tool that is used here is the phase tool. The phase tool describes the different levels that the company will go through before achieving sustainability. The phase tool analyzes the ability of the company and how much change it can effect within a certain time. Time here is the limiting factor and many companies are bent to the use of optimum time in ensuring that the best results are achieved (Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. 2011). The phase model helps in the realization of the ability of the company in the struggle in achieving sustainability. In the first phase, the company is in rejection of the sustainability measures. The company sees that the reputation of the company is at stake. Currently, the Monsanto Company has passed the first phase in the change model. There is inappropriate use of science in the first stage (Dunphy, D. C., Griffiths, A., & Benn, S. 2007). The release of toxic waste that deformed the fish in the state of Alabama is evidence to the inappropriate use of science. The second phase in the phase model of change is characterized by the plans that are developed inside the firm (Dunphy, D. C., Griffiths, A., & Benn, S. 2007). The company decides on changing the relevant areas that are needed in the formation of a sustainable company.
The third phase of the change in the company is characterized by several activities around the company. The company takes up the initiative of creating environmental awareness to the surrounding society. The environmental awareness is aimed at educating and creating forums to enlighten the public on what they can do to create a better environment and how the company is aimed at doing the same to the environment. The company also minimizes the risks that it undertakes in the production process (Hoisington, S. H., & Vaneswaran, S. A. 2005). The risk such as importation of cheap production inputs is avoided. The company aims at improving its image in the society. The image of the company is improved through creation of charity funds and solving any disputes that may exist between the company and the society. The disputes are solved either in court or outside court. The fourth stage is characterized by improved efficiency and engagement. The production process is thoroughly scrutinized and the faults that exist in the process are eliminated (Chasek, P. S. 1999). The new process developed leaves minimum wastes and aims at creation of organic waste and safe methods of dealing with the waste. There is complete risk avoidance in this stage. The fifth stage is characterized by the creation of high level interpersonal skills between the company, its employees and the society. There is increased structural redesign that is aimed at achieving flexibility in the activities that it is engaged to (Thompson, A. A., Strickland, A. J., & Gamble, J. 2007). The last stage aims at redefining business relationships and embracing a transformative culture that is aimed at helping the company remain in the sustainable phase.
There are several strengths and weaknesses of this tool of change. The strengths of the tool are curved out of the ability of embracing the gradual process of change. The tool of change is gradual and any organization can implement its strategies through this tool. The tool also covers the entire period from when the company was unaware of the changes needed to when the changes were paramount. The main weakness is that different companies will have different portray different abilities of handling each stage (Mohrman, S. A., & Shani, A. B. 2011). There are companies that will take a short time in one stage while others will take longer time. The stages are also not thoroughly independent as they overlap each other and for an outsider it will be hard deciding which stage a particular company is in at a certain time.
There are several recommendations that are directed at the Monsanto Company. These recommendations are aimed at helping the company in ensuring that they arrive at a sustainable environment. In terms of climate change, the company should develop certain production measures that are aimed at reducing the amount of waste that is released in the environment. There are chemicals that are used in the decomposition of the waste that is released by the company into the formation of non-toxic waste (Laszlo, C., & Laugel, J. -F. 2000). The decomposition will incur costs to the company but the end result saves the company of the costs of compensation that is paid to the different groups when the company has failed in a court case. The company should re-enhance the composition of the seeds such that the growth of the plants has very minimal effects to the soil that the plants grow on as well as the neighboring plants (Williams, G. M., Kroos, R., & Monro, I. C. 2000).
Apart from the waste and the seed engineering, the company should conduct tests to confirm to the people the products the company produces are recommended for human use and support human life. The tests should confirm to the people how the plants that are from genetically modified seeds have no unnatural effect on the plants from the normal seeds that are adjacent to the crops grown from the genetically modified seeds in the event of pollination between the two groups (Glover, D. 2007). The effects that the people feared should also be confirmed to them. The people feared that the genetically modified crops are not fit for human consumption.
There are pricing measures that the company should apply in the quest of formation of affordable products to the public. The pricing measures involve the creation of prices of seeds that will be affordable to the public and to the developing economies so that the developing economies may improve their productivity. The pricing measures should be able to incorporate the different needs of the developed countries as well as the developing countries. The different companies that are rivaling Monsanto have reduced the prices of the seeds (Kiernan, M. J. 2009). The main challenge here is ensuring that the customers believe that the seeds from the Monsanto Company are the best seeds. The challenge involves more than reducing the price of the seeds. The company should put measures of educating the public on the good qualities of the seeds and of the plants that grow from these seeds.
In conclusion, there are different things that the Monsanto company can do to ensure that the there is increased sustainability. These activities that the company can engage in will help both the company and the society at large. These activities are used to rectify the mistakes that the company has earlier done as well as concur to the needs of the current and the future society. The levels of toxins in the waste released by the company and reduced side effects of the products of the company are the main concern of the change strategy. In avoiding the bad image formed by the court cases that the company went through before, the company will be able to form a new improved company that is aimed at creating a sustainable environment.
References
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