Our Research on Corporate Social Responsibility focuses mainly on the question how companies can at the same time live up to economic expectations while reducing their environmental and social burdens. Efficiency, such as eco-efficiency for the environmental side of sustainability, plays an important role in this context. However, we increasingly recognise through our research that driving eco-efficiency will only address a part of the challenge we face. Put in a rather concise way we wonder, if companies can become sufficiently efficient to be sustainably effective. Efficiency allows companies to better solve the trade off between economic performance and a good environmental and social performance. But will companies be able to increase their efficiency enough to reduce their use of environmental and social resources to a safe level?
The concepts we develop in this field are new but rely on a well-founded tradition. Businesses and business researchers have developed concepts how to deal with economic capital for a long time. While they are very successful they are somewhat restricted in two respects. On the one hand business research tends to focus on a single stakeholder –shareholders. On the other hand business research tends to focus on a single form of capital – economic capital. Both restrictions are incompatible with the aims of Sustainable Development. We therefore broaden existing concepts in both respects – we look at the value companies provide for more than shareholders and the economic, environmental and social resources they require in the process.
The Social Enterprise Research Unit (SERU), is based within the Sustainable Development Research Centre at Forres. SERU undertakes research to evaluate mainstream management theory and techniques, in order to develop innovative approaches in support of social entrepreneurs. The Unit explores the commonalities and points of divergence between ethically managed ‘mainstream’ businesses and ‘social enterprises’. This will allow the Unit to compare the activities of social enterprises and corporate social responsibility of mainstream businesses. SERU will also undertake research into activities related to social enterprises and procurement, in particular the public sector.
At the operational level, we work with large and small organizations to implement and understand the benefits of an effective environmental management system ( EMS). At the strategic level, we provide working models for those organizations that seek not just to minimise environmental risk but look to identify business growth and competitive advantage opportunities. An integrated EMS ensures that environmental issues are part of daily operational activity and through organizational growth or contraction, the integrated EMS remains as part of daily business activity.
We work with businesses to identify the type of EMS model that best suits its operational and strategic needs. The EMS model provides managers with useful discriminators to gauge the level of competitive advantage and the likely reactions of their organization in changing economic conditions. The competitive advantage gained from an effective environmental management system does not begin and end with the type of model one organization uses, it also extends to the types of models its supply chain uses.
We understand that an intergated EMS is the bedrock on which all businesses will grow effective corporate social responsibility and sustainability strategies.
