Glass, J and Dainty, A R J (2011) The sustainable construction business: A missing ingredient in creating a sustainable built environment? International Journal of Construction Management, 11(2), pp. 1-18. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
In this paper we attempt to connect the corporate social responsibility agenda with current debates within sustainable construction. We reveal an apparent disconnect between the focus on sustainable products and processes and the orientation of the businesses within which they reside. Current agendas are characterised by a desire to create a more sustainable built environment, but with little regard for the businesses that enact such agendas. We argue that the firm is the enabler of a more holistic CSR agenda, and that sustainability needs to be present, visible and integrated in the business at all levels and in all functions of the sustainable construction organization. An archetype of a sustainable construction business is developed based on a synthesis of related literatures that could act as a framework for enacting responsible strategies in the future. In arguing for a 'business focus' we seek to broaden the current debates within the sustainable construction literature, and to open up new research trajectories around responsible sourcing, business ethics and organisational change for corporate sustainability, which have hitherto been underplayed within built environment research literature.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction business; corporate strategy; corporate social responsibility; sustainability |
| Index terms: | corporate social responsibility, business ethics, sustainable construction, organizational change, archetype, built environment, built environment research, strategy, responsible sourcing, corporate strategy |
| Subjects: | infrastructure and transport systems, business, sustainable construction, professional practice, modelling and simulation, management, health safety and environment, research management |
| Topics: | Research Practice, Sustainability, Ethics, Organizational Design, Health and Safety, Governance, Urban Studies, Business Strategy |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here