The Challenge of Sustainability

The Challenge of Sustainability: Corporate Governance in a Complicated World reviews the evolution of five types of corporate governance and their different sustainability objectives. It discusses the challenges for boards in achieving sustainability from an environmental, economic, employment, and social perspective and introduces the concept of a political tragedy of the commons if boards do what is in the best interests of their profitability only, without considering their responsibilities and unintended consequences for their stakeholders. It explains how volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity complicate making sustainable decisions. This book explores ways of helping prevent such negative outcomes.

John Zinkin asserts the director's need to reconcile volatility with vision, uncertainty with understanding, complexity with courage and commitment, and ambiguity with adaptability. To prevent a potential political tragedy of the commons, the book suggests new decision-making processes; treating employees differently; and makes the case for reforming capitalism. It is aimed at managers, board members and all those who influence them, including shareholder activists, corporate legal personnel, politicians, activists and general readers interested in applying some of these suggestions in their roles as stakeholders, managers and directors.

Auteur

John Zinkin, Zinkin Ettinger Sdn Bhd, Malaysia

Contenu

Introduction

Part 1: Expanding Corporate Governance's Remit

1. Changing definitions and expectations

2. Five Corporate Governance contexts

3. Family capitalism

4. State capitalism

5. Managerial capitalism

6. Shareholder capitalism

7. Stakeholder capitalism

   Part 2: Corporate Governance's Sustainability Challenges

   Environmental Sustainability

8. Moving to a circular economy

9. Climate change

10. Conservation

    Economic Sustainability

11. Achieving inclusive growth

12. Tackling inequality

13. Harnessing diversity

    Employment Sustainability

14. Globalization

15. Automation

16. Artificial Intelligence

17. Unsuitable education

    Social Sustainability

18. Being a responsible citizen

19. Bridging cultures

20. Taming social media

    Part 3: Preventing a Political Tragedy of the Commons

21. Investing in People

22. Improving Processes

23. Focusing on Reputation

24. Operating in a Post-Truth World

    Conclusions