THE IMPACT OF PEOPLE MANAGEMENT TRANSFORMATION ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

For several years, the concept of sustainable development appears the philosophy of many scientific studies. This concept came from the field of forestry. It means that forest management cut down only as many trees as they can grow in this place. That way, the forest is never liquidated and can always rebuild itself. There are many definitions of sustainability. Perhaps the best comes from the 1987 report "Our Common Future" of the UN World Commission on Environment and Development, where "sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." That implies a challenge to developing all areas of human life without harming any of them. One of the areas with significant impact is the activity of organizations that affects the development and stability of the economy. Also, in studies on organization and management, the sustainable development concept is increasingly common. Progress in the application of the sciences of organization and management undoubtedly has a positive impact on the activities of organizations, which leads to economic development and changes in the quality of life. This paper intends to bring closer the meaning of the evolution of people management in today's state of development and to determine trends in future organizations management. The content of this paper does not exhaust the discussed issues but may contribute to further discussion and activities in the field of sustainable development.

Sustainability and Consumerism

The Brundtland Commission report Our Common Future in 1987 gave birth to the concept of sustainable development. The meaning is benefitting the present without compromising the future. It was felt that, unless conventional growth and development are replaced by sustainable development through environmentally friendly actions, doomsday is very near. However, such sustainable development was followed by a global spree of consumerism that only added to the environmental burden. This dichotomy needs to be understood, and for the same purpose, one needs to go back to that point of Earth's history when ecology and economy were synonymous. From then on, the drift between the ecology and economy that has brought us to today's scenario needs to be understood. In this background, the chapter raises questions on how green the green sectors are. Furthermore, can sustainable development and consumerism be captured as one body of ‘sustainable consumerism'?

The Citizen’s Role in Creating a Climate of Justice

In the civic space, citizens with access to resources must learn how to respond to the civilians who need them in such a way that it changes the unjust social climate to a climate of justice. This Chapter explores three options of citizens responding to civilians: empathy, a commons approach, and the ethics of care. Jeremy Rifkin has argued that we have evolved to “the age of empathy,” but this approach ignores the difference between those who are privileged and those who are not. The commons approach invites all to become “commoners,” sharing and shaping a common future. This approach has attractions, but it ignores past injustices and the role of the rule of law in protecting civilians. The ethics of care does invite privileged citizens to listen to civilian claims to join them in repairing broken relationships and caring about justice.

Unpacking B Corps’ Impact on Sustainable Development: An Analysis from Structuration Theory

With Our Common Future and the United Nation’s global call to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2030, public policies increasingly emphasise the need for various actors to contribute to a global transformation and a more sustainable future. Despite growing research on hybrid organisations and their contributions to sustainable development, their impact on accelerating this transition might be faulty. Looking at a type of hybrid organisation, Certified B Corporations (B Corps), this article draws on a multiple case study of nine B Corps in a developing country in Latin America, Colombia. The study builds on the Structuration Theory to examine to what extent and how B Corps impact sustainable development. The article empirically shows that B Corps focus on four categories of sustainable development: considering future generations; enhancing human development; encouraging new mindsets, behaviours, and lifestyles; and promoting socio-political engagement. The findings suggest that B Corps develop communicative and narrative discourses and symbolic schemas as means of signification and follow norms and moral rules to exert legitimation and utilise authoritative resources to exercise power. The article contributes to research on hybrid organisations, sustainability transitions, and business models.

Adaptive Structures and Biomimetic Robots – A Perspective

This paper gives an overview of some recent full-scale demonstrations of morphing devices capable of providing innovative capabilities to general systems in changing shape and improving performance significantly during operations. In aeronautics, large progress has been observed over the last few years, meaning that this technology is rapidly transitioning from laboratory scale to high TRL demonstrators. The most advanced concepts already proved to withstand loads with minimal deformation while having the capability to change their geometry to attain additional benefits with respect to their original mission. In the same way, robotics has become one of the most prominent technological trends of the current century. The rapid increase in their use and development has significantly changed our society by gradually replacing a large share of human jobs. Such an evolution is also rapidly accelerating, as technological advances in automation, engineering, artificial intelligence, and machine learning converge. Since both domains involve the integration of actuators, sensors and controllers and face integrity challenges in harsh environments, they may be seen somehow related and probably share a common future. In this article, the authors propose an original view of a possible future scenario that is likely to consider a unique development path for research on adaptive structures and robotics.

Community of Common Future in Cyberspace

This chapter begins with an account of the current state of China’s digitization and cybersecurity. Benefitting from the rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT), China achieved a rapid evolution from a semi-industrial country to a digitized nation. Besides these immense advantages, ICT has acted as a powerful catalyst, bringing huge benefits to every aspect of Chinese society. Yet cyberspace has also created a new dimension of insecurity and disarray due to the increasing dependence on a brand-new interconnected ecosystem. The chapter then examines the meaning of, and the necessity for, a ‘community of common destiny’ in cyberspace, before continuing to illuminate what China can do at the domestic and international levels to pursue this aim. It also analyses the implications of China’s approach for the stability and security of international cyberspace.

The Transition of A Community: World History’s Shared Future for Mankind

The community with a shared future for mankind is taken from one of the theoretical sources, which is the innovative development of global history theory in contemporary times, which is Marx’s world history theory. A community with a shared future for humanity, on the other hand, is not the end shape of world history, but it is an important link in its growth. World history, on the other hand, being the theoretical source of a community with a shared future for mankind, includes logical stipulations on such a society. Clarifying the relationship between a community with a common future for mankind and global history, as well as accurately grasping the community’s transitional position in world history, is beneficial to better encouraging the development of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Synergizing Folklore and Urban Values for Sustainable Liveability

The synergy between rural and urban values is depicted as the source for local and global sustainability. This paper asserts that the folklore tradition of the rural people of Bangladesh promotes sustainability through their respect for nature, spiritual education and the common future of generations. Such values are embedded in the country’s economy, schools, media and other institutions where these messages are taught, articulated and promoted. The positive spiritual dispositions of rural people in Bangladesh towards natural calamities allow them to interpret such events as nature's tools for managing sustainable liveability. Bangladeshi rural communities also enjoy self-reliant living without destroying the country's base of natural resources in contrast to the city dwellers. Thus, the paper aims to establish that the implements for achieving global sustainability could be embedded in “rural modernization” – a way of blending rural values and folklore in city life.