Municipal Utilities: An Overview Of Rate Models, Sustainability And The Effects On Affordability

Municipalities are faced with escalating costs, harder to find resources, and increasing regulatory restrictions in an effort to maintain public utilities. To complicate this situation, communities must address a growing number of individuals who are unable to pay their utility bill. This study is a review of several water utilities in Florida to determine how typical municipal utilities approaches affordability. Factors affecting utilities such as sustainability, rate models, and regulations are examined to the present methodology for an average municipality in addressing the increasing important issue of affordability. This research is a continuation of a longitudinal study to determine how municipalities address increasing costs to maintain their utility while considering those in the community who are less fortunate and cannot continue to absorb the higher costs of water and wastewater.

Teaching Corporate Social Responsibility In An MBA Program

This paper discusses the topic of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and proposes that CSR should be taught in an MBA program and, more specifically, in a Managerial Accounting course of an MBA program. CSR aligns strongly with other managerial accounting topics typically taught in an MBA Program such as the balanced scorecard and triple-bottom line reporting. In putting forward this suggestion, this paper proposes a definition of CSR, reviews recent literature relating to CSR, and provides several strategies for teaching and assessing students’ understanding and appreciation of CSR. In the results section of the paper, a content analysis of student essays provides an insight into how students view CSR. The paper concludes with an overview of what is attainable by teaching CSR in a Managerial Accounting MBA course.

Stimulating Team Creativity: The Influence Of Swift-Trust On The Team Creativity Process

It is often suggested that most creative ideas that lead to an innovation originate from a collaborative environment. Organizations frequently establish teams to encourage collaboration as a way of generating new and creative ideas for innovation. Yet, teams often fail to establish a proper collaborative environment in a timely manner or to stimulate team creativity. Team creativity, a by-product of the proper collaborative experience, and its stimulating agents are the focus of this paper. Specifically, this paper examines how organizations can rapidly create the proper collaborative environment to induce team creativity using swift-trust. Swift-trust, a unique form of trust and collective perception, is proposed as a stimulating agent for the quick formation of a collaborative environment that leads to team creativity. The antecedents to the formation of swift trust are identified as team composition and team tasking. The moderating effects of the leader-member relationship and history are examined. Overall, results show that swift trust leads to the rapid establishment of a collaborative team environment which leads to team creativity. A conceptual model is presented and an example is discussed. This paper makes two important contributions. First, the establishment of a swift-trust environment is positively linked to the early stimulation of team creativity. Second, a practical blueprint, through the development of a conceptual model, is offered to the management practitioner desiring to quickly stimulate team creativity using swift-trust.

Construal Of Voluntary Environmental Program Participation In The Canadian Residential Construction Industry

This is a study of sensemaking of how Canadian new home builders construe their decision to participate in a voluntary environmental program (Built Green Canada). The Repertory Grid Technique was the data collection method. Findings from 32 interviews revealed a number of themes that decision makers used to make sense of their decision to participate in the program. The most prevalent views related to seeing the decision as a function of being a leader or innovator in the industry and using the program as a marketing and sales tool. Furthermore, themes that were seen as important related to legitimacy/authenticity/integrity and environmental impact. An assessment of which drivers/pressures were important to decision makers in making the decision to join the program was also undertaken. Important drivers/pressures included handling competition, appealing to customers, acquiring technical knowledge, obtaining publicity, building corporate culture/identity, and obtaining third party certifications. The findings are significant as it assists in refining the emergent field of environmental decision making and planning. The results are also useful for industry, voluntary environmental program organizations, and government policy makers to provide them with a better understan

Talking Trash: Ethics, Sustainability, And Organizational Trust

In 1960 Americans generated 88.1 million tons (2.68 lbs./person/day) of municipal solid waste (MSW), by 2012 municipal solid waste increased to 250.9 million tons (4.38 lbs./person/day). The good news is that of the total MSW 5.6 million tons was recycled in 1960 and by 2012 the amount surged to 86.6 million tons. This real-world case (to protect privacy, names have been changed) chronicles the development of a strategic supply chain decision within a heavily regulated industry that is characterized by hybrid public/private organizations. It illustrates the importance of contract compliance and quality control assessment. In addition, it is heavily imbedded within the sustainability conversation. Finally, integral elements of the case are ethics and organizational trust, which, regardless of contract obligations, is essential in reciprocal relationships and community/customer support.

Perspectives On The LEED (Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design) System As A Green Certification Standard

As we begin to reach the limits of Earths biosphere, ensuring that sustainable practices are integrating into new buildings and into older buildings are crucial to remove unsustainable strains on the environment. This paper seeks to examine the merits and disadvantages of LEED as a certification system in the context of environmental sustainability. While there does seem to be legitimate criticism of the LEED system, it does serve to bring and legitimize sustainable development to an area that has a profound and continual effect on the environment. The systems should be continuously examined and revamped in the context of improving the integration of environmental sustainability into commercial and residential development. LEED has the opportunity to be revamped, improved, and to become a powerful force in promoting environmental sustainability in construction.

"Grass" By Any Other Name - Xeriscaping And Sustainability

With water conservation and use policy considered to be among the greatest challenges facing contemporary society, this case takes on the enduring issues associated with water and how it impacts urban planning, land use, water conservation, economic development, and sustainability. Conflicted on the uses of natural and artificial turf, Jerard Leon, director of Blue Havens Planning Commission recommends that Joseph Teaberry, landscape architect, contact a premier program on xeriscape in the United States the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA). Teaberry prepares for an in-depth, structured interview with Doug Bennett, conservation manager of SNWA. He reviews the relevant academic and professional literature on the hydrologic cycle, and the economics and geological concerns that affect water use policy, including the meaning of Water quality, Watershed, and the sundry metrics used to assess water quality under the Clean Water Act, 1972. As the structured interview reveals, Teaberry learns about the history of water policy in the Colorado Basin, the multiple uses and costs associated with water consumption in the SNWA, and the conservation practices and water policy pricing policies and how they impact water utilization. In the final analysis, Teaberry discusses the various strategic management practices employed by SNWA and their attendant efficacies, successes/failures pertaining to water policy education, pricing, inducement, enforcement, and the future water policy concerns. The case has several take-away points associated with xeriscape policy, followed by six poignant questions that stimulate broad discussion on the general areas of water resource policy.

The Necessity Of Strategic Leadership In Corporate Sustainability

The purpose of this article is to present the necessity of having strategic leadership in business corporations that practice corporate sustainability. There are three areas that corporate sustainability focuses upon: Ecological, sociological, and corporate/business. Corporate sustainability requires strategic leadership in order to interact with these three dynamic and divergent areas. Strategic leaders communicate their vision to their managers and employees and remain in continuous and uninterrupted contact with the former who are dexterously empowered by their leaders to assume supportive roles for the communication of their leaders strategic vision to internal and external stakeholders of the organization. Strategic thinking is utilized by strategic leaders and has to do with the analysis and evaluation of the existing internal and external environments of the organization and that of how changes in both environments can affect the organization. Strategic leaders utilize strategic intent that includes focusing the organizations intention to operate strategically. Flexibility is the ability of strategic leaders to analyze, evaluate, and respond to changes in both the internal and external environment of their organizations. Strategic leaders initiate changes because of the demands that emanate from the external and the internal environments of the organization. Strategic leadership changes are dramatic ones and their implementation requires the integration of vision, flexibility, and the support of the managers of the organization.

Towards A Theoretical Integration Of Sustainability: A Literature Review And Suggested Way Forward

Organizations worldwide have adopted sustainability strategies to enhance their productivity and develop a competitive advantage. More often than not, organizations and their leaders develop a narrow view of sustainability and consider only the aspects of sustainability that are directly related to their sphere of performance (internal sustainability). Yet, sustainability issues impact all business and non-business organizations, as well as the long-term sustainability of international business relations and quality of life issues worldwide (external sustainability). An increase of appropriate sustainability efforts often requires expanding beyond conventional thinking. Economic necessity can drive both internal and external sustainability measures. Leadership effort is essential to enable shifts in organizational culture that enable sustainability efforts to succeed. This article discusses the sustainability movement. After defining internal and external sustainability, this paper discusses the philosophy of sustainability, internal and external sustainability, measurements, leadership, and best practices.

Corporate Social Responsibility And Sustainability Responsiveness In Business Schools: A Classification Scheme

This paper adopts a neo-institutional perspective to help classify and explain the heterogeneity among Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CSRS) programs in universities. Four specific types of programs: 1) ignorer, 2) initiator, 3) imitator, and 4) innovator are identified and discussed with respect to their antecedents and potential outcomes. By considering internal and external forces simultaneously we delineate the motivation for CSRS program variety. A major perspective is that all institutions cannot prioritize CSRS education and that this decision is not based solely on internal limitations but also external realities.