Transcript sustainability

Entrepreneurship Education & Strategic Sustainable Development
Researchers:
Peter Sims
Xiaoou Huang
Jason Niles
Our programme – S.L.t.S.
• Whole systems view
– Interconnected relationships among a diversity of
societal members over short-term & long-term
timeframes
• Transdisciplinary
– diverse cultures and prof. backgrounds
• Leadership
– learning organization & team focus
Being Strategic in Complex Systems
• Sustainability principles
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Peer-reviewed
Clear definition of success
“Creativity within constraints”
Learn the rules, then “play chess”
Transferable between cultures, professions
and levels of perspective
Sustainability Principles cont’d
In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to…
1. Systematic increases in concentrations of substances extracted
from the earth’s crust.
2. . Systematic increases in concentrations of substances created
by society
3. Systematically increasing degration of natural systems by
physical means
…and in a sustainable society,
4. Humanity’s capacity to meet their needs is not systematically
being undermined
Why entrepreneurship & SSD?
• Societal need for new start-ups, ideas and innovations
• Bring-in SSD at conceptual stage of the venture
• Growing force within society
But, where should we target entrepreneurs with our message…?
Where and how do entrepreneurs learn in general…?
Topic Background
Examples of Entrepreneur Hubs Suited for SSD Outreach
Ven. Cap. &
Finance
Biz Plan
Competition
Education
Business
Incubator
SME networks
Entrepreneurship Education at
University level
Innovative/Applied
-Engineering
- Design, etc
Business Schools
- Traditional schools
Action Led
- Kaos Pilots, Team Academy, others
Our idea and the Kaos Pilots…
Applying Strategic Sustainable Development
with entrepreneurs and start-ups.
So what are our questions ???
Thesis Research Questions
Overarching Question:
In which way do the Scandinavian Entrepreneurial
Schools, Team Academy and Kaos Pilots, effectively
promote SSD to their students, and succeed in
promoting sustainable venture creation?
Thesis Research Questions
Secondary Questions:
 Q #1. What are the goals of the school for students’ understanding of
“sustainability”?
 Q #2. What projects do the students engage in and to what extent are they
aligned with SSD?
 Q #3. What are some enabling and constraining factors for their alignment
with SSD?
 Q#4. What tools/methods/processes, currently used by the schools, would
be most effective in the strategically creating sustainable ventures?
Collaboration
• Project review
• Interviews and good conversation
• Project collaboration
It’s up to us. Let’s change the game!
Our strategic tools…
ABCD,
Backcasting from principles
5-level FW
System conditions
Human Needs Matrix
….help your organization form effective strategies
to lead them towards sustainability
ABCD Method
For a closer look of what the ABCD method consists of, follow the link to a flash
feature prepared by the Municipality of Whistler (a Canadian community using this
method in their long-term strategic plans).
http://www.whistleritsournature.ca/animation/abcd1.html
A = Awareness
• the first phase involves aligning your organization
around a common understanding of sustainability and
the 'whole-systems' context for their organization.
• a presentation of strategic sustainability principles
(basic science and whole-systems approach)
B = Baseline Mapping
What does your organization look like today?
• Conducting a Sustainability Gap Analysis using the
Systems Conditions (1-4), to see how their activities
violate sustainability principles.
• Along with Gap Analysis, SWOT is conducted to assess
current ability to align activities with sustainability
principles.
C = Creating a Vision
What does your organization look like in a sustainable
society?
• Key decision-makers and stakeholders work together to
create a compelling long-term vision for a sustainable
enterprise.
• From this vision, organizations develop a strategy and
exhaustive list of possible measures for moving towards
sustainability. Strategies are based on "backcasting" from
principles.
D = Down to Action
Supporting Effective, Step-by-Step Implementation
Organizations prioritize their C-step list of measures based on 3 criteria:
I. Right Direction? (compliance with sustainability principles)
II. Flexible platform? (can the measure be easily built-upon?)
III. Sufficient R.O.I.? (Economics, political and social investment)
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Capacity building for sustainability:
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appropriate training, techniques, & tools for implementation, followed by
measuring progress towards goals & suggesting modifications as needed.
approach is fundamentally based on systems thinking, setting ambitious
goals, & developing realistic strategies for moving forward.
Five-level Framework for SSD
System
Success
Strategy
Actions
Tools
• Framework for planning in
complex systems
• Understand the different levels
of the framework; a common
mistake is to confuse strategies,
actions and tools for success
(ends and means)
Level 1- the System
• The characteristics of individuals, organizations,
society in the ecosphere.
System
• The fundamental characteristics of society existing
within the ecosphere will be explored including:
Success
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thermodynamics and conservation laws
bio-geochemical cycles
basic ecology
photosynthesis
social institutions and networks
characteristics of society’s interdependent pursuit of human
needs
– generic principles of systems: diversity, self-organization,
interdependence
Strategy
Actions
Tools
Level 2 - Success
• In this case, fundamental principles, or
‘system conditions,’ for social and ecological
sustainability.
• Second-order principles, specific to the
organization, such as core purpose and
strategic goals, are included in this level
System
Success
Strategy
Actions
Tools
Level 2 – cont’d
the system conditions for sustainability
In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to…
1.
2.
3.
Systematic increases in concentrations of substances
extracted from the earth’s crust.
Systematic increases in concentrations of substances
created by society
Systematically increasing degration of natural
systems by physical means
…and in a sustainable society,
System
Success
Strategy
Actions
4. Humans’ capacity to meet their need is not
systematically being undermined
Tools
Level 3 - Strategy
• “backcasting” used instead of forecasting
System
• Strategic guidelines that lead to compliance
with systems conditions (level 2)
Success
– Examples of strategic guidelines:
o substitution - ex. toxic with non-toxic compounds
o dematerialization – ex. redesign of a machine to
use less energy
o Close the loop
Strategy
Actions
Tools
Level 4 - Actions
• In this case, all concrete actions that fit
strategic guidelines (level 3) to arrive at
(2) success in (1) the system.
System
Success
Strategy
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Examples: Recycling, conducting a waste audit,
facilitating a visioning process, etc
Actions
Tools
Level 5 - Tools
Three types of tools:
– Strategic Tools
– Capacity-building Tools
– Systems Tools
Examples:
CSR reporting, Appreciative inquiry, Open-Space,
Fishbowl, LCA, ISO, Factor X, Ecological Footprint,
Natural Capitalism, KRAV eco-labelling etc.
System
Success
Strategy
Actions
Tools
Animations of our tools
ABCD and system conditions adopted by municipality of
Whistler:
ABCD
http://www.whistleritsournature.ca/animation/abcd1.html
Systems Conditions
http://www.whistleritsournature.ca/animation/4systemconditions.html
Social Sustainability
• Sustainability Principle # 4
In a sustainable society,
Humanity’s capacity to meet their needs is not
systematically being undermined
What are Human Needs?
Human Needs Matrix
• Developed by Chilean Economist Manfred Max-Neef
• Human Needs are...
– Classifiable,
– Universal to all cultures throughout history
Max-Neef’s 9 Human Needs
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Subsistence
Protection
Creation
Understanding
Affection
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Idleness
Freedom
Participation
Identity
Needs vs. Satisfiers
• While human needs do not change throughout
history and culture, the way in which they are
satisfied does change
• Do not confuse satisfiers with needs
Ex. Universities are not, in themselves, a human need. They
may, or may not, act effectively as satisfiers of the need for
UNDERSTANDING
Types of satisfiers
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Destroyers
Pseudo-satisfiers
Inhibiting satisfiers
Singular Satisfiers
Synergistic Satisfiers
Synergistic Satisfiers
Satisfiers that satisfier more than one of the
human needs at once.
Ex. Breastfeading
– Needs satisfied:
• Baby : Subsistence, Protection, Affection, Identity
• Mother: Affection, Identity, Idleness, Participation
Resources
Online
• Master’s programme
– http://www.bth.se/stmls
• The Natural Step
– http://www.naturalstep.org/com/Start/
Human Needs
Max-Neef, M. (1991) Human-Scale Development