USC Marshall School of Business

The "triple bottom line" was top of mind for the managers and executives who convened for USC Marshall's Center for Effective Organizations Feb. 17-18 conference that focused on issues surrounding sustainability.

"Although some companies continue to use the word sustainability to mean 'green,' many adhere to the notion of the triple bottom line—that our businesses, economies, communities and the Earth can only be sustainably effective if we worry about outcomes for people, the planet, and profit," said Sue Mohrman, senior research scientist at the Center for Effective Organizations (CEO). Mohrman organized the conference program with CEO Senior Research Scientist Chris Worley and Arienne McCracken, CEO program manager and research associate.

The working conference, "Organizing for Sustainability: Cross-Functional and Multi-Organizational Approaches to Accelerate Progress Toward Sustainable Corporations, Economies and Societies," was held at Mattel's Leadership Development Center in El Segundo. The invitation-only conference drew participants from China (China Water Coalition), Canada (Loblaw) and Italy (Politecnico di Milano) as well as large global multi-nationals such as Nokia and smaller organizations such as the Ohio City Farm in Cleveland.

Representatives from companies including Microsoft, GE, Best Buy, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Toyota, Buro Happold and Salesforce.com were also present, sharing knowledge gleaned from their attempts to address sustainability within their own companies. Locally based Quiksilver and Mattel were also active in the discussions.

Among the ideas that resonated most with Jennifer Miller DuBuisson, senior global sustainability engineer at Mattel, was "learning the importance of asking the right questions as opposed to coming to the table with what you think is the best answer."

"Organizing for Sustainability" addressed many themes, including:

• Understanding the importance of transparency. PwC's Shannon Schuyler reported on the evolution of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) other standards for sustainability reporting, and the rapid increase in the number of companies that are changing their business practices in order to report non-financial outcomes. Also key to transparency, effectively using social media and other tools to communicate with customers and employees.


• Avoiding "greenwashing." Any attempts to address environmental issues need to be substantive, not merely executed for public relations reasons. In fact, according to Worley, there was "a certain reticence among the companies to discuss their sustainability initiatives or accomplishments for fear of being seen as taking advantage of the current interest in sustainability."


• Getting employees on board. "Mattel, for example, has built a culture where employees in factories all over the world see it as their responsibility to find ways to decrease energy and materials use and feel empowered to initiate innovations," said Mohrman. Employee "engagement" is also essential to building a company's philanthropic endeavors, which are increasingly being strategically managed to achieve lasting positive impact on social and environmental issues.


• Creating strong collaborations—both within an organization and across organizations. Possible partners can include other companies, NGOs, government agencies and universities. "The Port of Los Angeles, for example, has brought together all these stakeholders to substantially decrease the negative impact of carbon emissions on the surrounding community, and to explore ways to decrease the carbon footprint of the shipping industry," Mohrman said.