Business Lessons from a Radical Industrialist


Book Description

In 1994, Interface founder and chairman Ray Anderson set an audacious goal for his commercial carpet company: to take nothing from the earth that can't be replaced by the earth. Now, Anderson leads the way forward and challenges all of industry to share that goal, with Business Lessons from a Radical Industrialist. The Interface story is a compelling one: in 1994, making carpets was a toxic, petroleum-based process, releasing immense amounts of air and water pollution and creating tons of waste. Fifteen years after Anderson's call for change, Interface has: —cut greenhouse gas emissions by 82% —cut fossil fuel consumption by 60% —cut waste by 66% —cut water use by 75% —invented and patented new machines, materials, and manufacturing processes —increased sales by 66%, doubled earnings, and raised profit margins With practical ideas and measurable outcomes that every business can use, Anderson shows that profit and sustainability are not mutually exclusive; businesses can improve their bottom lines and do right by the earth. Ray Anderson is featured in the film, So Right, So Smart, which takes a behind-the-scenes look at how his leadership transformed Interface into a company with a sustainable business practices that made it more profitable than it was before.




Business Lessons from a Radical Industrialist


Book Description

“America’s greenest CEO” and the hero from the award-winning documentary The Corporation makes the urgent, compelling case that sustainable business pays. His story is now legend. In 1994, after reading The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken, Ray Anderson felt a “spear in the chest”: the founder of Interface, Inc., a billion-dollar carpeting manufacturer, realized that his company was plundering the environment and he needed to steer it on a new course. Since then, Interface has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 82%, and the goal is to reach zero environmental footprint by 2020. Thoughtful and winning, Confessions of a Radical Industrialist shows how Anderson revolutionized his company, in the process bringing costs down, improving quality, making it one of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” — and driving up profits. *The publisher has aimed for sustainability in all aspects of this book’s production, from the inks and glues to the trim size. The interior paper is 100% post-consumer recycled, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and ancient-forest friendly. Instead of a jacket, the cover boards are wrapped in 100% recycled paper stock coated in a biodegradable varnish – and these are just two examples among many.




Hot, Flat, and Crowded


Book Description

Friedman proposes that an ambitious national strategy, which he calls 'Code-Green', is not only what we need to save the planet from overheating - it is what we need to make us all healthier, richer, more innovative, more productive, and more secure.




Competing by Design


Book Description

As David A. Nadler and Michael L. Tushman show, the last remaining source of truly sustainable competitive advantage lies in "organizational capabilities": the unique ways each organization structures its work, builds its cultures, and motivates its people to achieve clearly articulated aspirations and strategic objectives.




Mid-Course Correction Revisited


Book Description

The original Mid-Course Correction, published 20 years ago, became a classic in the sustainability field. It put forth a new vision for what its author, Ray C. Anderson, called the “prototypical company of the 21st century”—a restorative company that does no harm to society or the environment. In Mid-Course Correction, Anderson recounts his eureka moment as founder and leader of Interface, Inc., one of the world’s largest carpet and flooring companies, and one that was doing business in all the usual ways. Bit by bit, he began learning how much environmental destruction companies like his had caused, prompting him to make a radical change. Mid-Course Correction not only outlined what eco-centered leadership looks like, it also mapped out a specific set of goals for Anderson’s company to eliminate its environmental footprint. Those goals remain visionary even today, and this second edition delves into how Interface worked toward making them a reality, birthing one of the most innovative and successful corporate sustainability efforts in the world. The new edition also explores why we need to create not only prototypical companies, but also the prototypical economy of the twenty-first century. As our global economy shifts toward sustainability, challenges like building the circular economy and reversing global warming present tremendous opportunities for business and industry. Mid-Course Correction Revisted contains a new foreword by Paul Hawken, several new chapters by Ray C. Anderson Foundation executive director John A. Lanier, and interviews with Janine Benyus, Joel Makower, Andrew Winston, Ellen MacArthur and other leaders in green enterprise, the circular economy, and biomimicry. A wide range of business readers—from sustainability professionals to green entrepreneurs to CEOs—will find both wise advice and concrete examples in this new look at a master in corporate and environmental leadership, and the legacy he left.




CSR 2.0


Book Description

The book examines the evolution and current state of corporate social responsibility (CSR), using a five-stage maturity model: defensive, charitable, promotional, strategic and transformative CSR. The first four stages are dubbed CSR 1.0 and characterise most current CSR practice, while the fifth stage is named CSR 2.0 (also transformative or systemic CSR) and describes emergent and future CSR practices. Reasons are given why CSR 1.0 approaches have failed to have any significant impact on the most serious global social, environmental and ethical challenges. The emergent CSR 2.0 will then be explored in detail by elaborating on five principles underlying the new approach, including: creativity, scalability, responsiveness, glocality and circularity. A four-part DNA Model is also introduced, covering value creation, good governance, societal contribution and ecological integrity, which provides the basis for defining and measuring CSR 2.0. Finally, a 70-question CSR 2.0 self-assessment diagnostic tool developed by the author is presented, with sample data to show how the tool can be used for future research and practitioner application.




Fundamentals for Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur


Book Description

This is the complete, up-to-date guide to creating a successful new venture. Using real-life examples, it helps you assemble every piece of the puzzle: you, your team, your opportunity, your business concept and revenue model, your resources, and your successful launch, execution, and growth. The authors illuminate entrepreneurial mindsets, motivation, attitudes, and leadership, and cover the entire process of starting a company, from idea through your first four years of operations. You’ll learn how to recognize, define, test, and exploit opportunities; transform ideas into revenue models that earn sustainable value; demonstrate viability to funders; establish a strong ethical and legal foundation for your concept; and build a thriving team to execute on it.




Mid-course Correction


Book Description

Of value to business people, environmentalists, and educators alike, Mid-Course Correction is a business book about the environment that's written from a personal perspective. With passion and pride, Ray Anderson, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of one of the world's largest interior furnishings companies, recounts his awakening to the importance of environmental issues and outlines the steps his petroleum-dependent company, Atlanta-based Interface, Inc., is taking in its quest to become a sustainable enterprise - one that will never have to take another drop of oil from the earth.




The Business Book


Book Description

Learn about concepts, management, and commerce in The Business Book. Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Business in this overview guide to the subject, great for beginners looking to learn and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Business Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in. This captivating book will broaden your understanding of Business, with: - Up to 100 quotations from the great business thinkers and gurus - Packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts - A visual approach to big subjects with striking illustrations and graphics throughout - Easy to follow text makes topics accessible for people at any level of understanding The Business Book is the perfect introduction the to key theories that have shaped the world of business, management, and commerce, aimed at adults with an interest in the subject and students wanting to gain more of an overview. Here you’ll discover every facet of business management, including alternative business models, with real life examples from the marketplace. If you’ve ever wondered about the stages of business strategy, from start-up to delivering the goods, this is the perfect book for you. Your Business Questions, Simply Explained This book introduces the would-be entrepreneur and general reader to the work of great commercial thinkers, leaders, and gurus. Learn about the hurdles facing every new business, such as finding a gap in the market, securing finance, employing people, and creating an eye-catching brand. If you thought it was difficult to learn about the world of commerce, The Business Book presents information in an easy to follow layout. Learn the ideas of seminal business thinkers, such as Malcolm Gladwell's "tipping point", Michael Porter's "five forces", and Meredith Belbin's theories on effective teamwork, with fantastic mind maps and step-by-step summaries. The Big Ideas Series With millions of copies sold worldwide, The Business Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas series from DK. The series uses striking graphics along with engaging writing, making big topics easy to understand.




The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses


Book Description

In a field dominated by anecdote and folklore, this landmark study integrates more than ten years of intensive research and modern theories of business and economics. The result is a comprehensive framework for understanding entrepreneurship that provides new and penetrating insights. This clearly and concisely written book is essential for anyone who wants to start a business, for the entrepreneur or executive who wants to grow a company, and for the scholar who wants to understand this crucial economic activity.