Ralf Isenmann

Making Stakeholder Dialogue for Sustainability Issues Happen - Benefits, Reference Architecture and Pilot Implementation for Automated Sustainability Reporting a La Carte

Making stakeholder dialogue happen is a step forward in sustainability reporting. It includes mechanisms to involve key target groups and give feedback, facilities of user control and opportunities to fine tune reports to certain users, select report contents and adapt design to individual preferences. Today, one-way-communication on sustainability issues merely through one size fits all hard copies or simple electronic duplicates without any added value may hardly fulfil stakeholder expectations and reporting requirements. In contrast to the importance of these issues of communication in codes of conducts, standards, guidelines and other recommendations however, current reporting practice shows room for improvements, even for the best reporters. Hence, an outline is given on how to develop from early sustainability reporting stages towards a sophisticated approach, with emphasis on stakeholder dialogue and its core features, while fully exploiting the benefits of the internet and using its support.

How to Provide Customized Environmental Reports Properly

Customization is vital for environmental (online) communication, especially for corporate environmental reporting. Meeting target groups’ information needs strongly influences reporting success, perhaps whether users pay attention to reports at all, how they assess the value of these documents, and to what extent they are willing to make use of these communication vehicles. In contrast to its wide acceptance in guidelines however, current practice shows significant room for improvements. Hence, we propose a framework on how to provide customized environmental reports properly, described in terms of three conceptual components: (i) stakeholder analysis and information requirement analysis, (ii) XML-based document engineering, and (iii) ICT-architecture of an environmental reporting system. Customization is a real step forward to the benefit of all groups involved in or affected by environmental reporting: managers, accountants, employees, financial analysts, standard setting institutions and organizations focused on benchmarking, rating or ranking.

Grundlagen des Technologie-Roadmapping

Das betriebliche Technologiemanagement hat ein vielfaltiges Aufgabenspektrum: Es ist fur den Erwerb, die Bewahrung, den Schutz sowie die Verwertung technologischer Kompetenz zustandig und tragt daruber hinaus die Verantwortung fur die moglichst robuste und marktzugewandte technologische Positionierung des Unternehmens (vgl. zu den Umfangen des Technologiemanagement Schuh und Klappert 2011; Brockhoff 1998; Wolfrum 1994; Gerpott 2005). Aus diesem Aufgabenspektrum resultieren die Wunsche nach einer Prognose der zeitlichen Entwicklung von Technologien samt ihren haufig heterogenen Verknupfungen sowie der Ableitung von Masnahmen, die der Erhaltung bzw. Verbesserung der technologischen Position eines Unternehmens dienlich sind. Eine ideale Klammer zwischen den beiden letztgenannten Aufgaben bildet das Technologie- Roadmapping.

Basics of technology roadmapping

Corporate technology managers are faced with a wide range of responsibilities: Apart from being in charge of the acquisition, preservation, protection and application of technological competencies, they are expected to attend to a preferably solid and market-oriented technological positioning of their company (for the scope of technology management see for instance Burgelman, Christensen and Wheelwright 2004). This accumulation of tasks has given rise to a need for the projection of a technology’s temporal development, including its prevalently heterogeneous connections as well as the derivation of activities which serve to support or even improve a company’s technological standing. Technology roadmapping represents an ideal method of dealing with the latter two of the above mentioned concerns in an integrative way.

Software-Werkzeuge zur Unterstützung des Technologie-Roadmapping

Die Einsatzfelder des Technologie-Roadmapping haben zugenommen. Sie umfassen heute nicht mehr nur betriebliche Funktionbereiche und Einzelunternehmen, sondern auch Unternehmensverbunde in Form von Wertschopfungsketten und Kunden-Lieferanten-Netzwerken bis hin zu ganzen Industriebranchen, sogar im internationalen Masstab. Mit den zunehmend komplexeren Anwendungen steigen die Anforderungen an das Technologie-Roadmapping: So wird es muhsam, zeitaufwandig und ressourcenintensiv, das Technologie-Roadmapping auf Papier oder mit einfachen Office-Anwendungen, aber ohne die Assistenz moderner Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IKT) zu betreiben. Statt dessen bietet es sich an, einerseits die Erstellung, Visualisierung, Pflege und Aktualisierung der Technologie-Roadmaps und andererseits deren Fortschreibung, Auswertung und Weiterverarbeitung durch geeignete Software-Werkzeuge zu unterstutzen. Solche Software-Werkzeuge versprechen Unterstutzungspotenzial und erleichtern das Technologie-Roadmapping in vielfaltiger Weise

Human systems in terms of natural systems? Employing non-equilibrium thermodynamics for evaluating industrial ecology's 'ecosystem metaphor'

Understanding industrial systems in terms of natural systems forms the central pillar of Industrial Ecology. This paper argues that its method of comparing individual companies with participants in natural ecosystems is problematic, arising from a level of ecosystem analysis inappropriate to explain the common root of these two kinds of complex systems. The comparison between these two constitutes an employment of a scientific metaphor, whose role in theory building needs to be understood better: useful in inspiring discovery, but needing a solid foundation for being a valid science. Supposedly similar behaviour between natural and industrial systems cannot by itself constitute a valid theory basis. We suggest looking at thermodynamic characteristics; structures are developed in order to incorporate and thus to dissipate inflowing solar energy, threatening to disrupt the stability of a complex system in its immediate environment. Finally, the paper discusses the consequences and limits of this perspective for industrial ecological work.

Stakeholder Interaction in Sustainability Reporting with Web 2.0

Corporate sustainability reporting aims at the presentation of a company’s performance in economical, ecological, and social aspects (the three “pillars” of sustainability). This presentation of complex, interdependent indicators underwent several changes since its inception: The beginning of corporate sustainability reporting can be found within a small number of pioneer companies, combining issues from previously separated business, environmental, and social reports (International Institute for Sustainable Development et al. 1992; SustainAbility and UNEP 1999). With no standards available, companies were free to report whatever and however they wanted, but on the other hand also had no structural guidance at all. Nowadays, while still not mandatory, the de facto standard of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guides companies on how and what to report. Reporting in accordance to the standard obligates a detailed, well-balanced publication of sustainability indicators (GRI 2006).

Information Management for Sophisticated Environmental Reporting

The contribution describes an information management approach that elevates the orthodox “one size fits all” disclosure practice of environmental reports to a sophisticated digital stage, using environmental statements according to the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) as example. The information management approach is illustrated along three basic elements: stakeholder analysis and information requirement analysis (representing information demand), XML-based document engineering (modeling information supply), and IT supported reporting system (cross matching information supply and demand). As a result, environmental statements could be developed from universal documents on print media and thus being a mere EMAS requirement to valuable environmental communication vehicles which provide substantial and reliable information in a tailored fashion and are available on various media — due to an underlying single source cross media principle.

Environmental Statements on the Internet—From a Mere EMAS Requirement to an On-line Environmental Communication Tool

The contribution describes an information management approach that elevates the orthodox “one size fits all” disclosure practice of environmental reports to a sophisticated digital stage, using environmental statements according to the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) as an example. The information management approach is illustrated along three basic elements: (1) stakeholder analysis and information requirement analysis (representing information demand); (2) XML-based document engineering (modelling information supply); and (3) an IT-supported reporting system (cross-matching information supply and demand). As a result, environmental statements could be developed from universal documents on print media, and thus a mere EMAS requirement, to valuable environmental communication vehicles that provide substantial and reliable information in a tailored fashion and are available on various media—due to an underlying single source cross-media principle.

Unifying Architecture for Industrial Ecology Communication and Education

In this contribution the emerging body of Industrial Ecology theory is organized in a unifying architecture. This basic architecture is illustrated in the form of a pyramid and built upon four basic layers (I–IV) or contexts respectively: (I) context of statements, (II) context of phenomena, (III) context of instruments, and (IV) context of basics. The architecture has its methodological basis in tools of philosophy. It is particularly based on a framework used in epistemology. This generic framework is further conceptualized through a document analysis identifying certain issues that are prototypical for the Industrial Ecology community and literature. Due to its solid structure, the basic architecture is proposed for Industrial Ecology education and communication what is distinctive for the field.