Sustainability of Knowledge and Creative Minds

Many people think of sustainability in terms of environment sustainability first. In the real sense, sustainability for a television station like the ABC should not based on such definition only. It must define it broadly including all aspects of creativity to realize increased performance in their company (Ellen, Webb, & Mohr, 2006). For instance, it can be specifically observed as a form of environment, social aspect and governance which include ethical behavior. This will help the company to realize long-term economic feasibility. In the course of discussion, we outline the aspects of sustainability, the challenges and then the solutions can be used to correct the problems (Ellram, 1992).  These will go in line with innovation strategies put in place by the station so as to get the intended results.

Discussion

Sustainability and innovation

            The ABC television station must approach sustainability by integrating economic social and environmental processes to enable it realize long-term economic feasibility. The firm should come up with strategies that may include the conservation of the environment since the environment provides all the raw materials for its functioning (Etsy, & Winston, 2006). The raw materials may include connecting equipments used to transmit information from one place to another. The firm use energy to run its daily processes (Elsbach, Sutton & Whetten, 1999). It should plan to use more of the renewable sources of energy like solar, water and others the no-renewable sources should be conserved these sources that need to be protected are sources which are non-renewable which include petrol, diesel and all energy sources that come from minerals (Flint et al, 2005).

            The management should lay strategies to ensure basic human wants are met within its members of staff. The employees should get their dues in a reasonable time to promote their interest in carrying out their duties. The ABC television station management should set out roles and duties for every employee. This will ensure that there is harmony during the working session (Ellen, Webb, & Mohr, 2006). In order to get improved results, all employees must be encouraged to work together as a team. This will ensure that team work spirit is maintained while every person carries out his or her roles effectively.

            The social factor is much valuable for a firm like ABC to consider when planning its programs. The shareholders need to see their corporation moving to the right direction. The stakeholders are also another crucial social aspect of the society (Flint et al, 2005). The stakeholders as the bearers of the firm have the urge to oversee their firm pursue long-term economic stability. It is the management’s responsibility to form strategies and help the ABC station move to this level.

            Management of waste is another point to consider when planning for development in a company. The ABC television station has radioactive emissions that should be properly managed to avoid passing problems to the workers and the surroundings. Secondly, the firm has vehicles that help in transport of workers, materials and equipments (Ellram, 1992). The vehicles emit fumes that are dangerous to the environment and people at large (Etsy, & Winston, 2006). More so when there is a breakdown of hydroelectric power the firm opts to produce power by generators. These generators emit carbon monoxide, which is harmful, to the environment and the biotic components around.

            Economic performance is another crucial factor to a firm this will determine the efficiency of a company (Elsbach, Sutton & Whetten, 1999). The ABC television firm is expected to perform much better economically so as to instill confidence in all the stakeholders, the shareholders, employees and customers. Customers being one of the most influential people to the television company are always eager to associate with a firm that is flourishing economically. They will avoid a station that always has economic wrangles in its operations. To instill that confidence the ABC station must prove that it is economically stable at all times (Friedman, 2005).

            When analyzing the above sustainability it leads one to make a conclusion that there is a triple sustainability to the bottom line. These include environmental performance, social performance and economic performance.

Problems

            Some of the problems that the ABC firm faces are economic problems. This is caused by complying with government regulations. The firms that operate have to get their licenses from the government (Elsbach, Sutton & Whetten, 1999). In order to obtain the license, the firms have to pay enormous sums of money. A television firm that is still gaining momentum like the ABC station has greater challenges in remitting the funds to the government. If they pay a large amount of money to the government, the entire organization remains with little funds leading to financial constraints.

            The other problem that can be cited in according to scholars is the extent of the ABC firm to eradicate opportunistic behavior. The firm has been depending on opportunities that arise without proper planning for them (Ellram, 1992). A fast growing station like ABC should have an organizational plan on how to handle arising issues comfortably.

            There is also a critical issue on restructuring the firm’s organizational structures, processes and forms (Ellen, Webb, & Mohr, 2006). According to Freeman and Hannan if there is a change in the environmental aspects of the firm, then it should consider restructuring its organizational features (Etsy, & Winston, 2006). The environmental changes may also come from internal factors, which may be communication barriers, institutional norms and internal politics and sunk costs. On the other hand, the external factors can be entry and exit hurdles, social legitimacy and bound rationality.

            The station has mostly depended on declining natural resources. This social aspect can be much critical for a broadcasting station. It depended on minerals that cannot be recycled. When they get depleted, they can never be replaced or used again. For instance, the overdependence on coal as a source of energy is more dangerous for a broadcasting company (Flint, Larsson, Gammelgaard & Mentzer, 2005). The firm has faced a serious problem in identifying the human rights that are supposed to be granted to the workers, management and all the stakeholders including the customers.   All these factors are affecting the ABC television station in its operations calling for quick actions to save the firm from being faced off.

Important actions

Identification safety measures

            Security in a company is much esteemed (Friedman, 2005). The ABC station has to come up and provide security to all employees. This can be inform of safety clothing like bullet proofs for those who go out to collect information. These journalists experience many problems in regard to security. Someone they are targeted for holding information that can lead one into a hot soup. Sometimes they get information from dangerous places (Ellram, 1992). All these require that the television station should provide enough security to the employees. The other threats that the management should look into include climate change, population growth, food security and fresh water scarcity. By engaging in addressing sustainability issues, which are long-term, the ABC station can be aware of the risks involved and how to manage them better. The risks may range from scarcity in natural resources to price fluctuation in energy (Elsbach, Sutton & Whetten, 1999).

Identification of customer demand

            Customers are the foremost concerns of a company that is out to make better profits. The ABC station has to put in place better skills in identifying what the customers require from them. Customers in a broadcasting station vary from those for advertisement, announcements, comedies and clients who want to watch the programs of the station. A reputable station will be able to identify specific time for a special program. News is one of the most critical components of a television station (Elsbach, Sutton & Whetten, 1999). It will be unfair for a television station to base on news every time of the day. The activities must vary. Most people would prefer watching the news in the morning before going to work and in the evening after work. So the ABC station should plan their programs with what the customers expect at a time (Ellen, Webb, & Mohr, 2006). This will enable the news casters to organize themselves both psychologically and physically to air the programs during the best time to reach the intended group of people.

Identification of Human Rights

            Human rights are the most salient components of a strategic plan for a company. In the ABC station, there are different practitioners. There are customers’ rights, workers rights and the employers’ rights. The management and the working staff in the corporation must realize the rights and freedoms of every employee. To realize in this case means to be aware and protect the rights of others. For instance, an employee cannot work throughout his or her lifetime (Etsy, & Winston, 2006). The employee has a right to a work leave for relieving and relaxing before resuming working. The ABC station should make the arrangement identify and promote personal rights for every person involved in the running of the station as outlined in the bill of rights of the constitution of the nation (Ellram, 1992). Once this has been outlined it will enhance the supplier relationship, promote and advance the company’s reputation on a large geographical area. It will also reduce the risks that arise from suppliers which are normally extremely expensive to pay (Friedman, 2005). The station must come up with a plan to examine all the rights of practitioners in relation to the suppliers. This should be done after every three months.

Annual meeting

            The ABC station must make a schedule on how to meet within every year. The purpose of the meeting is to sit and discuss the overall progress of the station.  All employees must attend this meeting to get updated on matters of the station (Flint, Larsson, Gammelgaard, & Mentzer, 2005). It will also give an opportunity to the management to cite areas that have made tremendous improvement and those areas that are not making any difference. The workers who would have made the company proud should be given a prize to awaken all members to work towards achieving better results (Etsy, & Winston, 2006). This will enable the station to look at stewardship issues, which are related, to enabling efficient recalling of tainted or damaged products and act upon them swiftly. The other advantage of holding these meetings is that it enables the station to discover danger before an emergency occurs (Elsbach, Sutton & Whetten, 1999). The most crucial part of it is that it will help the station examine their capabilities and plans to sharpen the workers’ skills and knowledge plus enriching coordination (Ellen, Webb, & Mohr, 2006).

During this meeting, issues of transparency in workers and management can be enforced. For a station to attain stability, it must have transparent employees to take charge of all the events that go on in the station (Flint, Larsson, Gammelgaard, & Mentzer, 2005). The station can open up its operations for improved civic scrutiny. This will enhance the stations reputation.

New Technology Advertisement

            The introduction of new technology that includes the use of computers has significantly changed the world. This technology can perform specific functions even faster than the human being may expect. The station can employ this technology to send out its messages to different countries. This will give it a wider market as it continues with the expansion. The new technology has made the told to be too small in that the station can send its news from America to Africa, Asia and other continents (Elsbach, Sutton & Whetten, 1999). The same technology can be used to store vital data relating to the station. In order to open up to the civic scrutiny, the new technology provides the best options. The information is just provided through the internet and any person in need of the information can access it without necessarily visiting the station (Ellram, 1992). This will instill more faith in the customers and the shareholders to continue believing that their station cares about their existence.

Culture and strategy

            Programs that run in a station must be closely related and interwoven. They should not be seen as programs which are managed separately. There must be integration of the three bottom plan and the goals of the business (Etsy, & Winston, 2006). Packard indicate that “is to connect our corporate commitment to global citizenship with the day-to-day conduct of the HP business.” So the station must be able to align its citizenship plan and main concern with its business plan to capitalize on the influence of its investments.

Implementation Benefits

            Implementation of sustainability plan in ABC station will give rise to many advantages as observed by the research. First, the firm will save much in terms of waste packaging reduction. The firm will also gain that the ability to design for disassembly and reuse of materials. When the station has fully implemented the program, it will realize better health service to its employees due to reduced health risks. There will be less labor turnover and recruitment costs as well as safer transportation, better working conditions and warehousing. All these are geared towards motivating the workers (Flint, Larsson, Gammelgaard, & Mentzer, 2005). They will feel comfortable while at their place of work. Each and every worker will have to work hard to fulfill the goals of the firm. In the same line, as observed the productivity of the company will always go in line with staff motivation (Friedman, 2005). The personnel absenteeism steadily reduces, and the firm can run with fewer problems concerning the working force.

            After addressing social and environmental concerns, the ABC station can easily influence the government on its regulation (Ellram, 1992). The regulation can be modified to enable the firm compete favorably with other firms in the same line. This will make the station make better profits thus becoming more and more economically stable. In addition to that, it will also mark a reduction in production through the implementation of ISO while improving the quality of services and environmental management techniques.

            The firm will earn outstanding reputation out there leading to attraction of more customers and suppliers (Ellen, Webb, & Mohr, 2006). The share holders together with the stakeholders will feel more confident that their funds are in safe custody. The ABC station will have to gain merits from social and environmental initiatives that result in improved economic performance due to overlap between social, economic and environmental performance. Although the above are advantages to ABC, the real benefits can be reached at when the three areas intersect (Elsbach, Sutton & Whetten, 1999). These are the economic social and environment.

Conclusion

            ABC television station has all the potential to perform extraordinarily. Its management should take up their responsibilities and work for the betterment of the station (Gammelgaard, & Mentzer, 2005). They should appraise sustainable and creative methods to come up with strategies that can lead the station to the next level. As discussed above, the management should organize for annual meetings, introduce and utilize the new technology which will earn powerful reputation to the station. Workers’ welfare should also be assessed to ensure that their morale is kept high throughout the working session.