The Market
CEC Ltd is operating in a very competitive industry. This means that for it to be successful, it must develop a positive relationship with the market. It must be able to convince the market that it is not just focused on quick financial gains, but on sustainable business development which entails protecting the environment. According to Abate (2005, p. 67), the society has become very sensitive on issues that relate to the environment.
This is because they are aware of the negative impacts that are always created by industrial emissions. For this reason, CEC Ltd must find the most appropriate marketing strategy that would enable it endear itself to the public.
This firm must understand some of the legal structures that have been put in place regarding the level of carbon emissions. According to McDaniel (2002, p. 67), one of the most important factors that a firm should understand in its external environment is the existing legal structures.
If a firm fails to observe laws and regulations set by the government, then it may face litigation. Such litigations do not only affect their finances, but also hurt their reputation in the market. For this reason, they should be avoided as much as possible. The management of CEC Ltd must realize this fact and streamline its operations as may be appropriate.
Technological development
Technology plays an important role in determining success of a firm in the market. According to McKenzie-Mohr (2011, p. 56), technology is one of the most important environmental factors that have direct impact on success of a firm in the current competitive market.
The ability of a firm to adopt the emerging technologies as soon as they emerge would determine how successful a firm can be in the market. CEC must understand that the use of the emerging technologies can help it find the best ways of reducing its carbon emissions at its headquarters.
Through the use of technology, CEC can nurture creativity and innovation in its operations that can help it find creative solutions to its current problem.
The strategy of the organization for sustainable development
According to Bissoondoyal (2006, p. 89), business units are currently concerned with sustainability of their operations as a way of protecting their future. This scholar further elaborates that sustainability in the current society can only be achieved when a firm is willing to protect the environment and its society (McLaughlin & Aaker 2010, p. 40).
Sustainable development refers to ability of a firm to ensure that its current development strategies do not pose any threat to its future development needs (Hooley 2008, p. 56). It involves achieving development in a way that does not threaten future developmental needs. CEC Ltd has been very successful within the United Kingdom, and other overseas markets.
For this firm to protect itself from future negative consequences in the business environment, it must understand the pillars of sustainability, and the way they can be protected in order to achieve continuous growth within the firm. The pillars of sustainability include the planet (environment), society (people), and profits (Maser 2012, p. 80).
Most firms always ignore the first two pillars of sustainability, while focusing only on the third pillar of profitability. The management of CEC must appreciate that it cannot survive if it ignores the first two pillars of sustainability. Most firms have ignored the first pillar, which is the planet or environment.
This research focuses on how CEC can redefine its business operations in order to be sensitive to this first pillar as a way of achieving sustainability in in the market. As Hill and Jones (2010, p. 68) note, the environment is a scarce resource, delicate, but very important for operations of any business unit. It must therefore, be protected from any possible destruction from human activities.
CEC has developed elaborate plans on how it seeks to achieve sustainable development. One of the approaches that this firm has considered using is the introduction of green building materials. The firm has realized that such of green building materials will help it reduce the level of emission of greenhouse gases at its headquarters.
In order to protect the environment and enhance sustainability, the firm has come up with programs that would enable it use biodegradable materials in its operations. These materials are expected to enable this firm continue its expansion strategies, but with reduced threat to the environment.
The firm has also considered using renewable energy as a way of ensuring that its construction projects do not emit carbon into the environment. Initially, the firm had been using petroleum fuel to power its equipment during construction. However, the firm has plans of introducing clean energy during such operations.
The management should set a long term strategy that would define how it plans to use environmental friendly sources of energy at its headquarters.
The leadership of this firm has shown strong commitment into the need to protect the environment. Although the approach taken by this firm to protect the environment is very costly, and less profitable as compared to the initial methods, the new strategy will help the firm create a sustainable environment for its future developments. It will also help the firm create a positive image in the market.
This will help it draw a large pool of customers that will protect its profitability in the market. It would translate into high level of sustainability for the firm (Viardot 2004, p. 93).
The vision of the organization concerning sustainability
Every firm always develop vision statements to help it focus into the future, by trying to foretell the futuristic environment. According to Husted (2011, p. 45), vision helps in creating constant morale among the stakeholders of a firm as they struggle to achieve what is defined in the objectives. At CEC, the management has been very sensitive on issues of sustainability.
The vision of this firm can only be achieved if it focuses on its sustainability. A firm whose vision does not focus on sustainability risks quick gains followed by a massive failure that can possibly drive it out of the market. CEC has a vision statement, which is intertwined with its focus on environmental protection.
The statement demonstrates that this firm is focused on become the leading construction company that uses environmental friendly materials. In this statement, the firm appreciates the importance of environmental protection, and the need to ensure that its operations are in line with environmental needs.
The firm has therefore, set a ten-year strategic objective of how it help minimize emissions of carbon at its headquarters. The strategy specifies how the firm would introduce clean energy within the headquarters. As Handlechner (2008, p. 118) states, the total output of carbon by all firms in a particular region should not exceed the capacity of nature in that region to absorb it safely.
This means that the emission should be within the levels that can be managed by forces of nature. CEC has shown its commitment towards achieving this in its operations.
Incorporating and implementing corporate responsibility into facilities management
Corporate responsibility is becoming an important strategy that cannot be ignored by corporate bodies that seek to achieve success in the market. According to Chaston (2009, p. 90), firms depend on the society and the environment for its survival. It depends on the environment to support its normal operations by offering it raw materials, space and other assets that may it may need to operate normally.
However, it is a fact that operations of most of the corporate organizations affect the environment in one way or the other. For this reason, it is ethical to develop strategies that can be used to give back to the environment.
Corporate responsibility offers these firms opportunity to conduct activities meant to protect the environment (Laszlo 2003, p. 39). This may include planting of trees, fighting electronic or other non-biodegradable wastes such plastics.
CEC has elaborates plans on corporate responsibilities, especially focusing on how to protect the environment. In its statement of values, the firm gives a declaration on its commitment to the environment. The firm commits part of its earnings to activities that would help protect the environment. As Cavagnaro (2012, p. 68) says, strategies that are developed by firms become useful when they are successfully implemented.
The management of this firm has been effective in implementing its corporate responsibility strategies in the near past as a way of enhancing protection of the environment (Hawkey 2002, p. 57). The management has organized various activities that are focused on protecting the environment.
For instance, the management of the firm is on record for having donated millions of pounds to environmental ambassadors to help them fight factors that affect the environment negatively. The firm has also been engaged in tree planting activities in various region in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world. This commitment shows that the firm appreciates its role in protecting the environment.
Action plan of waste management for the organization
The management of this firm has appreciated the importance of protecting the environment as one of the ways of achieving sustainability. For this reason, it would be important for the firm to have a clear action plan on waste management. Waste management plan for this firm will be based on two fronts. The firm will need to manage its wastes during the construction process.
The firm will also need to provide the users of its buildings elaborate plans on how to manage their wastes. In managing its own wastes, the firm should start by identifying some of its wastes that are harmful to the environment. Such wastes should be collected as soon as the construction activities are over. It would be appropriate if the management organizes for a daily collection of such wastes.
These wastes should then be safely disposed using some of the possible ways that are available to this firm. Other wastes should also be collected as then disposed responsibly. The buildings should have clear waste management system that would be used by the occupants once it is completed.
The system should make it possible for the occupants to recycle some of the non-biodegradable products, while organic wastes should be used to generate fuel.
List of References
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Bissoondoyal, U 2006, Total quality management: a practical approach, New Age International, London.
Cavagnaro, E 2012, The three levels of sustainability, Greenleaf Publishing, Sheffield.
Chaston, I 2009, New Marketing Strategies: Evolving Flexible Processes to Fit Market Circumstance, Sage Publications, London.
Handlechner, M 2008, Marketing Strategy, GRIN Verlag GmbH, München.
Hawkey, J 2002, Exit strategy planning: Grooming your business for sale or succession. Gower Publishers, Aldershot.
Hill, C & Jones, G 2010, Strategic management theory: an integrated approach, Houghton Mifflin, Boston.
Hooley, G 2008, Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning, FT Prentice Hall, Harlow.
Husted B 2011, Corporate social strategy: Stakeholder Engagement and competitive advantage, Cambridge University Press, New York.
Laszlo, C 2003, The sustainable company: How to create lasting value through social and environmental performance, Island Press, Washington.
Maser, C 2012, Decision-making for a sustainable environment: A systemic approach, Taylor & Francis, New York.
McDaniel, A 2002, Entrepreneurship and Innovation: An Economic Approach, M.E. Sharpe, New York.
McKenzie-Mohr, D 2011, Fostering sustainable behavior, New Society, Gabriola Island.
McLaughlin, D & Aaker, D 2010, Strategic market management: global perspective, Wiley, New York.
Viardot, E 2004, Successful Marketing Strategy for High-Tech Firms, Artech House, Boston.