Dr Bronners sustainability case study

Indicators serve as project signals. Choi & Turk (2011) state that indicators are used to determine whether an intervention is on the right track that will ultimately result in success or not. Precisely, indicators are observable, specific and measurable characteristics, which are used to trace changes of the progress of a project that is designed to achieve a specific goal (Robbins et al. The most common example of indicators is the gas gauge in the car. This indicator shows the amount of gasoline that is left in the car. It does not use words such as increased, improved, or decreased (Boe et al. It requires a good indicator to effectively monitor the progress of a project. Qualities of a good indicator are provided in table 1 below.

Table 1: Characteristics of a Good Indicator Characteristic Description Valid Measuring the behavior, task and practice of the progress accurately to attain the expected outcome. Reliable Be consistent in measuring the progress over time. However, one may decide to have many. However, irrespective of the number, they should be both qualitative and quantitative in nature, can be collected practically without depending on experts. Significantly, they should be able to provide more information about the project. The indicator collection process is very critical. The project manager can use a wide range of criterion during the selection process. The company uses organic ingredients in than manufacturing of the soap products it provides to missions of consumers across the world. Following a rapid growth that is undergoing over the last ten years, Dr.

Bronner's broadened its mission to incorporate sourcing of raw materials from the certified fair trade and organic (FTO) producers (Seireeni, 2010). To attain this mission and the organizational objectives, Dr. Bronner's is driven by a number of principles, the first one being fair prices. In the quest to acquire larger market share, ensure a sustainable environment and serve the people efficiently, the company manufactures the best organic soap in the world. It also ensures certification and integrity of its products. Dimensions of Sustainability Dr. Bronner's makes sustainability a major component of its operations, including how it engages in business activities and policing. Based on this description of the company’s sustainability, three dimensions or sustainability are depicted: political, economic and environmental. It does this by splitting the glycerin from the fatty acids, then combining the latter with sodium or potassium to form soap product.

Still, on environmental sustainability, the company supports farmers and encourages them to continue practicing good farming practices that are environmentally friendly. Some of the practices emphasized by the company include the use of terraces and gabions to prevent soil erosion (Singh eta l. Most importantly, the company is also part of the green movement, a globally recognized movement whose major purpose is to conserve the environment (Seireeni, 2010). Within the movement, the company participates in active conservation of natural forests and plantation of trees in most parts of western Africa including Ghana. Bronners nurtures economic sustainability by being consistent and a benefit corporation enterprise. The company foster quality production to attain a consistent sell and attract loyal customers for both the present and future market.

To ensure this, it embraces employee relation. Employee relation means a good relationship between the company or the organization and its workforce and serves as a key to economic success. The company boosts its relationship with the employees through motivation. Indicators and Assessment Table 2: List and Assessment of Indicators for Monitoring. Indicator Definition Measurement Challenges/limitation Ecological footprint This is an estimate of the total amount of space used by an individual for survival by the use of existing technology. Demand of people on the earth’s bio-capacity. • Does not consider other sustainability factors such as economy, culture and politics. • Does not assess 78% of the earth’s surface. Sediment quality indicators Instruments for measuring sediments. Measuring the quantity of hydrocarbon and metals in the air.

• Are limited to sediments only- does not measure any other component of the environment. Land qualities and quality indicators Instruments used in land evaluation contexts. Land evaluation • Does not consider other sustainability factors such as economy, culture and politics. For example, the ecological footprint, one of the indicators, measures the amount of space of the earth surface that is waste-free and thus fit for human use (Čuček, Klemeš & Kravanja, 2012). The space measured by this indicator include pieces of land that is biologically productive and the water surfaces and bodies, which produce consumable resources such as water, food, clothing, energy, and construction materials (Orange & Cohen, 2010). It also includes the amount of water surface and land that is needed to effectively and efficiently assimilate the total amount of waste products produced by human beings.

This indicator is suitable for measuring environmental sustainability because it is sustainability-cantered. The aim of using this indicator is to know the exact amount of earthly resources that an individual needs compared to the available resources (Orange & Cohen, 2010). These wastes comprise of the commercial, residential, recycled and industrial waste. According to Moldan, Janoušková & Hák (2012), sustainability entails using natural resources at a lower rate compared to the rate of degeneration. This indicator is suitable for measuring sustainability because it is practically centered on key sustainability issues such as production and consumption rates, which can also be measured. However, the total waste generated indicator is also marked with a limitation; it only indicates the landfill waste. This situation is limiting because it fails to cover the waste from the clean fills.