300 likes | 307 Views
24 March 2010. “We’re all in this together” From Clashes to Collaboration – a business and IT perspective to support greener global citizenship. Presented by Jan Green, and Denise Oram Glynd ŵr University, Wrexham. Presentation Format. Introduction Ride the energy bike
E N D
24 March 2010 “We’re all in this together” From Clashes to Collaboration – a business and IT perspective to support greener global citizenship Presented by Jan Green, and Denise Oram Glyndŵr University, Wrexham
Presentation Format • Introduction • Ride the energy bike • The role of the eco-team • Source locally • IT perspective – creating awareness • Green IT and sustainable issues as an essential element of socially responsible computing • Summary
Introduction • Who are we? • We are corporate citizens: • Corporate Citizenship: ‘Understanding and managing a company’s wider influences on society for the benefit of the company and society as a whole’ • (Andriof and McIntosh 2001)
Let me tell you a story …… about the energy bike - www.globalactionplan.org • The bike is connected to an alternator which translates the energy created by cyclists into electricity • The electricity is then used to power a range of appliances – a light bulb, a computer screen and a radio • Extra pedal power!
Highly effective in changing behaviour – Restorick (2007) • 80% have installed low energy light bulbs • 96% turn off stand-by functions on electrical equipment • 92% turn off mobile phone charges at the socket • 50% switch off computer monitors when away from their desk – and each evening • 68% only fill the kettle with the amount of water need
Continuous Improvement Using Eco-teams • Generating and implementing employee ideas through participation • Kaizen – perform a little better each day • Group of workers performing similar tasks • Attendance is voluntary • Meetings are regular and within normal working time, free from interruption • Process is supervised or led • Aim: to identify, analyse and solve work related problems and recommend solutions to managers
Quality Circles • Individual identification of problem • Prioritise issues to work on • Develop a solution – using quality tools • Present solution to management • Implement solution • Monitor change • Identify problem – repeat the cycle
To take away with you ….Quality Circles in Practice • Silent session to consider and identify - 1. the environmental problem you would like to solve in your organisation 2. what do you perceive the benefits of solving this problem will be at: the individual level the organisational level
Is Your Journey Really Necessary? • In times of bad weather our risk averse culture generates national news bulletins from the highways agencies and police not to travel unless our journey is really necessary • Why do we travel? • Why do goods travel?
Sources • In northern Europe, do we NEED strawberries from New Zealand for Christmas lunch? • Over to you – where did the footwear and clothing you are wearing today originate from?
Real stuff! • In discussions earlier this year with the Built Environment department at Glyndŵr University commented: • When we add in procurement our carbon footprint doubles – results of independent survey carried out by SQW – covering Welsh based Universities
Social Channel Capacity • Work of Robin Dunbar (1992) • The maximum number of persons ‘with whom we can have a genuinely social relationship – ie – knowing who they are and how they relate to us’ • Magic number – or tipping point is 150 – over this number people become strangers, organizations, group etc – “things get clumsy at 150” (Gladwell 2000:184) • Our plea is – use yours – spread the message
Personal practice ……… • Rainwater butt – water garden, wash car, wash windows and other outdoor cleaning • Compost – fruit and vegetable peelings • Lavatory water cistern • Buy appropriate quantities of food that is locally produced wherever possible • Change shopping habits • Denise will expand this into the IT sector …
Personal practice …an IT perspective Moral dilemma • How to continue with e-innovation and resolve issues of sustainability • Raising awareness of sustainability issues and considerations advancing technologies present
Exponential development Consideration: • Social involvement • Impact on environment
Re-cycling – a solution, justification? • An ethical approach • Dumping grounds • Exposure to toxic waste
21st Century • Ethical focus shifting to individual’s personal rights and responsibilities towards others • Much the case with sustainability of e-technologies • What can we as individuals do?
Issues • Brundtland: “A development is sustainable if it meet the needs of the present without compromising ability of future generations to meet their own needs” • Fashion driven by technological advance • Consistently improved models • Profit-driven manufacturers
Issues • Change in culture • Design and development • Wants and needs of society driven by trends • Global business demands • Moral integrity on decline
Changes • Long-term growth • Prevention rather than cure • Consider corporate social responsibility & accountability • Honesty, obligation & integrity • Ethical factors: ‘must’, ‘ought’, ‘should’
What is needed? Tool: • To address issues of sustainability • To be used by system engineers & developers • For those responsible for educating future professionals
Importance -Decision-making • In process of creation and development of new technologies to address issues of sustainability • New responsibility to develop new values into agreed standards to support change • Application of ethical decision-making procedures
Ethical decision-making • Crucial to improve student’s perspective of sustainable issues and decision-making through integration into their learning experience Stahl: “students need to adopt ‘reflective responsibility’ as an expression of an ethically reflected morality”
Culturally negotiated ethical triangle: a mechanism for visualising and creating awareness of issues at stake in ethical decision-making (Oram and Headon, 2002, Oram, 2009)
Global character of digital technology Generates: • New lifestyles, new standards and human behaviours, new values, new cultures, new civilisations. Emerging technologies offer: • Opportunities to improve people’s lives • but may present new threats to their rights
Summary • Plan to source locally • Change your behaviour • Expand local perspective • Ripple-effect the message • Celebrate! • Any questions?
References • Blowfield M and Murray A (2008) Corporate Responsibility – a critical introduction Oxford University Press • Brundtland. WCED (World Commission on Environment and Development). Our Common Future. Oxford. U.K. WCED 1987 • Embree C (2007) Engaging Consumers through Corporate Marketing and PR Programs (in Tang and Yeoh Cut Carbon, Grow Profits, Middlesex University Press • Gladwell M (2000) The tipping point Boston: Little, Brown • Gray B (1985) Conditions facilitating interorganizational collaboration Human Relations 38(10):911-936 • Restorick T (2007) Engaging Employees in Climate Change (see Tang and Yeoh) • Stahl, B C. (2007). Reflective responsibility for risk: a critical view of software and information systems development risk management. Int. J. Risk, Assessment and Management. Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 312-325
References • Oram, D. & Headon, M. (2002). Avoiding information systems failure: culturally determined ethical approaches and their practical application in the new economy., Kaunas, Lithuania, 18-19 April 2002 (Kaunas University of Technology & Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labour). InEkonomika (Engineering Economics) no. 2 (28), pp. 9-13 • Oram, D., "Considering Sustainability Through Ethical Approaches and their Practical Application", Proceedings of the 2009 IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS '09), Phoenix, Arizona, USA, May 18-20 2009.