Jean Garner Stead | |
---|---|
Nationality | American |
Occupation(s) | Management academic, author and consultant |
Awards | Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award Faculty Excellence Awards for Teaching at ETSU |
Academic background | |
Education | BS., Business Administration MA., Economics MBA PhD., Business Administration |
Alma mater | Auburn University Western Illinois University Louisiana State University |
Academic work | |
Institutions | East Tennessee State University |
Website | jeanstead |
Jean Garner Stead is an American management academic,author and consultant. She is professor emerita of Management at East Tennessee State University. [1]
Stead and her husband and colleague,Ed,are among the earliest pioneers in the field of management and sustainability,co-authoring the first book in the field in 1992 and developing the first course in the United States in 1990. [2] Their book,Management for a Small Planet (1992) received the American Library Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award. In 2004,the Steads published Sustainable Strategic Management,the first book in the field to expand the strategic management process to include sustainability. Their research primarily focused on sustainable strategic management,ethical behavior,and management and spirituality. They were the recipient of their alma mater's,Auburn University,Spirit of Sustainability Award in 2017 for their research in sustainability. [3] In addition,their research on ethical behavior received a Citation Classic Award from the Journal of Business Ethics in 2012. [4]
Stead graduated with a BS in business administration with a major in economics and continued her education at Auburn earning a MA in economics in 1973. In 1973,she became a Community Development Officer for the East Baton Rouge City Parish Government,where she worked to help those living in urban poverty. [2]
Stead continued her academic career and moved to Western Illinois University,where she served as an instructor of economics for the next three years. Concurrently,she obtained her MBA degree and returned to LSU to study under economist Herman Daly while pursuing her PhD in business administration with a minor in ecological economics. After graduating in 1983,she moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Northeast Tennessee. She took a position in the Management and Marketing Department at East Tennessee University. [3]
Stead spent her whole career at East Tennessee State University,joining the faculty as an assistant professor,and progressing to Full Professor in 1994. She retired in 2020 and was awarded professor emerita status. [1]
Stead has also been professionally active in the Academy of Management. Along with her husband,she was a founding member of the Organizations and Natural Environment Interest Group (ONE) of the Academy of Management in 1994,and she was concurrently elected as the chairperson of the Greening Committee of the Social Issues Division in the Academy of Management. [2]
Stead has been involved in local organizations focused on social and environmental sustainability. She co-founded the Melting Pot Ministry within Munsey United Methodist Church in 1989. The ministry serves the urban poor and homeless offering programs like Our Daily Bread,Shepherd's Breakfast,and the Open Door worship service. It has maintained ties with the residents of the John Sevier Center,a low-income housing project. This close relationship initially formed on Christmas Eve in the same year during a tragic fire that killed several residents. She served as its chair until 2020 and engaged in establishing a collaborative relationship between the Johnson City Development Authority and the John Sevier Center residents in the search for new,affordable housing. [5]
Stead has made contributions to sustainability and management research,with a focus on ethical behavior and the influence of spirituality on sustainability and strategic management. She co-authored the first books and developed the first course for environmental management in the United States in 1990. [1]
Stead has co-authored 2 books with Ed Stead,focusing on sustainability and management for organizations. In the 1990s,her focus was on researching and authoring works regarding the contribution of business organizations to establishing a sustainable world marked by economic prosperity,social equity,and environmental harmony. In the book Management for a Small Planet,she emphasized the efficient and effective integration of environmental concerns into the management of business organizations. The book is the recipient of the American Library Association Choice Outstanding Academic Book Award,and American Economist and Professor Herman Daly remarked,"Ed and Jean Stead continue to enrich the management literature with a perspective that firmly roots the economy and its organizations within the constraints of the biophysical world." [2]
Stead further explored strategic management issues and processes related to managing business organizations in sustainable ways in her book titled Sustainable Strategic Management. She and Ed addressed the aspects of the triple bottom line (economic,social,and environmental) in the development and execution of corporate,competitive,and functional-level strategies,examining eco and socio-efficient possibilities for companies operating within a closed-loop value chain and the role of eco and socio-effectiveness in the coevolution toward sustainable strategic management. [6]
In the early 1980s,alongside Ed,Stead explored the ethics of using cost-benefit analysis to set safe exposure levels for employees regarding cancer-causing substances in workplaces,resulting in publications in the Personnel Journal in 1980 and 1983. They analyzed OSHA's cancer prevention policy, [7] explored high-risk cancer jobs,and proposed HR involvement,risk communication improvements,and in-house occupational health specialists to address the issue. [8]
In the late 1980s and early 1990s,Stead conducted research on the factors and processes that influence the ethical behaviors of employees. In a collaborative work with Ed Stead and Dan Worrell published in the Journal of Business Ethics,which was awarded a citation classic in 2012,she proposed a model for understanding ethical behavior in the context of business organizations,highlighting the importance of managerial involvement in espousing ethics,reinforcing ethical behavior,implementing screening mechanisms,providing ethical training,and establishing ethics units. [9] Her joint research also showed that unethical choices are mainly influenced by past decision patterns and social-learning behaviors,with minor impacts from personality traits and demographics. [10] She and her colleagues further conducted a laboratory experiment to investigate unethical behavior within business organizations and found that unethical decisions are influenced by reinforcement contingencies and,to some extent,by the stated managerial philosophy,highlighting the role of external reinforcement in unethical decision-making. [11]
Stead researched the topic of sustainable strategic management,alongside Ed,in the late 1990s and 2000s. In a study published in the International Journal of Sustainable Strategic Management,she presented an enterprise-strategy-based model to guide organizations in integrating sustainability across various strategy levels. [12] She also highlighted the role of business ecosystems in implementing sustainable strategies across various market types and the responsibilities of ecosystem leaders in shaping a sustainable future by reducing the human footprint and enhancing the quality of human life. [13] In an article,coauthored with Ed and Lana Becker,that was awarded the Certificate of Merit in the Institute of Management Accountant's Lybrand Awards,she signified the need for accountability,transparency,accuracy,and completeness in sustainability reports for U.S. CPA firms to meet stakeholders' expectations. [14]
Using Daly’s concept of a steady-state economy,Stead emphasized that fundamental shifts in scientific,economic,and management paradigms are necessary to alter the dominant myth of economic wealth and include the planet's well-being as an integral part of economic activity. [15] She extended the concept of enterprise strategy to include ecological considerations and argued that this framework,termed "eco-enterprise strategy",can serve as a basis for ethically and strategically accounting for the Earth as a stakeholder. [16] Moreover,she examined how business organizations in the United States respond to demands for improved environmental performance and determined that firms that effectively institutionalize better environmental performance can gain strategic advantages,while those that do not may face severe legal consequences. [17]
In the early 2010s,Stead,alongside Ed,studied the association between spirituality and sustainable management. She looked into the debate surrounding whether the earth should be considered a stakeholder in business organizations,where some argue that the earth's status as a stakeholder is based on its crucial role in economic survival,others question this perspective,emphasizing the ecological realities and the spiritual dimension of the Earth's stakeholder status. [18] Additionally,she explored the resurgence of the Green Man archetype,symbolizing a deep connection with the earth,and its impact on business organizations. She noted that businesses are under increasing pressure to embrace sustainability and adopt values that prioritize nature,humanity,and future generations,leading to the accumulation of spiritual capital,the essential element in a shared,strategic vision. [19] In related research,she emphasized the importance of organizations adopting triple bottom line strategies,including ecological,social,and economic aspects,and suggested that cultivating intangible spiritual capabilities like spiritual intelligence and spiritual capital is essential for sustainability to be successfully implemented into organizations' strategies,structures and processes. [20]
Business ethics is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics,that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. These ethics originate from individuals,organizational statements or the legal system. These norms,values,ethical,and unethical practices are the principles that guide a business.
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization to the public in order to influence their perception. Public relations and publicity differ in that PR is controlled internally,whereas publicity is not controlled and contributed by external parties. Public relations may include an organization or individual gaining exposure to their audiences using topics of public interest and news items that do not require direct payment. The exposure is mostly media-based,and this differentiates it from advertising as a form of marketing communications. Public relations aims to create or obtain coverage for clients for free,also known as earned media,rather than paying for marketing or advertising also known as paid media. But in the early 21st century,advertising is also a part of broader PR activities.
Sustainable management takes the concepts from sustainability and synthesizes them with the concepts of management. Sustainability has three branches:the environment,the needs of present and future generations,and the economy. Using these branches,it creates the ability of a system to thrive by maintaining economic viability and also nourishing the needs of the present and future generations by limiting resource depletion.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) or corporate social impact is a form of international private business self-regulation which aims to contribute to societal goals of a philanthropic,activist,or charitable nature by engaging in,with,or supporting professional service volunteering through pro bono programs,community development,administering monetary grants to non-profit organizations for the public benefit,or to conduct ethically oriented business and investment practices. While once it was possible to describe CSR as an internal organizational policy or a corporate ethic strategy similar to what is now known today as Environmental,Social,Governance (ESG);that time has passed as various companies have pledged to go beyond that or have been mandated or incentivized by governments to have a better impact on the surrounding community. In addition,national and international standards,laws,and business models have been developed to facilitate and incentivize this phenomenon. Various organizations have used their authority to push it beyond individual or industry-wide initiatives. In contrast,it has been considered a form of corporate self-regulation for some time,over the last decade or so it has moved considerably from voluntary decisions at the level of individual organizations to mandatory schemes at regional,national,and international levels. Moreover,scholars and firms are using the term "creating shared value",an extension of corporate social responsibility,to explain ways of doing business in a socially responsible way while making profits.
Environmental resource management or environmental management is the management of the interaction and impact of human societies on the environment. It is not,as the phrase might suggest,the management of the environment itself. Environmental resources management aims to ensure that ecosystem services are protected and maintained for future human generations,and also maintain ecosystem integrity through considering ethical,economic,and scientific (ecological) variables. Environmental resource management tries to identify factors between meeting needs and protecting resources. It is thus linked to environmental protection,resource management,sustainability,integrated landscape management,natural resource management,fisheries management,forest management,wildlife management,environmental management systems,and others.
The stakeholder theory is a theory of organizational management and business ethics that accounts for multiple constituencies impacted by business entities like employees,suppliers,local communities,creditors,and others. It addresses morals and values in managing an organization,such as those related to corporate social responsibility,market economy,and social contract theory.
A sustainable business,or a green business,is an enterprise that has a minimal negative impact or potentially a positive effect on the global or local environment,community,society,or economy—a business that strives to meet the triple bottom line. They cluster under different groupings and the whole is sometimes referred to as "green capitalism". Often,sustainable businesses have progressive environmental and human rights policies. In general,a business is described as green if it matches the following four criteria:
Corporate behaviour is the actions of a company or group who are acting as a single body. It defines the company's ethical strategies and describes the image of the company. Studies on corporate behaviour show the link between corporate communication and the formation of its identity.
Business development entails tasks and processes to develop and implement growth opportunities within and between organizations. It is a subset of the fields of business,commerce and organizational theory. Business development is the creation of long-term value for an organization from customers,markets,and relationships. Business development can be taken to mean any activity by either a small or large organization,non-profit or for-profit enterprise which serves the purpose of 'developing' the business in some way. In addition,business development activities can be done internally or externally by a business development consultant. External business development can be facilitated through Planning Systems,which are put in place by governments to help small businesses. In addition,reputation building has also proven to help facilitate business development.
A hybrid organization is an organization that mixes elements,value systems and action logics of various sectors of society,i.e. the public sector,the private sector and the voluntary sector. A more general notion of hybridity can be found in Hybrid institutions and governance.
Robert Edward Freeman is an American philosopher and professor of business administration at the Darden School of the University of Virginia,particularly known for his work on stakeholder theory (1984) and on business ethics.
Organizational ethics is the ethics of an organization,and it is how an organization responds to an internal or external stimulus. Organizational ethics is interdependent with the organizational culture. Although it is to both organizational behavior and industrial and organizational psychology as well as business ethics on the micro and macro levels,organizational ethics is neither organizational behavior nor industrial and organizational psychology,nor is it solely business ethics. Organizational ethics express the values of an organization to its employees and/or other entities irrespective of governmental and/or regulatory laws.
Corporate sustainability is an approach aiming to create long-term stakeholder value through the implementation of a business strategy that focuses on the ethical,social,environmental,cultural,and economic dimensions of doing business. The strategies created are intended to foster longevity,transparency,and proper employee development within business organizations. Firms will often express their commitment to corporate sustainability through a statement of Corporate Sustainability Standards (CSS),which are usually policies and measures that aim to meet,or exceed,minimum regulatory requirements.
Stakeholder management is a critical component in the successful delivery of any project,programme or activity. A stakeholder is any individual,group or organization that can affect,be affected by,or perceive itself to be affected by a programme.
Richard P. Nielsen is the Professor of Management and Organization at Boston College's Carroll School of Management and a past President of the Society for Business Ethics.
A corporate social entrepreneur (CSE) is someone who attempts to advance a social agenda in addition to a formal job role as part of a corporation. It is possible for CSEs to work in organizational contexts that are favourable to corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSEs focus on developing both social capital and economic capital,and their formal job role may not always align with corporate social responsibility. A person in a non-executive or managerial position can still be considered a CSE.
A sustainability organization is (1) an organized group of people that aims to advance sustainability and/or (2) those actions of organizing something sustainably. Unlike many business organizations,sustainability organizations are not limited to implementing sustainability strategies which provide them with economic and cultural benefits attained through environmental responsibility. For sustainability organizations,sustainability can also be an end in itself without further justifications.
Denis Collins was an American business ethicist and tenured professor of business at Edgewood College in Madison,Wisconsin.
Peter Mark Pruzan is a Danish organizational theorist,management consultant,and Emeritus Professor of Systems Science at the Department of Management,Politics &Philosophy at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in Denmark. Pruzan is known for work on corporate governance and values-based leadership. He became a naturalized Danish citizen in 1973.
Globalization of supply chains and pressure to lower production costs have negatively impacted environments and communities around the world,especially in developing nations where production of high demand goods is increasingly taking place. Since the 1990s,awareness of these negative impacts has grown,leading stakeholders to push companies to take responsibility and actively work to improve the sustainability of their supply chains. It has come to be understood that a company is only as sustainable as the start of its supply chain,bringing about the need for sustainable sourcing. Sustainable sourcing refers to the inclusion of social,environmental,and economic criteria in the sourcing process.