Asphalt Pavement Magazine - May/June 2016 - (Page 44)
Creating a Sustainability Program:
Choosing
Corporate Values
The second in a series of articles to help you create a sustainability program
By Heather Dylla, PhD., and Martha K. Silver
"Our business
doesn't occur
in a vacuum;
we make
purposeful
business
decisions that
reflect our
social and
environmental
values."
I
n the March/April 2016 issue of Asphalt
Pavement magazine, the first article in this
series covered some of the drivers that make
creating a sustainability program for your
company so important, busted myths that
have prevented some companies from initiating
sustainability programs, and highlighted features
common to all sustainability programs. This second
article in the series explores how to identify and
adopt corporate values that will be used to guide
your sustainability program.
Sustainability has three pillars: economic,
ecological, and social. As a company creates its
sustainability program, it must make thoughtful,
balanced investments that recognize strategic
benefits from these three pillars, deciding what
operations it will perform and why. To do this,
the company must adopt corporate values it will
use to guide its actions and to communicate with
its stakeholders.
One company that recognizes the strategic value
of using corporate values to successfully guide its
A Caveat
In the same way that there is no one
method to strategically manage a
company, there is no one way to choose
your company's corporate values for a
sustainability program. The suggested
method provided here allows your
company to be inclusive of employees,
consider the needs of stakeholders,
and leverage existing sustainable
operations; however, you can always
choose a different method for identifying
your corporate values.
sustainability program is Colas Inc. "Our responsible
development [corporate values] is built solidly on an
ethical principle," Colas Director of Risk Management
Chris Kirby said. "Our business doesn't occur in a
vacuum; we make purposeful business decisions
that reflect our social and environmental values."
Where Corporate Values Begin
Every organization's leadership comes to the
table with basic beliefs. These beliefs shape
an organization and how it operates. This is
called values-based leadership.1 Company
leaders base their decisions on their beliefs in
how a business should operate. These beliefs
include how stakeholders are valued, how
resources are allocated, and what priorities are
placed on ethics. If you are your organization's
leader, you know you use your beliefs to
make hands-on decisions that affect strategic
management and day-to-day operations.
In its most academic terms, values-based
leadership has been defined as "leading by
example by doing the right thing for the right
reasons and not compromising core principles.2
This definition is the blueprint your corporate
values will create to guide your company's
sustainability efforts.
In addition, there is another reason why valuesbased leadership has a very real role in creating
a sustainability program. To achieve success,
a company's leadership must be committed to
the program and support the efforts underway.
Therefore, the creation of corporate values for
a company's sustainability program must be
dictated, at least in part, by company leadership
and its beliefs.
continued on page 47
44 * View past issues online at www.naylornetwork.com/nap-nxt
http://www.naylornetwork.com/nap-nxt
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Asphalt Pavement Magazine - May/June 2016
Chairman’s Commentary
Industry News
So Much More Than Mill, Move, Pile, Recycle Excerpts from Best Practices for RAP and RAS Management
Asphalt Pavement Industry Continues to Improve Excellent Record on Sustainable Practices
Creating a Sustainability Program: Choosing Corporate Values The second in a series of articles to help you create
Industry Events
Index of Advertisers/Advertisers.com
Asphalt Pavement Magazine - May/June 2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0318
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPG0018
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0218
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0118
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0617
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0517
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0417
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0317
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0217
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0117
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0616
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0516
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0416
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0316
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPG0016
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0216
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0116
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0615
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0515
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0415
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0315
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPG0015
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0215
https://www.nxtbook.com/naylor/NAPS/NAPS0115
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com