March 12, 2008

Book Review - Sustainability Advantage

The Sustainability Advantage: Seven Business Case Benefits of a Triple Bottom Line
Bob Willard
HD 30.255 .W54 2002

Willard demonstrates that environmental and social considerations should be considered primary in the pursuit of effective business strategy. He asserts that there are seven benefits that this approach will bring to the companies who pursue it: increased ability to hire talented employees, higher retention of that talent, increased employee productivity, reduced expenses in manufacturing, reduced commercial expenses, increased market share and revenue, and reduction of corporate risk. Willard demonstrates each of these benefits by walking his readers through the business development and planning processes for a theoretical company. These exercises are also available for use in real business scenarios. In addition, numerous examples of these individual benefits are shown in anecdotes about actual companies. This is a persuasive argument and a process that would be beneficial for all companies to use to better position themselves.