Cleaner production: organizational learning or business as usual? An example from the domestic appliance industry

It is frequently argued that approaches to minimizing the environmental, health and safety impact of industry (i.e. cleaner production) require that firms engage in a process of participative learning involving all levels of the organizational hierarchy. This paper examines the key concept of organi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Business strategy and the environment 2000-07, Vol.9 (4), p.255-268
Main Author: Vickers, Ian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Appliance industry
Case studies
Competitive advantage
Compliance
Copyright
Corporate culture
Economic development
Employee empowerment
Employee involvement
Empowerment
Environmental management
Labor unions
Manufacturing
Organizational learning
Power
Studies
Total quality
Workforce
Writers
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Summary:It is frequently argued that approaches to minimizing the environmental, health and safety impact of industry (i.e. cleaner production) require that firms engage in a process of participative learning involving all levels of the organizational hierarchy. This paper examines the key concept of organizational learning, particularly in terms of the associated concepts of ‘participation’ and ‘empowerment’, drawing on a study of a large, environmentally pro‐active firm and recent critical literature on the experience of work. It is suggested that, although contemporary management philosophy pays lip service to increased workforce participation and empowerment, there are formidable structural and cultural barriers to such change. Initiatives within firms to stimulate learning and continuous improvement around cleaner production can be understood in terms of firstly the relative power of individuals and groups within organizations to define and activate learning agendas and secondly the emphasis given to low cost, low skill and low trust as a route to competitiveness, particularly in a UK business context. Finally, attention is drawn to the weakness of external mechanisms for supporting genuine participation and empowerment within enterprises around health, safety and environmental issues. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment
ISSN:0964-4733
1099-0836
DOI:10.1002/1099-0836(200007/08)9:4<255::AID-BSE252>3.0.CO;2-A