In recent years, it is becoming increasingly clear that the social and economic aspects of life are inherently related to how our natural environments operate and how we effectively manage our daily actions and ecosystems to live a sustainable life.
Indeed, environmental sustainability issues are at the core of our very lives, particularly upon the realization that we need to preserve the environment for our own use and for future generations. In this light, this paper attempts to evaluate some of the most important characteristics and facets of environmental education.
It is important to note that environmental education basically entails structured endeavors undertaken by schools and other interested stakeholders to impart knowledge about our natural environments and how best we can manage our behavior and the various ecosystems with the view to living a sustainable and mutually fulfilling life. Drawing from this description, it is evident that an important facet of the unit relates to educating the public on how to take good care of the environment in order to live sustainably.
There are several characteristics that can be associated with environmental education as a learning process, with the most significant being the unit’s predisposition to enhance the knowledge and responsiveness of individuals about the environment and related challenges. Another characteristic of the unit is that it provides individuals with the skills and expertise needed to flourish in a sustainable society.
Through environmental education, students and other interested individuals are provided with the skills and knowledge needed to preserve the environment for present and future generations. Additionally, environmental education has the capacity to foster the mindsets, inspirations, and commitments of individuals with the view to influencing their capacity to engage in informed decision making and take responsible action in all issues related to the environment.
A commonly held perception of environmental education is that it entails the integration of three main components, namely education in the environment, education about the environment, and education for the environment.
The first component (education in the environment) exposes students to experiences beyond the classroom to assist them develop deeper insights into the various environmental dynamics using practical inquiry and investigation, while the second component (education about the environment) assists them to develop a greater appreciation of the critical issues that come into play to influence the environment in the community, national, or international level.
The third component (education for the environment) ensures that people understand what they are supposed to do not only to minimize their impact on the environment but also to make proactive lifestyle choices that assist in maintaining and enhancing the quality of the environment. The three components are interdependent and operate to ensure that we are able to sustainably manage our environment.
Overall, it is my considered opinion that this paper has summarised some of the most important characteristics and components associated with environmental education. Although there are many other considerations associated with the unit, the most basic ones relate to the provision of knowledge and skills needed to manage our natural environments and ecosystems for present and future generations, as has been demonstrated in this paper.
In the article, Jiang and Zheng (2017) discuss the impact of economic growth on pollution in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) Urban Agglomeration in China. The authors review previous research on the topic, as well as on the experiences of other countries. The critical debate raised by Jiang and Zheng (2017) is that of economic development versus environmental sustainability. The present paper will seek to identify the problem the authors are addressing and the position against which they are contending, as well as to evaluate the authors’ solution to the problem.
Main body
The critical problem that the authors are attempting to address in the article is the effect of economic growth on pollution. The authors reflect on the impact of foreign trade on environmental sustainability in China, stating that “China’s process of economic growth propelled by foreign trade has been relying too much on growing inputs provided by various environmental service” (Jiang & Zheng, 2017, p. 2625). The conflict between economic development and pollution has become a growing concern of a number of countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan. With the rise of production caused by the improvement of foreign trade conditions, the country’s environmental resources are being depleted. In addition, large-scale manufacturing facilities increase the emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. In many developed countries, the governments sought to take action on the issue by establishing local and national regulations, affecting both domestic and foreign companies. In China, the situation has been similar, and local authorities sought to alleviate the environmental impact of economic development, achieving no substantial success to this day.
The authors argue against the common perception that economic development and foreign trade were ultimately beneficial for China, relying on both economic and environmental evidence. For example, the results of the study show that foreign trade was positively linked to pollution emission in the target area of the YRD (Jiang & Zheng, 2017). However, the authors also provide information regarding the economic impact of high pollution emissions in support of their argument. Specifically, Jiang and Zheng (2017) consider the effect of pollution increase on the total annual income in China, noting that losses due to undesirable environmental consequences account for 8-10% of the country’s annual income. Therefore, the authors show that not only do foreign trade and economic development affect the country’s environmental sustainability, they also result in long-term costs that impair its economic growth.
As part of their exploration of the issue, the authors acknowledge that governmental regulations are an essential part of reducing the negative impact of foreign trade and economic development on the environment. Jiang and Zheng (2017) review the approach used by some developed countries, stating that “the country may desire higher environmental standards, more stringent regulations, and better enforcement by the government, which can all lead to better environmental outcomes” (p. 2626). The researchers reveal that the current approach used by the Chinese government is highly localized, albeit interdependent.
Although such a system allows local governments to follow the example of other regions in developing environmental protection regulation, it also halts the improvement of laws and thus produces minimal positive outcomes. The primary solution proposed by the authors is a joint effort of the local governments in the target region in reducing pollution and protecting the environment. However, the researchers also acknowledge several issues that must be addressed as part of the solution. The first problem is the use of short-term policies to achieve maximum effect during a particular official’s term. Moreover, there is a lack of incentive for local officials to take action for environmental protection, as economic growth is prioritized over sustainability. Finally, there is an inconsistency between cities and localities with regards to the current regulations. Overall, although the authors acknowledge that a joint effort is required to reduce pollution in the area, they do not provide a comprehensive strategy for addressing all of the problematic aspects of the current approach to environmental governance.
To produce a viable, long-term solution, it would be necessary for China to act on a national level. First of all, it would be crucial to prioritize environmental sustainability by producing national goals for reducing air pollution and providing incentives to local officials for their help in achieving these goals in their regions. Secondly, it would be essential to ensure that areas of increased foreign trade activity, such as the YRD Urban Agglomeration, are governed by a single set of environmental regulations. This would help to ensure consistency and coherency of environmental protection actions across localities in the area. Lastly, the government should also seek to establish and support a separate regulatory body tasked with developing and updating ecological protection laws and standards on a regular basis. Using the example of developed countries that managed to reduce pollution levels, China would be able to address the problem without cutting the pace of its economic growth.
Conclusion
All in all, the authors provide a thorough exploration of the problem of environmental protection in China and the adverse effect of economic development on it. The researchers establish an apparent cause and effect relationship between the government’s approach and ecological problems experienced by specific regions in the country. However, the solution presented by the authors lacks details and could be improved if all the aspects of China’s current environmental governance approach were taken into account.
References
Jiang, Y., & Zheng, J. (2017). Economic growth or environmental sustainability? Drivers of pollution in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration in China. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 53(11), 2625-2643.
Among the most recent trends that have taken root in the hotel industry is the sustaining of the environment under which an institution operates. This strategy is not only good for environmental enthusiasts, but also for improving the margins of profitability for the institution. It can be achieved for instance through different ways such as a reduction in the amounts of water and electricity that is consumed.
This strategy could also be applied in marketing whereby the branding of an institution is based on their commitment to promote sustainability in their environment of operation. It has been established by the association that is in charge of the travel industry that as many as forty-three million individuals in America are sparingly ecological tourists.
These people are known to pay 8.5% more, when they visit tourism facilities that take part in environmental sustainability in the cause of their service. There is also proof that close to eighty-seven percent of those who travel would give preference to those facilities that are keen on environmental sustainability (Hill & Gale, 2009).
There exists other more important concern to give reason for an institution to take part in these environmentally sustainable operations. In the past twenty years, the consequences of environmentally unsustainable activities such as the depletion of the ozone layer, the occurrence of acid rain and the effects of the green house gases have caught up with mankind.
This has resulted to an increase in awareness of such effects and the importance of slowing them down, and ensuring that the activities that lead to such occurrences are greatly reduced or eliminated (Hill & Gale, 2009).
The hospitality industry, as a result of the nature of services it provides, is a major consumer of large amounts of electricity and products that are majorly disposables. This means that the impact of such a facility or facilities on the environment are of a greater magnitude than your typical building at home.
It does not mean that the industry is one of the worst polluters, nor is it to say that it consumes vast amounts of energy that is not renewable as compared to others. The impact of the industry to the resources of the globe is significant (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2010).
This paper is going to look at the hotel industry in the world today and its reception of this concept of environmental sustainability. Among the renowned facilities that have implemented systems on sustainable management of the environment include, Ramada, Intercontinental, Marriot and the Hilton to mention but a few. However, there is a variation in the intensity of their systems which implies different levels of commitment.
Even though there are many benefits to this form of management, the most notable one is improved relations between the institutions and the community around, and a better public image and an improvement in a facility’s repute that comes with such activities.
These benefits are for the good of the company, and in many cases outweigh the number of resources that are required to put them in place. All these attempts at achieving sustainability in the environment are individual, and there is a very little oversight as concerns this, from the insiders or from external agencies.
It is neither easy to completely verify any of these declarations, nor to find out whether they are true Regulation of such an industry is not as easy as it appears because there are other issues that are not clear, for instance activities on the environment seen as being within or outside the tourism industry (Pforr and Hosie, 2009). His paper will consider only the global outlook to be able to gain an overview of the global industry about environmental conservation better.
In a survey that was conducted, at a global conference on the industry, in the French capital of Paris in the year two thousand and eleven, there was a four percent increase in the number of companies who had a policy on the sustainability of the environment around them during of undertaking their projects. The figure was sixty-two percent, up from fifty-eight percent the previous year. There have been some policy measures by these companies.
They included calculations that were done on line that is on a computer network, of the carbon emissions by these companies, the provision of facilities that would enable meetings to occur in the virtual mode, for example teleconference technology. This can be an important step in reducing emissions as a result of increased travel. As encouraging as this was, there was one disadvantage: very few businesses used the on line booking tool to implement their environmental sustainability policies.
Those that used it were just about thirty-five percent. What appeared to be a very good practice towards the achievement of environmental sustainability in the hospitality institutions proved that the many managers, at least those who attended the conference, had to account for the policy decisions taken on sustainable development in their facilities (Iwamoto, 2011).
So there is this question that many people ask on what has inspired the industry into embracing the sustainability of the environment in their operations? Other than the benefits mentioned above to the hospitality institutions, it appears that this is slowly becoming part of policy in the industry. The proof from the way the leadership in these institutions are being asked to give feed backs on the level of achievements on initiatives to develop environmentally sustainable operations in their institutions.
Examples of some of the sustainability initiatives that top executives are being told to submit reports on programs that are meant for recycling items, for example water and using heating systems that are considered as good environmental sustainability measures. Some of these reports require management to show not only what has been implemented, but also illustrate how the measure is a gain towards achieving sustainability in the hotel industry (Iwamoto, 2011).
There are other reasons why this trend of sustainable operations in the hotel industry is becoming rampant. Let consider that of being given an award. A number of bodies are giving awards to those in the hospitality industry that have incorporated sustainable environmental practices in the way they conduct their business.
Among these bodies, there are the civil society organizations of trade. Governments also participate in the giving of these awards. Many of these awards were begun in the year nineteen ninety on wards (Gossling, 2009). Apparently, it is organizations which have been pressurizing the industry players to environmentally adopt sustainable operations that are also offering these awards.
In America, there have also been initiatives on the environment by a number of groups, for instance an initiative by international hotels, which was officially commissioned by the prince who was from Wales, was started in the year nineteen ninety-three. In this case, there were a total of eleven chains of hotels that were involved. These institutions took part in the making of instructions of how environmental sustainable projects can be carried out in their facilities.
There has been a feeling in the industry that this trend might as well begin in the year nineteen twenty. In another example of players’ efforts in the industry themselves, in the year nineteen ninety-four there was another such event which was given the name the green globe which was for the purposes of making awareness of the environment in the industry (Courtland, 2011).
Another important factor for industry players that can be said to be behind the quest to environmentally attain sustainable operations are the concept of eco-labeling. These labels are only used in those facilities that have been vetted by some associations, and belong to the respective associations. In the continent of Europe, this started in the year nineteen eighty-five, where by a blue flag in a hotel was an indicator that it was a member of a particular association.
These associations’ aims include the promotion of activities within the industry that are environmentally friendly which include EcoMeet and there is another known as Green Seal. The associations also embark on educative programmes for people who use such facilities to extend the knowledge on environmental sustainability around the world (Gossling, 2009).
Due to the competitive nature of the business, rival facilities that are out to get a larger share of the market are getting certifications from a number of institutions that offer them. These certifications are from reputable certification bodies such as the international standards organization. This trend was pioneered in the industrial field but right now has been introduced for the hospitality industry.
Customer can thus be ensured that a particular facility has got certain certification on the environment. An example is the certification known as “Fourteen-thousand certification “by the international standards organization. The certifications offer a bench mark in the practice of environmental sustainability in the hospitality industry. Many of them are global in nature. The other example of some global certification is one known as Ecotel.
These were however applies solely to the players in the hospitality industry only, for example for resorts, inns and hotels. It aims to explain the idea of being environmentally responsible in the industry. Lastly on certifications it is worth mentioning the other certification that is also known as Ecohotel. It has got a number of pillars on which it is anchored.
They are namely, the commitment to care for the environment, the management of solid waste in the facility, efficient use of energy by the industry players, the conservation of water and finally educating the people employed in the hospitality industry facility (Courtland, 2011).
The institutions of hospitality also face another pressure from some other quarters as pertains to the implementation of sustainable environmental activities in their facilities. It is that of being mentioned in some publications that are usually authorities in the field of environmental sustainability, in the wrong light.
This can be in polling surveys which could mention an institution in the hospitality industry as being the worst for environmentally sustainable activities. Such a publication would not be good for the business of hospitality institutions.
The reverse of this could also happen where by a hotel or an Inn or any other player in the industry being mentioned as being the best in a particular industry. Some of the bodies that carry out such publications include magazines that are opinion leaders in the industry, International bodies that deal with environmental issues such as United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) even the body that is known worldwide for representing tourism activities (Courtland, 2011).
In the quest of the players in the hospitality industry to achieve sustainability in their operations, it is important that the environmental sustainability is made part of the plans for the businesses.
This is because there are some indicators that major industry players are now only beginning to look at a number of challenges that are of an environmental or social nature. There is a need for projects that had been started on environmental sustainability to be evaluated for being in line with the structure of the organization that acts as the project’s support base.
Environmental sustainability has to be viewed as an aspect of the hospitality business that is more serious in nature as compared to what many people consider it to be (Sharpley, 2009). It has got strategic importance to all areas of the business, from the marketing department to the people who are involved in sales, and even to those who serve the food.
The use of data from all these departments could be essential in the carrying out of all these evaluations. It is of great essence to recruit people on this aspect in these facilities, who can then coach the others on how to achieve this goal. A number of businesses in the hospitality industry have begun doing exactly this which offers a bright prospect for sustainability in such institutions.
In this way, they can be able to do an evaluation of achievements in the and short comings and even chart the way forward. This is important in tackling challenges of the future in this industry, which include ensuring that the management activities in the green grocery supply chain that are environmentally friendly, and some of the new product offerings in the facility (Courtland, 2011).
The topic that is being discussed in this paper about the environmental sustainability of tourism facility is very important to all the industry players and the economies of countries globally. The reason is that this industry is growing at a fast rate, and considering some of the activities involved.
It is important that sustainability is embraced if at all the industry is to remain in the coming years (Veal, 2010). This is not the only reason why this is important; it is among the main reasons even though. If we are to consider that it has several other beneficial aspects to businesses that embrace it. For instance, a number of sustainable environmental practices result in an improvement in profitability of a facility as had been mentioned at the beginning.
A lot can be achieved by embracing the aspect of environmental sustainability. In the way that waste is managed in a facility, for example through recycling, some of the huge bills in water and power can be slashed considerably by environmentally using sustainable methods such as solar heating.
As a result of the reduction in waste generated, it will be noted that there will be an improvement in the relationship that exists between the facility, and the community that lives around it. Finally, it is of great importance if we are to mention the main reason for practicing sustainability in the hospitality industry.
The reason is that most of the attractions that make visitors tour these places are in danger as a result of the activities around hospitality facilities. In most cases, it is the host communities who bear the greatest loss when this happens.
For example, in a place like the Mediterranean, it has been found that the amount of water consumed by the hotel guests is close to six times what the local communities use. The other issue is that of land taken away for the development of these facilities. This is usually for the purposes of building. There is also the clearing of valuable forests to provide valuable timber used in making timber for these facilities.
Some of the uses of this timber which are not environmentally sustainable, for example for the purposes of firewood contribute to the occurrence of environmental disasters such as floods and even mudslides. Finally, some of the waste that is caused by the dumping from hospitality facilities into tourist attractions such as rivers requires huge amounts of resources to manage (Veal, 2010).
This topic is of massive significance to the tourism and hospitality industry. The reason being it helps in the promotion of competition moreover improving the social economic aspects of the hospitality facility areas of operations. This achievement accrues from the incorporation of environmental sustainability their operations.
In this way, synergy is achieved by the tourism and hospitality industry. This synergy comes as increased investments in the area. The investment is usually in the hospitality and tourism industry which helps in its growth (Castellani & Sala, 2009).
Those countries that have been able to achieve considerable developments in the field of tourism have proved that in order for tourism to thrive the quality of a number of resources has to be good. Among these resources there is the natural one not to mention the cultural and economic resources too.
It is the natural resource whose quality can be maintained only by the application of a sustainable environment in the facility’s activity. It is also important to mention that the industry does not generate all its needs from within. This depends on other sectors, for example agriculture which is hugely dependent on the sustainable practices that are carried out in the environment. Since agriculture is strongly linked to the environment.
The other benefit is the preservation of some of the attractions that make people come from far and wide in order to utilize the tourist facilities as a result of a sustainable tourism approach. For example, sustainability could make a tourist attraction such as a water fall continue existing, and thus still be a tourist attraction to a particular area for many years to come (Lebel, Lorek and Daniel, 2010).
This knowledge of sustainability is important to the tourism managers of the future, so that they can begin fresh sustainability activities or carry on with the ones that they have been left with.
Conclusion
It is important for tourism players to realize the importance of sustainability in the tourism and hospitality industry. This will enable its inclusion in every aspect of this industry which is of great importance to most countries. The start in the implementation of such projects in a hospitality facility marks the beginning of gains in many fronts for the institution and the industry.
References
Castellani, V., & Sala, S. (2009). Sustainable tourism as a factor of local development. Milan: Tangram Ediz. Scientifiche.
Courtland, M. (2011). Hotel sustainability: Moving into a new phase. Environmental Leader. Web.
Gossling, S. (2009). Sustainable tourism futures: Perspectives on systems, restructuring and innovations. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Hill, J. & Gale, T. (2009). Ecotourism and environmental sustainability: Principles and practice. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Iwamoto, K. (2011). Being green is In but also a matter of policy. Green hotels global. Web.
Lebel, L., Lorek, S. & Daniel, R. (2010). Sustainable production consumption systems: knowledge, engagement and practice. New York: Springer.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2010). OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2010. New York: OECD Publishing.
Pforr, C. & Hosie,P. (2009). Crisis management in the tourism industry: beating the odds? Surrey: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
Sharpley, R. (2009). Tourism development and the environment: beyond sustainability? London: Earthscan.
Veal, J. (2010). Leisure, sport and tourism, politics, policy and planning. Oxfordshire: CABI.
Scholz Industries is an electric products manufacturer and air conditioning firm, which treats environmental goals as part of its strategic advantage. However, the company lacks environmental information gathering mechanisms. Furthermore, no organisation-wide team exists to handle environmental matters. The CEO is committed to the environment but mid to low level employees do not share this enthusiasm.
Nonetheless, the company has a series of initiatives in office operations, manufacturing processes and product management that ensure it maintains environmental safety and some degree of conservation. It was recommended that the company revise its environmental sustainability goals to make them more realistic. The firm needs to train employees on the relevance of the environment in their work. It should also set information gathering systems, response plans as well as use other operational avenues for sustainability.
Introduction
Scholz Industries is an Australian-based air conditioning and electrical manufacturing firm. The company has been in business for 15 years and has built a brand name for itself among stakeholders in the industry through high quality, immediate delivery and strong customer support. The firm consists of two key divisions: Scholz Industries Electric and Scholz Industries Climate division.
The Climate group has two sub divisions, which merged into one entity; Air Additions and Rayson industries. Rayson specialises in sheet products like flexible ducts, kitchen canopies, grilles, and other customised duct products. Air Additions focuses on the production of cooling, ventilation as well as heating products. Conversely, Scholz Electric focuses on electric products.
It carries out manufacture, research and distribution of the merchandise. Some of the subsidiaries of the Electrical division include Solar Spec, Lumex Lighting, BPT, Opal Air and Appliance Test Tags. The latter group provides lock out and electrical test tags to manufacturers. Opal Air deals with the provision of ceiling fans and other air conditioning equipment.
BPT is a supplier of home automation solutions that facilitate door entry. Lumex Lighting is an LED lighting specialist while Solar Spec offers solar installations in homes and commercial areas (Scholz Industries 2013a). The Scholz family owns the company with Oliver Scholz as the founder and Erik Scholz as the managing director. It is a propriety company that possesses shareholders who are less than 50.
Through partnerships with other organisations, ownership has also been spread among a series of other stakeholders. Scholz shows a strong market presence in the air conditioning and electrical industry. The company sells its products to almost all regions of Australia and even has presence in New Zealand.
Its consumers mostly come from the manufacturing sector although other commercial organisations also contribute substantially to their profit margins. It had an annual turnover of approximately 4 billion Euros. The company enjoys this huge success due to great business decisions, as well as high quality products. It often engages in alliances with organisations that are good at what they do.
A case in point was the merger of Rayson and Air Additions in the Climate division. Rayson Industries was a mature brand that had a track record for high quality sheet making. This ensured that Air Additions would be better able to offer its clients the best products in the market.
Major products sold by the firm are lighting equipment, home automation products, ceiling fans, test tags, and several other ventilation, cooling, and heating equipment. The firms also sells sheet metal products like kitchen canopies or home canopies, spiral ducts, grilles, Zoning systems as well as accessories that accompany the installation of the above-mentioned products.
Definition of the company’s key target markets
Scholz mostly targets large institutions in various sectors of the economy. Some of them may be public facilities like hospitals or recreation centres. Alternatively, others may be commercial establishments such as commercial kitchens or cold stores. The firm often works with plants and industries as these organisations require various sheet products.
Its electrical clients could either be pre-existing commercial entities or builders. Such individuals may be interested in upgrading their electrical systems or installing new ones in ongoing constructions. Geographical coverage for the company extends across various sectors of Australia and New Zealand. Its large projects testify to this vast coverage.
For instance, the organisation installed ducts for an Ice Skating Centre called Henke Rink in West Melbourne. It also did ventilation ducting for a Cold Store at Oxford. Scholz also installed exhaust hoods for a Golf Club at Riversdale and placed ventilation ducts at a Children’s Hospital in Parkville (Scholz Industries 2013b). The provision of services spans across different parts of the region.
Transportation and communication for the firm largely revolves around air freight, sea and trucking of packages. Although the firm manufactures most of the commodities that it sells, its raw materials are imports from different parts of the world. Furthermore, some products also come when fully manufactured such that Scholz only has to import them and sell them as they were originally.
Since their clients are also in different parts of Australia and New Zealand, it needs to organise the delivery of these items safely. Consequently, sea and air transport are essential in the delivery of products. Locally-delivered products rely on road transport as this is both economical and convenient. During transportation of the products on roads, it may sometimes be difficult to maintain the shapes and structure of certain ducts or hoods unless transportation arrangements exist.
If a hood is 15 by 6 metres, it cannot fit into a typical truck, so the firm must use unconventional trucks for this work. Customer buying habits are different from one person to another in this industry. It depends on the person interests. Many of them often buy electrical products after doing extensive research on product specifications.
They may focus on the nature of the product rather than price. Therefore, they do not compromise on quality. For instance, if a buyer requires solar panels, he or she will buy one that can use sufficient power for his or her needs. It should be noted that the buying process is sometimes a complex one in which the client has the favourable position.
Large projects may entail offers in which Scholz has to compete to prove that it is capable of meeting its consumers’ needs (Scholz Industries 2013b). Most times, the buyer and Scholz will sign contracts if the firm is convincing enough to those who are concerned. Buyers also respond positively to complementary services such as installation efficiency, customer support and good order tracking.
Several customers in this industry want a company that delivers its services quickly. The distribution system within the organisation is involved with contractors and electrical distributors. Most of them carry out multiple functions such as sales, marketing, logistics handling, and customer service (Scholz Industries 2013b).
In order to make a good relation with Scholz, the company must ensure that contractors and distributors have a proper understanding of their products. They also train them on how they would like their products to be sold. Marketing communication takes place through a series of avenues, and these include the company website as well as other associate websites, conferences, brochures, trade nights and event sponsorships.
Scholz Industries has a comprehensive website in which it informs its clients about various components of business. The firm talks about what it does and describes the products and services that clients can buy from them. The website also contains visual representations of the items as well as unique features about each of them. Contact information is also available for those buyers who want details about making a transaction.
The website also summarises some of the projects that the company has engaged in as well as the strategic decisions that it has made. This creates a better understanding of the company’s workings among its clients. Scholz Industries’ representatives often attend conferences on energy efficiency, carbon footprint reduction and other climate-related issues.
This exposes the company to stakeholders who will require their services or products in order to achieve their environmental goals. Furthermore, the company also interacts with potential suppliers or partners in these events. Trade nights are also another significant source of marketing communication. The company will display some of its products in such programs and thus expand its market base.
Additionally, sponsorship of events is another element of marketing communication. In this channel, target clients will get information about the firm’s capabilities from a third-party, which adds credibility to their marketing message. Pricing at Scholz depends on the quality of products sold. The firm is neither too expensive nor cheap.
It tries to offer clients value for their money by charging them amounts that match product input (Scholz Industries 2013c). If a certain product requires much preparation, customisation and pre-assembly, then concerned individuals need to pay a premium for this price. However, it sells finished and non-customisable products at standard rates.
Comparison of Scholz products with competitors’ products
Some of the key competitors for the organisation are Pierlite and Clipsal. Pierlite is a lighting solutions provider that sells different types of luminaries such as lamps, LEDs, floodlights, emergency lights and roadway lighting products. Conversely, Clipsal is an electrical solutions provider that specialises in electric products like cabinet lights, switches and power points, energy saving solutions and circuit protection.
Scholz is unique in that it offers products from both its competitors’ portfolios; that is lighting services and electrical solutions. Furthermore, its products are targeted at environmentally-conscious clients. Its high product diversification allows the company to merge competencies from its primary divisions in order to give clients the best offer possible.
In addition, the company is a proud of itself in the level at which it incorporates new innovation and designs in its products. This ensures that buyers get value for their money by enjoying a longer product life. Most of Scholz’ products often have longer life than that of their competitors. Although Clipsal and Pierlite have green products, Scholz is the only competitor that has dedicated an entire division towards green objectives.
As a result, the firm is better able to meet the unique needs of environmentally-conscious consumers. Scholz’s products also come with a series of complementary services such as installation, assembly and usage tips. Clipsal also offers this service, so it is a force with which to consider. This competitor also has a loyalty program known as Club Clipsal, where it rewards clients for repeat business.
Such a strategy makes it hard for competitors like Scholz to attract customers away from Clipsal. Perhaps another key component about the nature of competition between these firms is the fact that the products in each firm are unique. Pierlite mostly has large-scale products like floodlights for sports arenas and bulkheads (Pierlite 2012). Conversely, Clipsal mostly sells electrical circuit systems and technologies.
Scholz’s electrical products revolve around green consumption like LED, solar specifications and many more. Therefore, the highly specialised nature of products from all the organisations makes competition less dramatic. Nonetheless, there are situations in which similar products can be found in all three organisations. It is for these products that competition becomes stronger.
Pricing in all three firms depends on the quality of products sold. Scholz always tries to offer reasonable prices in comparison to the quality of products. Most of the competitors often avoid price competition because this may undermine the amount of effort put into the production of their commodities. In fact, the lack of price competition is not an uncommon feature in the electrical industry because products are not fast moving.
Fast moving consumer goods often attract price competition because value differentiation is difficult to achieve; this is not the case for products within this industry. Promotional strategies for Scholz focus on selling at fixed prices on bulk purchases. For instance, the company offers free bulbs if a customer buys 20 or more. Additionally, it encourages individuals to purchase similar products as a bundle.
They often promote the purchase of solar and LED products together as buyers are likely to respond to such green initiatives in a similar manner. As mentioned earlier, Clipsal has a promotional strategy that involves loyalty points while Pierlite also gives discounts for certain purchases. On the other hand, other promotional strategies like sponsorship and trade nights also allow Scholz’s competitors to gain exposure in the industry (Scholz Industries 2013c).
Pierlite even has an annual magazine that highlights some of the lighting conferences attended or products that buyers can get from the institution. Distribution of products from all three competitors occurs across Australia. Just like Scholz, Clipsal has a range of wholesalers and distributors throughout the country. Pierlite also sells most of its products through distributors.
The company mostly has wholesalers for trade goods or products targeted at commercial enterprises. They sell some of their products in New Zealand, as well. Scholz has the largest market share in the industry because of its business strategies.
It has operated for only 15 years but has partnered with players who have been in the industry for over half a century. Leveraging on other business’ expertise has won the company substantial support. Clipsal is the second most important competitor while Pierlite has the least amount of shares among the three competitors.
Planning
In corporate planning, Scholz intends on growing and developing its current branches. It wants to reach markets that had previously been ignored by the organisation. Since the company’s branches are only six in number, it is essential to ensure that the services and products sold at those branches are high quality. The company can work on logistics, customer care as well as other areas of production in each of the branches.
It can also standardise high performance so as to create a satisfactory image among the clients (Damall et. al. 2006). The strategic plan spans across manufacturing, human resources, marketing and environmental sustainability. In the human resource department, the firm intends on training its workers concerning the business.
This will create a culture of efficiency within the organisation. Furthermore, it will create a lot of morale and set the stage for organisational development in the company. Scholz intends on conducting a training needs analysis and responding to it by educating its workers. Since innovation is a vital part of the company’s corporate strategy, it intends on encouraging this phenomenon by equipping workers with the knowledge needed to achieve this.
In manufacturing, the company plans on increasing the number of lights manufactured using solar power fittings like RASYN. This will meet its sustainability goals and ensure that the firm delivers green products to those who require them. In addition, the company wants to increase the number of locally-made electrical products.
Importing products not only creates additional financial constraints for the firm, but it also weakens its environmental sustainability goals. This would allow the company to pass on cost savings to consumers or it could reach a new set of buyers who consider ecological footprints of products during production (Gulland-Milner & Rowcliffe 2007).
To achieve this goal of local manufacture, the organisation would have to increase its production capacity as well exercise strategic decision making in the selection of suppliers. It will also be essential to look into inventory management as well as expand warehouse capacity in order to increase the amount of locally-made electrical.
In marketing, the company intends on creating more advertisements on its websites and increasing the number of events that it will sponsor in the future. The online communication channel is an effective way of reaching one’s clients in this competitive period. Firms need to make as much information as possible available to potential buyers.
Scholz wants to provide product information through advertisements. It especially wants to focus on those items or services that buyers do not know. Furthermore, it aims at increasing the degree of dynamism on its websites by making it easy for clients to find what they are looking for. Event sponsorships will also increase the level of exposure that the company gets amongst stakeholders.
Scholz Industries wants to turn into a household name by sponsoring a series of high-profile events. The firm’s environmental plan revolves around reduction of its carbon footprint. It intends on achieving this through three key approaches: education, operations and office practices. The company wants to enter drop by drop a culture of sustainability among its workers by educating them about the issue.
It wants to have environmental experts in almost all aspects of business so that they can each incorporate green decision in their daily operations. Additionally, the company wants to change its business operations so that they introduce carbon reduction. Some of the components include process efficiencies as well as carbon efficiencies in the facilities. In office practices, the organisation plans on redesigning its office practices in order to use resource efficiency and waste minimisation (EPA 2009).
Current environmental information gathering system
Scholz has no formal methods of gathering environmental information. A knowledge gap in this sector exists even though the firm has a whole climate division. Most information relates to the products created in the climate division rather than the actual processes utilised in the institution. Monitoring and gathering environmental information is not a vital part of the management process in this business.
The logistical and time constraints that give out from having an complicated information system created this (Tyteca et. al. 2001). Essentially, one cannot describe the nature of information collected as the company does not have a way of doing this. It is, however, aware that its sustainability goals cannot be met unless there is a goal that the company is working towards.
Since no information gathering takes place, then the issue of distributing information to key decision makers does not apply to the organisation. Employers decide most of the issues that relate to sustainability without real time data from the organisation (Berkhout et. al. 2001).
Organisational response mechanism
The decision-making style in the institution is decentralised. The CEO entrusts his senior managers as well as other employees to make decisions concerning environmental sustainability. Therefore, the response mechanism to environmental issues lies in the hands of typical workers within the organisation. Both deservingness and non-deservingness of the idea exist for the institution.
It can benefit from fast decision making as well as high employee morale. On the other hand, this style of leadership also defines the CEO from environmental matters and may prevent allocation of resources to green projects. Scholz does not have an organisation-wide environmental task force. Instead, the firm has a team in the solar department.
Their work mostly centres on the provision of products that will meet consumers’ green needs. They do not focus on what can assist their own firm in doing the same. Clearly, the organisation is in need of a taskforce that can guide it in environmental matters. The firm needs to understand the relationship between its everyday decisions and the impact that those decisions have on the environment quantitatively.
Unclearness is the biggest challenge for the organisation because although sustainability is one of its goals, it has not come up with ways of scientifically achieving it. The lack of reference information causes the organisation to use mechanisms that may not be effective or efficient for it.
Speed of response to environmental information does not apply to this situation because no data collection exists in the first place. Had the company instated mechanisms for collecting data that could be immediately related to the costs and benefits accrued to Scholz, then this would immediate a reasonable speed of response.
However, because no such information exists, then the latter consideration is not relevant. Comparability of the information gathered by those parties over time or across different plants would also have increase the speed of response to this information (Tyteca et. al. 2002).
Behavioural audit
The organisation tracks energy consumption in order to determine how much power it consumed. However, this does not occur through information gathering. It occurs by observation and then noted mentally by those concerned (Giordano 2012). Since electricity is a main area of focus for Scholz, they try to minimise electricity consumption. This is also because the organisation is a manufacturer, which uses a lot of energy in production.
The raw materials used in the company come from BlueScope as well as several overseas suppliers. It is difficult for an organisation to control its ecological footprint if it sources most of its materials from external markets. Some of the environmental goals applicable in Australia may not necessarily apply to suppliers in China or other parts of the world.
Furthermore, geographical proximity often translates into less resource and energy consumption. The main method of transportation used by the institution from its suppliers is sea transport. However, the company transports products from Blue Scope to the organisation using trucks. Likewise, the company also makes use of trucking for transport of commodities between the firm and its key markets.
As mentioned earlier, most of its buyers are in Australia and New Zealand; therefore, the fastest and most convenient method is trucking. It should be noted that sea transport is highly economical and environmentally applicable since it facilitates the maximisation of space.
The company has one of the key emission level targets: to reduce its electricity bill to zero. While this may seem like a key goal, one can question the reasonability of achieving such accomplishment especially if one is a manufacturer. The company may utilise the benefits of solar electricity, but it is unlikely that this will lead to total independence from the electricity grill (Olsthoorn et. al. 2001).
Emission levels controlled in the institution relate to those in its manufacturing plants. The company had not set targets for this consideration, so it did not record the measurements. On the other hand, it has a rough idea about the way in which it can minimise emissions. Whenever stakeholders identify corrective actions, they usually convey this information to the general manager through a meeting.
The General Manager will then identify a systematic way for handling the suggestion. Sometimes it may be recommended that it is still too early to implement the action and that more research needs to be done while, in other instances, it may be necessary to work on the corrective action as it is. Employees in the organisation seem to feel that environmental goals are relevant in production of solar panels, LED or other green products.
They do not focus so much on these goals in their organisation. The CEO feels that the environment is a vital part of production, and it needs to be incorporated into different aspects of business. Managers believe that the environment is essential in successful business performance, but many of them may not necessarily reflect this consideration into their daily operations.
The company is working on product –related efficiencies. First, it has realised that manufacturing efficiency and process reviews are essential in business success. Therefore, the firm intends on redesigning its products so as to enhance quality and efficiency through innovation.
In terms of manufacturing efficiency in equipments, technology and facilities, the firm has realised that using a certain plan of action is essential in changing the way it does business. First, it engages in the identification of problems. It then looks for ways of countering those problems in the use of technology, facilities or equipment.
Thereafter, it measures those considerations and incorporates them into the process (Wilfrid Laurier University 2012). In product developments, the company has redesigned products in order to introduce higher quality and efficiency. Since innovation is a crucial aspect of this process, then Scholz does product redesigns in order to improve the level of innovation.
Waste controls are a critical component of the firm’s environment management plan. It often measures its levels of scrap and works actively to minimise it. The firm realises that high amounts of waste indicates a high degree of inefficiency in the production process (Kraft & Kamieniecki 2012).
In addition to this consideration, the company also works on recycling steel, as well as paper. The metal is especially relevant to the company because it manufactures steel products. Therefore, there are always conventional and unconventional ways of using the product.
Packaging
Packaging in the organisation mostly depends on three considerations, which include quality, format and waste control. With regard to format, the organisation usually sends its products in boxes. In terms of quality, Scholz ensures that everything is up to standard by utilising check sheets. These contain all the information about the quantity of the product and its labels.
In waste control, the company recycles cardboard, and this ensures that it saves on the amount of paper needed to complete a transaction. The CEO of the organisation has the right attitude towards the environment. He often focuses on using and facilitating sustainable energy use. This attitude stems from his background in the electrical sector.
He has 20 years experience in the electric industry, so he understands why it is essential to have an energy-sustainable business. Besides, the CEO’s participation level in the operations of the business also favours the adoption of such technologies. The senior decision maker deeply involves himself in the daily operations of the business.
In office efficiency, the firm focuses on supplies, processes, technology and wastes. In supplies, it works on minimising paper waste. In terms of processes, the company ensures that invoicing, HR policies as well as payroll are efficient. In technology, the company controls its stock through the use of Momentum Pro. Recycling and process analysis facilitates waste reduction.
Analysis of Environmental safety actions
Scholz Industries uses both proactive and reactive ways of carrying out environmental, safety actions. Some of the proactive approaches include the protection of the environment from waste powder by redirecting them to appropriate ways. The company also upgrades the triple interceptor wash bay. Reactive methods include taking waste to landfills.
Reporting
Reporting at Scholz takes place after a fortnight as well as on a monthly basis. Some of the issues in the reports include sales, customer feedback and commencement of new work. The frequency with which this occurs may be comparable to most industry stakeholders (Schalteggera & Synnestvedt 2002).
Recommendations
Scholz’s top management believes in environmental goals; however, their interest needs to be transmitted to lower levels of the organisation (Johnson 2008). Employees should have training on how to incorporate environmental sustainability in their work (Jacobson & McDuff 2006). Sustainability should span across steel manufacture and not just electric products.
The company should focus an information gathering system that is relevant, efficient and standard-based. Additionally, it needs to have a plan for handling such information. It should also utilise several opportunities for carbon footprint minimisation in its processes (Tourism Queensland 2010). The sustainability goal of reducing energy consumption to zero should also be revised to make it realistic.
References
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Damall, N., Jolley, J. & Handfield, R. 2006, ‘Environmental management systems and green supply chain management: complements for sustainability? Business Strategy and the Environment, vol. 17 no. 1, pp. 30-45.
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Gulland-Milner, E. & Rowcliffe, M. 2007, Conservation and sustainable use, Oxford university press, Oxford.
Jacobson, S. & McDuff, M. 2006, Conservation education and outreach techniques, Oxford University press, Oxford.
Kraft, M. & Kamieniecki, S. 2012, Business and environmental policy, MIT Press, Massachusets.
Olsthoorn, X., Tyteca, D., Wagner, M. & Wehrmeyer, W. 2001, ‘Environmental indicators for business: A review of the literature and standardisation methods’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 9, pp. 453-463.
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Scholz Industries 2013a, About Scholz Industries- climate. Web.
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Scholz Industries 2013c, About Scholz Industries- products. Web.
Tourism Queensland 2010, The sustainability checklist factsheet. Web.
Tyteca, D, Carlens, J, Berkhout, F, Hertin, J, Wehrmeyer, W & Wagner, W 2002, ‘Corporate environmental performance evaluation: evidence from the MEPI project’, Business Strategy and the Environment , vol. 11 no. 1, pp. 1-13.