A Primer on Sustainability

This book will take a broad look at the ways in which the concept of sustainability is being applied in the business context. It answers the question, 'What does Sustainability mean to the way we practice business?' A key characteristic is its concise, readable, comprehensive treatment of the complex issues sustainability raises for the business world. The goal of the book is to provide the reader an introduction to knowledge and skills they need to help organizations understand and act upon the principles of sustainability. The reader will also gain a deeper understanding of the relationships among business, society, and the environment.

The approach of this book is to examine a variety of market failures and how different businesses choose to respond to them. It will explore strategies to correct these market failures - with improved product innovation, entrepreneurial activity, and government action. This book will also explore the techniques and tools of sustainability from a practical, business-oriented perspective. As an introduction to sustainability, this book will function to anchor the Business Expert Press sustainability collection, helping the reader appreciate its coherence and depth.

This book is written for an advanced undergraduate and graduate-level business school reader, as well as for their professors. It will also find a readership with science, social science and engineering professors and students for courses on sustainability in those disciplines and with the management practitioner striving to build the competitive advantage sustainability can confer.