The "Sustainable Ship"

Comment

Comment by Sudhir Kade Raghupathy on September 18, 2009 at 4:36pm

I hear the terms value-based and three-dimensional here as pertaining to theory of the firm and cannot help but point to this model as a good starting point for discussion. Would love to hear feedback and thoughts on perhaps co-creating a 'model for world benefit'. Thanks!

Comment by Steve Brant on August 19, 2009 at 12:30pm

"A new theory of the firm" is an interesting expression. From the world of Systems Thinking, I suggest we need to answer a basic question first: What problem (or main problem and subset of related problems) are we looking to solve?
I will model this process by suggesting that the main problem we need to solve is that the larger social system in which "firms" exist needs to be redesigned... because that larger social system is the source of the foundational belief system (mental model) that produced the current "theory of the firm". We cannot create a new theory of the firm unless we (a) understand the source of the current theory and (b) develop a strategy for making that source supportive (ie willing to use) any new theory of the firm we develop here.
Having said all that, I will also suggest that the new theory of the firm that the world desperately needs is one that is based on collaboration and cooperation as a "first operating principle" (replacing the principle of Darwinian competition that rules today).

Comment by Dave Domanski on August 14, 2009 at 5:04pm

Wow! Nice to see this pop-up! There was quite a crew sailing that ship. Hope everyone is well. I've been studying "blue responsibility" for a work project this week. Of the different approaches out there...I'm still working out how to easily describe what it's core message is...if any? It seems to encompass green "cradle to cradle" sustainability within a greater sociological concern. Adam Werbach discusses this in his work with Wal-Mart. There is a German organization that implies "blue" as directly relating to water consumption and sanitation, http://www.blue-responsibility.com/en/default.aspx
This relates more closely to the plumbing industry we, here at Moen, are involved in. That's where i'm at. Have any projects or further ideas been born from our sustainable ship?