Die COMPASS-Methodik: COMPAnies and sectors path to sustainability. Unternehmen und Branchen auf dem Weg zur Zukunftsfähigkeit. Zukunftsfähiges Unternehmen (5)

-- Sustainable development remains a formidable challenge for the societies of the 21st century. A number of concepts have been put forward on how to reach sustainability at a macro-economic level. These concepts are based on different points of view of economic, social and environmental systems and their behaviour, and derive their legitimacy from economic and environmental theories. An overriding priority of companies attempting to promote sustainability at enterprise and sector level is to translate these broad concepts and the indicators behind into specific concepts and measurable indicators useful in day-to-day business decisions. For companies and sectors it is important to know what kind of targets and actions they will bring on a path to sustainability. That is true for economic targets (high profit, high competitiveness, low investment payback, etc.), as for ecological (high life-cycle wide resource productivity, low toxicity, high biodiversity, low erosion, etc.) and social targets (from employee satisfaction over a low unemployment rate to overall stability in society). Therefore, COMPASS (companies' and sectors'path to sustainability) has been developed to provide decision-makers in a company or sector withsufficient information. COMPASS offers the methodological framework, the instruments and measures to operationalise the normative concept of sustainable development at micro level. The methodology aims at considering economic, ecological and social aspects throughout the whole product system in order to enable decision-makers to optimise processes, products and services towards a sustainable satisfaction of demand. It shows the sustainability performance gaps and helps to communicate possible action to reduce these gaps.COMPASS consists of five elements. Four creative and assessing elements are COMPASSprofile, COMPASSvision, COMPASSanalysis and COMPASSmanagement. The reporting element is the COM-PASSreport.Kleine und mittelständische Unternehmen,multinationale Unternehmen,Branchen,zukunftsfähige Entwicklung,Managementsysteme,MIPS,Ökoeffizienz,Ressourcenmanagement,Faktor 4/10,Humankapital,Sozialmanagement,Wettbewerbsfähigkeit,Profit,Qualifizierung,Kommunikation,dreifache Gewinnstrategie,Innovationen,Small and medium sized companies,multinationals,sustainable development,management systems,MIPS,eco-efficiency,resource management,factor 4/10,human resources,social management,competitiveness,profits,qualification,communication,triple win strategy,innovation

Forschungslandschaft biotische Rohstoffe: Unternehmen und Branchen auf dem Weg zur Nachhaltigkeit (COMPASS)

Sustainable production and the sustainable use of biotic resources have becomeincreasingly significant. This results in the demand by society for a sustainable useof biotic resources especially within the nutrition sector. But also their use for industrial purposes had led research and development being given the task to support our economy with conceptional ideas.In this respect, the Working Group Eco-Efficiency & Sustainable Enterprises at theWuppertal Institute with Dr. Christa Liedtke as head, has developed a research landscape that gives a general overview of the theme of biotic resources - their sustainable production and use. The working group defines aims of research andlists urgent and current research tasks on a macro (politico-economically), meso (branches) and micro (enterprises and production) level. It is necessary to take onthe challenge that a future sustainable development presents for us. That is to realizeecologically, socially and economically a triple gain strategy along the three pillars of sustainability - to save resources, to create wealth and to strengthencompetitiveness.To implement this strategy the Working Group Eco-Efficiency and Sustainable Enterprises has developed the methodology tool of COMPASS (COMPAnies and Sectors' Path to Sustainability). Its aim is the system-embracing optimization ofsingle process chains, of products and services considering ecological, social and economic aspects. This methodology has already been implemented in various otherbranches and enterprises and it is now necessary to further adopt, test andspecifically develop COMPASS as a decision tool in the vast area of production anduse of biotic resources.This is done in a dialogue- and practice oriented way and inclose co-operation with all actors of the corresponding production lines. Generalworking themes that the Working Group will concentrate on in future deal with theproduct lines food products and products from renewable resources as follows:Identification of the ecological, economic and social targets of sustainability and aclassification of frameworks, obstacles and supporting aspects of sustainabledevelopment Identification of main material flows and severest pollution, of areas of highestmaterial turnover and of most significant social impacts within the area ofnutrition and use of renewable resources --

SAFE - Sustainability Assessment For Enterprises: Die Methodik. Ein Instrument zur Unterstützung einer zukunftsfähigen Unternehmens- und Organisationsentwicklung

-- In practice, questions of ecological company policy deal much more with technical questions than with organisational ones. In many guides for the implementation of an Environmental Management System the development of the organisation that first has to grow into this new task has not yet been fully planned, as has the participation of the employees. The deciding factors for this implementationinclude the improvement of information and communication within the company, the increase in employee motivation and the optimisation of the interfaces between economics, ecology and social aspects.Companies often show a great need for analysis and management instrumentswhich they themselves can organise and which, with the participation of the employees, help to find and to translate solutions quickly into action which show theway. Together with small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) of different branches, the SAFE - Sustainability Assessment For Enterprises instrument has been developed and tested.The instrument SAFE is used as a dialogue instrument in companies and serves as a lasting method of controlling success and of deriving new measures. The aimof the instrument is to motivate employees to become involved in change proc-esses and to cooperate in the shaping of the development of the enterprise in astreamlined procedure. They should know their participation possibilities as wellas learn how to use them. Altogether the viewpoint should be changed from anecological enterprise development to a lasting one and in doing this the develop-ment of ideas and strategies for the implementation of sustainability in the com-pany is to be supported.In a clear procedure the companies determine independently the ecological, economic and social aspects which are relevant for their enterprise's development and deduce potential for improvements and options for action for those aspects.The environmental control agents and/or quality control agents - and often alsothe managers - become qualified to use the instrument on their own. The imple-mentation of SAFE takes place together with employees from different levels inthe company who go through the procedure of several working phases in twodays. In these working phases a profile of the company's strengths/weaknesses will be drawn up as well as a list of organisational and technical suggestions forimprovement and qualification requirements. Afterwards, a plan of measures willbe deduced from those lists and suggestions. All these proceedings are based on the questionnaire Is your company fit for the future. The measures will be putinto action within a defined period of time by the persons who are responsible forthis implementation. The process will be repeated at regular intervals.In a test phase SAFE has until now been applied in approximately 40 companies for the first time and has been developed further. Its successful use shows that theinstrument can be applied to companies in all branches.Zukunftsfähige Unternehmen,Nachhaltigkeit,dreifache Gewinnstrategie,Indikatoren,Unternehmens-/Organisationsentwicklung,Kommunikation,Qualifizierung,Beteiligung,Umweltmanagementsysteme,Ressourcenproduktivität,Ressourcenmanagement,Lernendes Unternehmen,Kontinuierlicher Verbesserungsprozess (KVP),Wettbewerbsfähigkeit,Sustainable Enterprises,sustainability,triple-win-strategy,indicators,organizational learning,communication,qualification,participation,environmental management systems,resource productivity,resource management,the learning company,continious improvement,competitiveness

European Union - New Impulses for the Decade Ahead = Europäische Union - Neue Impulse für die kommende Dekade. ZEI Discussion Paper C185, 2008

[From the Introduction]. I would like to discuss three issues today which are directly related to the important work of ZEI and to the opportunity which European integration is providing for the further development of academic life across the EU: • the opportunity of re-thinking the relationship between the different levels of governance in Europe; • the opportunity to contribute to the dialogue among cultures, which is especially dear to us in this European Year of Intercultural Dialogue; • the opportunity of a new form of encounter between Europe and other parts of the world

Alfred Müller-Armack and Ludwig Erhard: Social Market Liberalism

"Soziale Marktwirtschaft" (Social Market Economy) is the economic order that was established in Western Germany after 1945. It is not a precisely outlined theoretical system but more a cipher for a "mélange" of socio-political ideas for a free and socially just society and some general rules of economic policy. It is a decided liberal concept, based on individual freedom and the belief that well-functioning markets and competition lead to economic efficiency and by this, to economic development (or in the case of Germany, recovery) and social improvement. But in sharp distinction to the harmonious Smithian world of the "invisible hand", the "founding fathers" of the post-war economic order in Germany were convinced that the economic system must be guided by an "economic constitution" provided by the state. --

10. Interuniversitäres Doktorandenseminar Wirtschaftsinformatik Juli 2009

Begonnen im Jahr 2000, ist das Interuniversitäre Wirtschaftsinformatik-Doktorandenseminar mittlerweile zu einer schönen Tradition geworden. Zunächst unter Beteiligung der Universitäten Leipzig und Halle-Wittenberg gestartet. Seit 2003 wird das Seminar zusammen mit der Jenaer Universität durchgeführt, in diesem Jahr sind erstmals auch die Technische Universität Dresden und die TU Bergakademie Freiberg dabei. Ziel der Interuniversitären Doktorandenseminare ist der über die eigenen Institutsgrenzen hinausgehende Gedankenaustausch zu aktuellen, in Promotionsprojekten behandelten Forschungsthemen. Indem der Schwerpunkt der Vorträge auch auf das Forschungsdesign gelegt wird, bietet sich allen Doktoranden die Möglichkeit, bereits in einer frühen Phase ihrer Arbeit wichtige Hinweise und Anregungen aus einem breiten Hörerspektrum zu bekommen. In den vorliegenden Research Papers sind elf Beiträge zum diesjährigen Doktorandenseminar in Jena enthalten. Sie stecken ein weites Feld ab - vom Data Mining und Wissensmanagement über die Unterstützung von Prozessen in Unternehmen bis hin zur RFID-Technologie. Die Wirtschaftsinformatik als typische Bindestrich-Informatik hat den Ruf einer thematischen Breite. Die Dissertationsprojekte aus fünf Universitäten belegen dies eindrucksvoll.

The construction of knowledge-based economies versus knowledge societies: The cases of Germany and Singapore

In the past decades, terms such as knowledge-based economy (KBE)\u27, and \u27information/knowledge society\u27 have been adopted by governments worldwide in order to underline their interest in developing their economies and societies further and assure future growth. Many governments used these catchwords as labels for government programs and action plans aiming at economic and social prosperity. This aim of national governments to construct knowledge-based economies, information/knowledge societies, the actions taken and especially the ability or disability to do so, is the topic of this paper. As two cases of comparison act Singapore and Germany. (DIPF/Orig.

e-Participation in Austria: Trends and Public Policies

The paper is a first step to assess the status of e-participation within the political system in Austria. It takes a top-down perspective focusing on the policy framework related to citizens´ rights in the digital environment, the role of public participation and public policies on e-participation in Austria. The analysis of the development of e-participation in Austria as well as of social and political trends regarding civic participation in general and its electronic embedding, show a remarkable recent increase of e-participation projects and related initiatives. The paper identifies main institutional actors actively dealing with or promoting e-participation and reviews government initiatives as well as relevant policy documents specifically addressing and relating to e-participation or e-democracy. Finally, it takes a look at the state of the evaluation of e-participation. A major conclusion is that e-participation has become a subject of public policies in Austria; however, the recent upswing of supportive initiatives for public participation and e-participation goes together with ambivalent attitudes among politicians and administration towards e-participation.e-participation, e-democracy, citizens´ rights, institutional actors, public policies, government initiatives, evaluation

Forum

Zehn Jahre ist es her, dass die Universität Mannheim als erste deutsche Hochschule internationale Semesterzeiten eingeführt hat – ein Meilenstein in der Geschichte dieser Universität. Von anderen Hochschulen anfangs belächelt, stieg von da an der internationale Austausch von Studierenden und Wissenschaftlern stetig und damit auch unsere Reputation im Ausland. Wie sich der Campus in den vergangenen zehn Jahren zu einem internationalen Ort entwickelt hat, an dem junge Menschen aus der ganzen Welt ohne Sprachbarrieren studieren können (S. 24), Wissenschaftler in immer globaler werdenden Netzwerken forschen (S. 30) und auch in der Verwaltung sowie den Serviceeinrichtungen der Universität international gedacht und bilingual gearbeitet wird, lesen Sie im Schwerpunkt ab Seite 12. Als besonderes Projekt ist hier „Campus International“ zu nennen, in dessen Rahmen alle Dokumente der Universität – vom Personalbogen bis hin zur Studienordnung – ins Englische übersetzt werden (S. 14), womit Mannheim eine Vorreiterrolle in Deutschland einnimmt. Eine große Herausforderung ist seit vergangenem Jahr auch die Integration von Flüchtlingen in unsere Gesellschaft und das deutsche Hochschulsystem, für die sich die Universität mit einer eigens eingerichteten Koordinationsstelle für Flüchtlingsfragen einsetzt (S. 6, S. 38). Es ist nicht nur zehn Jahre her, dass die Universität ihre Internationalisierung strategisch verfolgt. Auch dieses Magazin durften unsere Leserinnen und Leser vor genau zehn Jahren zum ersten Mal in den Händen halten. Zum Jubiläum erscheint das FORUM in neuem Layout. Doch das ist nur der Anfang: Gemeinsam mit der renommierten Kommunikationsagentur Blocher Blocher View überarbeitet die Universität ihr Corporate Design. Dabei erfährt das Logo eine Modernisierung und auch die Farbwelt der Universität wird aktualisiert. Die Veränderungen haben Schritt für Schritt Auswirkungen auf alle Kommunikationsmittel der Universität. Wir laden Sie ein, am Prozess teilzuhaben. Auf www.uni-mannheim.de/corporatedesign informieren wir über alle Phasen der Entwicklung. Und so schließt sich der Kreis. Denn auch das neue Corporate Design unterstreicht die internationale Ausrichtung der Universität und ermöglicht es, in Zukunft noch erfolgreicher global als Universität Mannheim sichtbar zu sein