environment, favorable macro-economic conditions, stronger geo-political relationships, etc. However, ... by the laws of nature and of economic dynamism.
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IEEE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT REVIEW, VOL. 41, NO. 2, SECOND QUARTER, JUNE 2013
Sustainability and Innovation “He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.” —Francis Bacon “Since we live in an age of innovation, a practical education must prepare a man for work that does not yet exist and cannot yet be clearly defined.” —Peter F. Drucker
IEEE DOI 10.1109/EMR.2013.2259961
SUSTAINABILITY means different things to different people. In this issue of EMR, we focus on the
sustainability in the context of our general fields of interest, managing technology, innovation and the people that engage in these practices. Sustainability comes in many flavors; to policy makers the notion of sustainability is rather clear as it takes on the form of social benefit of some type—cleaner environment, favorable macro-economic conditions, stronger geo-political relationships, etc. However, to the manager who is operating at the grass roots level, sustainability can be a nebulous challenge; a quest for designing socially desirable products and processes that are often accompanied with economic disadvantages (at least perceived); building and motivating a workforce with the proper skillset capable of surviving unexpected challenges; innovating production processes and products to accommodate emerging technologies that redefine the marketplace for existing products and services; adjusting to unforeseen economic disruption in global markets; ensuring information security and privacy of customers, employees, and partner firms, etc. At EMR, we posit that sustainability is about survival of the firm within an evolving eco-system governed by the laws of nature and of economic dynamism. The past decade has spawned a massive surge known as the “green revolution,” suggesting a growing awareness of the inextricable link between society’s rush toward technological advancement and its impact on the environment. Never before has Schumpeter’s elixir of “creative destruction” been more meaningful than it is today! How do managers measure value in this context? What are the causal relationships that warrant scrutiny? Does sustainability drive innovation or is it the other way around? What role does the social dimension play in managing a sustainability project? How will entrepreneurs find new and fruitful opportunities in the uncertain times that lie ahead? These are some of the questions that we explore in this issue of EMR. I find this topic exciting and refreshing and hope that you do as well!
