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Sustainable Development: The Ethics Support the Economics

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Abstract

Within their value chains of suppliers through customers, many businesses are becoming more aware of the environmental aspects and impacts of their organizations. Viewed as a continuum of behavior, business environmentalism can range from simply complying with the law to accepting and pursuing a goal of sustainable development. The point on the continuum at which an organization chooses to operate is reflected in its environmental mission, policies, and actions. Attributes of the various levels of behavior and classification of some organizational mission statements are examined in this paper.

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Payne, D.M., Raiborn, C.A. Sustainable Development: The Ethics Support the Economics. Journal of Business Ethics 32, 157–168 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010726830191

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010726830191

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