Historically, management theory has ignored the constraints imposed by the biophysical (natural) environment. Building upon resource-based theory, this article attempts to fill this void by proposing a natural-resource-based view of the firm—a theory of competitive advantage based upon the firm's relationship to the natural environment. It is composed of three interconnected strategies: pollution prevention, product stewardship, and sustainable development. Propositions are advanced for each of these strategies regarding key resource requirements and their contributions to sustained competitive advantage.

A natural resource-based view of the firm

Organizational Analysis: A Sociological View

A novel component of the European Research Area will require national funders' cooperation.

A New Era

In this paper we present findings of how employees from a single organization understand corporate sustainability. Responses from 255 survey participants indicate (1) that differences exist in how employees understand corporate sustainability and (2) that these differences can be partially explained by the presence of organizational subcultures and by differences in employee awareness of the organization's sustainability practices. In particular, findings reveal that employees from a subculture with a stronger emphasis on hierarchical and bureaucratic values emphasize an economic understanding of corporate sustainability. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Subcultures and Sustainability Practices: theImpact on Understanding Corporate Sustainability

Using surveys data from controllers of 79 larger companies, this study examines the extent to which firms integrate sustainability measures into their strategic performance measurement systems (SPMS) and align these measures with strategy. The authors explain why practices vary across companies.

Integrating sustainability measures into strategic performance measurement systems: An empirical study

Although companies are continuously implementing the environmental discourse in
 their external reporting, yet, very fewer studies talk about how management control
 systems (MCS) support sustainability and environmental performance within
 organizations and embed in the organization. As a consequence of the worldwide
 environmental issues, companies are trying to start the environmental friendly
 practices. In response to the threats created by climate change and other environmental
 issues, companies are trying to prioritize sustainability as a core business issue. Many
 companies have already learned that sustainability can be a competitive advantage;
 however, in developing countries, the majority of companies in manufacturing
 industry have been failed to address these challenges.
 Therefore, the role of MCS is critical for the contemporary business arena as a source
 of controlling the behavior of employees and evaluating organizational resources for
 implementing strategies efficiently and effectively. Despite the fact that organizations
 continuously recognize environmental discourse in their external reporting, yet, a
 countable have discussed the importance of MCS that support sustainability and
 environmental performance within organizations. Existing literature reveals that
 organizational culture plays a vital role for successful implementation, yet little
 empirical research has been done to describe the relationship between organizational
 culture and MCA. In this context, this research fills this gap by investigating the role
 of organizational culture (OC) for development of environmental management control
 systems (EMCS) for better firm performance.
 Using survey data from a sample of Pakistan manufacturing firms, 314 responses were
 collected and analyzed by using Smart-PLS 3.2.6. Results suggest that flexible values
 of OC led to the development of the informal EMC, and stable values led to development of formal EMC. The formal and informal EMCS result in better firm
 performance. The results reveal that mediation of formal EMCS with the mission and
 environmental performance, and formal EMCS with the mission and social
 performance were not significant. The full mediation has been observed for
 consistency in its relationship with formal EMCS and economic and social
 performance and partial mediation in the relationship between formal EMCS and
 environmental performance. The most surprising aspect of an indirect impact of the
 mission on the environment and social performance which is not significant without
 any mediation and the only direct effect is significant. The relationship of involvement
 with economic and social performance is significant and positive. The relationship of
 involvement with environmental performance is not significant. The findings show
 that there is no significant impact of adaptability on economic, environmental and
 social performance. The consistency is also not significant with the relationship of
 firm performance. The findings reveal that mission is significantly associated with the
 environmental and social performance.
 The findings of this empirical research make three contributions. First, it demonstrates
 how companies align OC to develop an environmental culture that supports the
 development of EMCS, and that as a result improves firm’s performance. Based on
 the contingency theory, this study provides evidence that OC directly affects the
 design and use of MCS. The results further reveal that EMCS fully mediate the effect
 of OC on economic performance. Thus, EMCS can be used to translate environmental
 strategies into high firm performance, supporting earlier research with broad empirical
 evidence. Furthermore, this study contributes to the literature regarding environmental
 practices and sustainability. This study extends previous research on the effect of
 EMCS into a more traditional MCS. The current study’s results revealed that firm
 performance including the environmental performance is much higher when
 environmental aspects are integrated into a more traditional MCS. Third, the study
 demonstrates that integration of an environmental culture leads to more developed
 EMCS. Companies with substantial environmental issues (i.e., manufacturing industry
 in Pakistan) may develop strategies that seriously address environmental concerns and
 implement additional measures to improve their environmental performance.

Effects of organizational culture on environmental management control system and performance of manufacturing firms in Pakistan

Background: Oral isotretinoin (Roaccutane) is one of the most effective treatments for severe acne. However, it displays significant side effects such as teratogenicity and psychological adverse events. Previous studies have reported inadequate awareness of community pharmacists and the general population regarding the medication's potential risks and adverse effects. The aim of this study is to assess pharmacy students’ awareness and knowledge about the appropriate use of oral isotretinoin (known as Roaccutane) and its associated side effects in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that uses a validated online questionnaire adopted from the literature distributed among pharmacy students between September 2021 and November 2021. Results: This study includes 1044 pharmacy students from multiple regions of Saudi Arabia. Among the total number of students included, 47.5% of the participants had used oral isotretinoin before or had a close family member who had used it previously. The most well-known side effect reported is skin dryness (87.7%), followed by teratogenicity (45.2%) and depression (37.9%). Most of the students (90.6%) know that isotretinoin’s use is contraindicated in pregnancy. Despite this, only 39.6% of the participants state that married women of childbearing age using isotretinoin must utilize two types of contraception. There was a significant difference between genders in their knowledge about the side effects of the medication (P=0.01), as well as the safety precautions that women of childbearing age should take while taking the medication, as females had better knowledge and understanding of the required measures. Conclusion: The total awareness level of pharmacy students about the most common side effects of isotretinoin is generally high. However, the students’ knowledge about teratogenicity and depression is inadequate. We recommend paying attention to providing better education on the potential risks and precautionary measures related to the use of this medication, especially for women of childbearing age.

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Hussain Bakhsh

Papers

Effects of organizational culture on environmental management control system and performance of manufacturing firms in Pakistan

An Assessment of the Knowledge of Oral Isotretinoin (Roaccutane) Treatment Among Pharmacy Students in Saudi Arabia