Pasi Heikkurinen | University of Leeds (original) (raw)
Articles by Pasi Heikkurinen
Sustainability beyond Technology: Philosophy, Critique, and Implications for Human Organization, 2021
On the basis of the chapters of the book, it can be concluded that increasing technology use and ... more On the basis of the chapters of the book, it can be concluded that increasing technology use and advancement are not necessarily a desired phenomenon. In addition to the positive consequences that we often hear about, the effects of technology are at times neutral, but often also negative. For this reason, we should always consider not only the potential of technology but also its pitfalls from various points of view, including non-anthropocentric perspectives. This leads us to abandon any one-dimensionality, such as the techno- optimism prevailing particularly in the discourses of ecological modernization and green growth, and to call for an investigative attitude in the study of technology in relation to sustainability.
Sustainability beyond Technology: Philosophy, Critique, and Implications for Human Organization, 2021
This chapter introduces four different ways to perceive technology and technological development ... more This chapter introduces four different ways to perceive technology and technological development in relation to sustainability. These are (1) optimism, (2) pessimism, (3) neutralism, and (4) holism. In addition to and alongside introducing the four perspectives on technology and sustainability, four contemporary fallacies surrounding technology are presented. These fallacies are (1) technological development reduces environmental impacts (the decoupling fallacy); (2) technological development benefits everyone (the equity fallacy); (3) technological systems and technological development are autonomous (the autonomy fallacy); and (4) the phenomenon of technology and technological development can be rationalized entirely (the intellect fallacy).
Futura, 2020
Tämä erikoisnumero luotaa uuden vuosi- tuhannen kohtuuskeskustelua Suomessa. Kohtuullisen tulev... more Tämä erikoisnumero luotaa uuden vuosi- tuhannen kohtuuskeskustelua Suomessa. Kohtuullisen tulevaisuuden hahmottaminen on äärimmäisen ajankohtaista tänä aikana, jolloin merkit ihmisten aiheuttamista ekolo- gisista kriiseistä ovat ilmeisiä ja lisääntyvät kiihtyvällä tahdilla. Kohtuutta siis tarvitaan nyt, jos koskaan.
Environmental Values, 2020
This article investigates human-nature relations in the light of the recent call for degrowth, a ... more This article investigates human-nature relations in the light of the recent call for degrowth, a radical reduction of matter-energy throughput in over-producing and over-consuming cultures. It outlines a culturally sensitive response to a (conceived) paradox where humans embedded in nature experience alienation and estrangement from it. The article finds that if nature has a core, then the experienced distance makes sense. To describe the core of nature, three temporal lenses are employed: the core of nature as 'the past', 'the future', and 'the present'. It is proposed that while the degrowth movement should be inclusive of temporal perspectives, the lens of the present should be emphasised to balance out the prevailing romanticism and futurism in the theory and practice of degrowth.
Organization and Environment, 2019
This article examines how agency should be conceptualized to manage the pressing problems of the ... more This article examines how agency should be conceptualized to manage the pressing problems of the Anthropocene in support of sustainable change. The article reviews and analyzes literature on agency in relation to planetary boundaries, advancing the relational view of agency in which no actors are granted a primary ontological status and agency is not limited to humans but may be attributed to other actors. This understanding of agency can effectively contribute to sustainable organizations; on the one hand, it enables non-anthropocentrism and on the other hand, admits that networks bind actors. We conclude that boundary blurring (between actors) and boundary formation (between actors and networks) are complementary processes. Consequently, relationality is proposed as an applicable means of respecting planetary boundaries, while recognizing that all action flows through circuits of power whose obligatory passage points are the major conduits for intervention. Intervention occurs through regulation and nudging action such as ecotaxation.
Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 2019
The call to transform the growth society lacks an analysis of the human will. Problematically for... more The call to transform the growth society lacks an analysis of the human will. Problematically for degrowth, the enactment of this so-called will to transform has undesired matter-energetic consequences. Every act of transformation requires matter-energy, adding to the cumulative throughput of societies. To revert the ecospherical metabolism from a state of overshoot to one of degrowth, a metamorphosis in being is proposed. Building on Heidegger's fundamental ontology, the article invites degrowth practitioners to become releasers by waiting for the unexpected and then to prepare for the expected, the collapse of civilization. A practice of releasement, where meditative thinking resides, is considered as an effective way to counter the destructive will to transform, and hence contribute to degrowth.
Ecological Economics, 2019
This article aims to reconcile tensions around ‘the Anthropocene’ by reviewing and integrating th... more This article aims to reconcile tensions around ‘the Anthropocene’ by reviewing and integrating the discourses on the new geological epoch. It is argued that the Anthropocene discourses based on natural and social sciences are complementary. The anthropogenic epoch detrimental to the Earth's biodiversity, however, does not reduce to any discourse. Instead of calling to reject discourses that do not accept this limitation of language or alternatively do not show sensitivity to contextual matters, the article demonstrates how different Anthropocene discourses can be combined. The study concludes that in order to exit the epoch, anthropocentric discourses on the Anthropocene remain ineffective unless complemented by non-anthropocentric discourses.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019
A variety of stakeholders are calling for businesses to take action regarding the prevailing unsu... more A variety of stakeholders are calling for businesses to take action regarding the prevailing unsustainable development. This article examines how firms operating on the micro-level could effectively address issues of sustainability on the macro-level. It is proposed that companies adopting extended eco-efficiency and eco-sufficiency strategies can effectively contribute to sustainability. This ‘extension’ in business strategy for sustainable change signifies that firms both increase the quality of production (eco-efficiency) and decrease the amount of production (eco-sufficiency) in their operations, as well as influence customers to consume both better (extended eco-efficiency) and less (extended eco-sufficiency). The article argues that due to their power and position in the supply chain, multinational companies of significant brand value are well suited to change production and consumption patterns through extended eco-efficiency. The extended eco-sufficiency strategy is considered to require support from non-commercial actors.
Philosophy of Management, 2019
This article examines parallels between the increasing mental burnout and environmental overshoot... more This article examines parallels between the increasing mental burnout and environmental overshoot in the organisational context. The article argues that there is a particular philosophy of management that connects these two phenomena of overshoot and burnout, namely productivism. As there are boundaries in all ecological processes and systems, the productivist aim of having ever more output and growth is deemed absurd. It is proposed that productivity as a management philosophy not only leads to mental ill-health in organisations but also to overshoot in the environment. The article concludes that productivism, which denies the limits in utilisation of humans and other natural resources, fits poorly with circular economy and sustainability. Hence, ecological management should be complemented with a more holistic and processual view of organizations, as well as have an aim of peaceful coexistence between all earthbound objects. This signifies acknowledging and caring for human and non-human needs both now and in future by applying the idea of moderation to production of goods and services.
Hannah Arendt's threefold conceptualization of human activity offers a useful base for understand... more Hannah Arendt's threefold conceptualization of human activity offers a useful base for understanding the necessity of degrowth and the kinds of activities required to achieve it. The article argues that the different roles of labour, work, and action should be acknowledged and scrutinized in detail to appreciate the underpinnings of contemporary overproduction and over-consumption, as well as to prompt the organization of an alternative society. While following the Arendtian analysis on the origins of meaningful political change, which emphasizes the utmost importance of 'action', the article also underscores the importance of a different conception of 'labour' through physical activity, such as community supported agriculture, and 'work' through social activity such as building off-grid energy systems. The study aligns itself with Arendt's key insight that the origin of most contemporary problems relates to the disappearance of 'action', which for her is political, but also argues that the distinction between 'paid' and 'non-paid' activity has to be carefully considered in the context of degrowth. The article concludes that non-paid activities, particularly in the form of Arendtian 'action', have great potential to contribute to the degrowth movement. Demonetized activities are important for degrowth, as monetary transactions in capitalist societies based on interest and debt tend to contribute to economic growth, which is deemed ecologically unsustainable.
Purpose – This article examines how responsibility and strategy can and should be connected in a ... more Purpose – This article examines how responsibility and strategy can and should be connected in a business organization. Design/methodology/approach – The article offers a review of the field by mapping previous studies according to their strategy and responsibility orientations and, consequently, identifies the classic perspective, as well as the major deficiencies and prevailing research gaps in the literature. Findings – The article contributes to the field of strategic corporate responsibility by reframing the field with a contender perspective that challenges the classic view of strategy and responsibility amalgamation. Together, the classic and the contender perspectives are synthesized to form an integrative perspective that is more holistic than those currently available. Originality/value – The article ends by calling for a reimagining of the relationship between corporate responsibility and strategy to find promising future research avenues and effective business practices suitable to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Engaging with Stakeholders: A Relational Perspective on Responsible Business (ed. Lindgreen, A., Maon, F., Vanhamme, J., Palacios Florencio, C., Strong, C.). , 2018
This chapter addresses firms' stakeholder relationships in the politicised global economy with a ... more This chapter addresses firms' stakeholder relationships in the politicised global economy with a focus on the following two questions: what is stakeholder engagement about and what should guide corporations when they engage with their stakeholders. Answers to these questions are provided from three distinct viewpoints, namely the economic, critical, and politico-ethical perspectives, on stakeholder engagement. The main argument of the chapter is that since each of the stakeholder engagement perspectives holds a different conception of society, their definitions of and purpose ascribed to stakeholder engagement are also different. After analysing the strengths and weaknesses of each of three perspectives, the chapter develops an integrative perspective on stakeholder engagement. The chapter ends with the discussion on the implications of the new, more holistic perspective on engaging with stakeholders.
In: Heikkurinen, P. (ed.). Sustainability and Peaceful Coexistence for the Anthropocene. Routledg... more In: Heikkurinen, P. (ed.). Sustainability and Peaceful Coexistence for the Anthropocene. Routledge: London and New York.
Introduction to the book 'Sustainability and Peaceful Coexistence for the Anthropocene'.
Acta Philosophica Fennica, 93: 449-463.
Purpose /// The focus of the enquiry is on the research question of how stakeholder claims for tr... more Purpose /// The focus of the enquiry is on the research question of how stakeholder claims for transparency work as a means to support responsibility in the international supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach /// This theoretical study analyses the relationship between stakeholder claims for corporate transparency and responsible business in the global context, and develops a conceptual model for further theoretical and empirical work.
Findings /// The study finds that the call for corporate transparency is insufficient as a means to increase responsibility within international supply chains. The erroneous belief that stakeholder claims for transparency will lead to responsible behaviour, is identified as the 'transparency fallacy'. The fallacy emerges from the denial of opacity in organisations and the blindness to the conditions of international supply chains (including complexity, distance, and resistance) that work against attempts to increase transparency.
Research limitations/implications /// Acknowledging the limits of the transparency mechanism in both management theory and practice is necessary in order to advance responsible business in the international arena. Being conceptual in nature, the generic limitations of the type of research apply.
Practical implications /// While acknowledging opacity, corporate managers and stakeholders should focus on changing the supply chain conditions to support responsible behaviour. This includes reducing complexity, distance, and resistance in the supply network.
Originality/value /// This study contests the commonly assumed link between corporate transparency and responsibility, and sheds light on the limits and unintended consequences of stakeholder attempts to impose transparency on business organisations.
The large-scale ecological damage caused by growth societies calls for economic degrowth in terms... more The large-scale ecological damage caused by growth societies calls for economic degrowth in terms of a radical decrease in matter/energy throughput. This article examines the role of modern technology in degrowth with a focus on the question of agency and its ethical implications. After conceptualising technology as practice, the paper finds that while technological practice encompasses an agency for social change, it is restricted to transforming the non-human world to human-made objects. This is because in technological practice the world and its objects unfold as a standing-reserve for human use. Due to this calculative and anthropocentric thinking, technological practice does not and cannot support the emergence of a kind of agency that either does or can let things be. Moreover, the more technological the practice, the more objects are utilised. The paper concludes that technological practice does not support the transition to degrowth, because it directs its agents towards the continuous transformation of non-human-made objects into human-made objects resulting in an increase in cumulative throughput. The paper thus suggests that an ethos of releasement is needed to attain, as well as to live in, a degrowth society. The rationale provided for refraining from the technological practice in order to contribute to ecologically sensible social change is the chief contribution of this paper.
This article develops an integrative perspective on corporate responsibility by synthesising comp... more This article develops an integrative perspective on corporate responsibility by synthesising competing perspectives on the responsibility of the corporation at the organisational and societal levels of analysis. We review three major corporate responsibility perspectives, which we refer to as economic, critical, and politico-ethical. We analyse the major potential uses and pitfalls of the perspectives, and integrate the debate on these two levels. Our synthesis concludes that when a society has a robust division of moral labour in place, the responsibility of a corporation may be economic (as suggested under the economic perspective) without jeopardising democracy and sustainability (as reported under the critical perspective). Moreover, the economic role of corporations neither signifies the absence of deliberative democratic mechanisms nor business practices extending beyond compliance (as called for under the politico-ethical perspective). The study underscores the value of integrating different perspectives and multiple levels of analysis to present comprehensive descriptions and prescriptions of the responsibility phenomenon.
As a response to anthropogenic ecological problems, a group of organisation scholars have acknowl... more As a response to anthropogenic ecological problems, a group of organisation scholars have acknowledged the importance of ecocentric theorising that takes materiality and non-human objects seriously. The purpose of this article is to examine the philosophical basis of ecocentric organisation studies and develop an ontological outline for ecocentric theorising in the Anthropocene. The paper identifies the central premises of ecocentric organisations from the previous literature, and complements the theory with a set of ontological qualities common to all objects. The study draws on recent advances in object-oriented and ecological philosophies to present three essential qualities of objects, namely autonomy, uniqueness, and intrinsicality. The paper discusses how these qualities are critical in reclaiming the lost credibility and practical relevance of ecocentrism in both organisational theory and the sustainability sciences in general. To organise human activities in a sustainable manner in the new geological era, a new ontology is needed that not only includes materiality and non-humans in the analysis, but also leads to an ecologically and ethically broader understanding of ecospheric beings and their relationships.
This paper reviews and compares two mainstream business theories, namely market and stakeholder o... more This paper reviews and compares two mainstream business theories, namely market and stakeholder orientations, as contending strategies of corporate responsibility for sustainable development. We argue that even though stakeholder orientation offers a broader inclusion of values and expectations than market orientation, they share considerable similarities in terms of sustainability assumptions and how the role of the corporation becomes perceived in the quest for sustainable development. Both strategies leave responsibility outside the firm by emphasising the role of either customers or stakeholders as the basis of strategizing. Both strategies are also based on assumptions consistent with weak sustainability (at best), which is argued to be insufficient in order to achieve sustainability over time and space. Therefore, this article suggests that a new orientation is needed if corporations are to contribute to sustainable development, namely sustainable development orientation. We call for further research in outlining a business strategy that admits corporations' responsibility for sustainable development and departs from the strong sustainability assumption.
Sustainability beyond Technology: Philosophy, Critique, and Implications for Human Organization, 2021
On the basis of the chapters of the book, it can be concluded that increasing technology use and ... more On the basis of the chapters of the book, it can be concluded that increasing technology use and advancement are not necessarily a desired phenomenon. In addition to the positive consequences that we often hear about, the effects of technology are at times neutral, but often also negative. For this reason, we should always consider not only the potential of technology but also its pitfalls from various points of view, including non-anthropocentric perspectives. This leads us to abandon any one-dimensionality, such as the techno- optimism prevailing particularly in the discourses of ecological modernization and green growth, and to call for an investigative attitude in the study of technology in relation to sustainability.
Sustainability beyond Technology: Philosophy, Critique, and Implications for Human Organization, 2021
This chapter introduces four different ways to perceive technology and technological development ... more This chapter introduces four different ways to perceive technology and technological development in relation to sustainability. These are (1) optimism, (2) pessimism, (3) neutralism, and (4) holism. In addition to and alongside introducing the four perspectives on technology and sustainability, four contemporary fallacies surrounding technology are presented. These fallacies are (1) technological development reduces environmental impacts (the decoupling fallacy); (2) technological development benefits everyone (the equity fallacy); (3) technological systems and technological development are autonomous (the autonomy fallacy); and (4) the phenomenon of technology and technological development can be rationalized entirely (the intellect fallacy).
Futura, 2020
Tämä erikoisnumero luotaa uuden vuosi- tuhannen kohtuuskeskustelua Suomessa. Kohtuullisen tulev... more Tämä erikoisnumero luotaa uuden vuosi- tuhannen kohtuuskeskustelua Suomessa. Kohtuullisen tulevaisuuden hahmottaminen on äärimmäisen ajankohtaista tänä aikana, jolloin merkit ihmisten aiheuttamista ekolo- gisista kriiseistä ovat ilmeisiä ja lisääntyvät kiihtyvällä tahdilla. Kohtuutta siis tarvitaan nyt, jos koskaan.
Environmental Values, 2020
This article investigates human-nature relations in the light of the recent call for degrowth, a ... more This article investigates human-nature relations in the light of the recent call for degrowth, a radical reduction of matter-energy throughput in over-producing and over-consuming cultures. It outlines a culturally sensitive response to a (conceived) paradox where humans embedded in nature experience alienation and estrangement from it. The article finds that if nature has a core, then the experienced distance makes sense. To describe the core of nature, three temporal lenses are employed: the core of nature as 'the past', 'the future', and 'the present'. It is proposed that while the degrowth movement should be inclusive of temporal perspectives, the lens of the present should be emphasised to balance out the prevailing romanticism and futurism in the theory and practice of degrowth.
Organization and Environment, 2019
This article examines how agency should be conceptualized to manage the pressing problems of the ... more This article examines how agency should be conceptualized to manage the pressing problems of the Anthropocene in support of sustainable change. The article reviews and analyzes literature on agency in relation to planetary boundaries, advancing the relational view of agency in which no actors are granted a primary ontological status and agency is not limited to humans but may be attributed to other actors. This understanding of agency can effectively contribute to sustainable organizations; on the one hand, it enables non-anthropocentrism and on the other hand, admits that networks bind actors. We conclude that boundary blurring (between actors) and boundary formation (between actors and networks) are complementary processes. Consequently, relationality is proposed as an applicable means of respecting planetary boundaries, while recognizing that all action flows through circuits of power whose obligatory passage points are the major conduits for intervention. Intervention occurs through regulation and nudging action such as ecotaxation.
Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 2019
The call to transform the growth society lacks an analysis of the human will. Problematically for... more The call to transform the growth society lacks an analysis of the human will. Problematically for degrowth, the enactment of this so-called will to transform has undesired matter-energetic consequences. Every act of transformation requires matter-energy, adding to the cumulative throughput of societies. To revert the ecospherical metabolism from a state of overshoot to one of degrowth, a metamorphosis in being is proposed. Building on Heidegger's fundamental ontology, the article invites degrowth practitioners to become releasers by waiting for the unexpected and then to prepare for the expected, the collapse of civilization. A practice of releasement, where meditative thinking resides, is considered as an effective way to counter the destructive will to transform, and hence contribute to degrowth.
Ecological Economics, 2019
This article aims to reconcile tensions around ‘the Anthropocene’ by reviewing and integrating th... more This article aims to reconcile tensions around ‘the Anthropocene’ by reviewing and integrating the discourses on the new geological epoch. It is argued that the Anthropocene discourses based on natural and social sciences are complementary. The anthropogenic epoch detrimental to the Earth's biodiversity, however, does not reduce to any discourse. Instead of calling to reject discourses that do not accept this limitation of language or alternatively do not show sensitivity to contextual matters, the article demonstrates how different Anthropocene discourses can be combined. The study concludes that in order to exit the epoch, anthropocentric discourses on the Anthropocene remain ineffective unless complemented by non-anthropocentric discourses.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019
A variety of stakeholders are calling for businesses to take action regarding the prevailing unsu... more A variety of stakeholders are calling for businesses to take action regarding the prevailing unsustainable development. This article examines how firms operating on the micro-level could effectively address issues of sustainability on the macro-level. It is proposed that companies adopting extended eco-efficiency and eco-sufficiency strategies can effectively contribute to sustainability. This ‘extension’ in business strategy for sustainable change signifies that firms both increase the quality of production (eco-efficiency) and decrease the amount of production (eco-sufficiency) in their operations, as well as influence customers to consume both better (extended eco-efficiency) and less (extended eco-sufficiency). The article argues that due to their power and position in the supply chain, multinational companies of significant brand value are well suited to change production and consumption patterns through extended eco-efficiency. The extended eco-sufficiency strategy is considered to require support from non-commercial actors.
Philosophy of Management, 2019
This article examines parallels between the increasing mental burnout and environmental overshoot... more This article examines parallels between the increasing mental burnout and environmental overshoot in the organisational context. The article argues that there is a particular philosophy of management that connects these two phenomena of overshoot and burnout, namely productivism. As there are boundaries in all ecological processes and systems, the productivist aim of having ever more output and growth is deemed absurd. It is proposed that productivity as a management philosophy not only leads to mental ill-health in organisations but also to overshoot in the environment. The article concludes that productivism, which denies the limits in utilisation of humans and other natural resources, fits poorly with circular economy and sustainability. Hence, ecological management should be complemented with a more holistic and processual view of organizations, as well as have an aim of peaceful coexistence between all earthbound objects. This signifies acknowledging and caring for human and non-human needs both now and in future by applying the idea of moderation to production of goods and services.
Hannah Arendt's threefold conceptualization of human activity offers a useful base for understand... more Hannah Arendt's threefold conceptualization of human activity offers a useful base for understanding the necessity of degrowth and the kinds of activities required to achieve it. The article argues that the different roles of labour, work, and action should be acknowledged and scrutinized in detail to appreciate the underpinnings of contemporary overproduction and over-consumption, as well as to prompt the organization of an alternative society. While following the Arendtian analysis on the origins of meaningful political change, which emphasizes the utmost importance of 'action', the article also underscores the importance of a different conception of 'labour' through physical activity, such as community supported agriculture, and 'work' through social activity such as building off-grid energy systems. The study aligns itself with Arendt's key insight that the origin of most contemporary problems relates to the disappearance of 'action', which for her is political, but also argues that the distinction between 'paid' and 'non-paid' activity has to be carefully considered in the context of degrowth. The article concludes that non-paid activities, particularly in the form of Arendtian 'action', have great potential to contribute to the degrowth movement. Demonetized activities are important for degrowth, as monetary transactions in capitalist societies based on interest and debt tend to contribute to economic growth, which is deemed ecologically unsustainable.
Purpose – This article examines how responsibility and strategy can and should be connected in a ... more Purpose – This article examines how responsibility and strategy can and should be connected in a business organization. Design/methodology/approach – The article offers a review of the field by mapping previous studies according to their strategy and responsibility orientations and, consequently, identifies the classic perspective, as well as the major deficiencies and prevailing research gaps in the literature. Findings – The article contributes to the field of strategic corporate responsibility by reframing the field with a contender perspective that challenges the classic view of strategy and responsibility amalgamation. Together, the classic and the contender perspectives are synthesized to form an integrative perspective that is more holistic than those currently available. Originality/value – The article ends by calling for a reimagining of the relationship between corporate responsibility and strategy to find promising future research avenues and effective business practices suitable to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Engaging with Stakeholders: A Relational Perspective on Responsible Business (ed. Lindgreen, A., Maon, F., Vanhamme, J., Palacios Florencio, C., Strong, C.). , 2018
This chapter addresses firms' stakeholder relationships in the politicised global economy with a ... more This chapter addresses firms' stakeholder relationships in the politicised global economy with a focus on the following two questions: what is stakeholder engagement about and what should guide corporations when they engage with their stakeholders. Answers to these questions are provided from three distinct viewpoints, namely the economic, critical, and politico-ethical perspectives, on stakeholder engagement. The main argument of the chapter is that since each of the stakeholder engagement perspectives holds a different conception of society, their definitions of and purpose ascribed to stakeholder engagement are also different. After analysing the strengths and weaknesses of each of three perspectives, the chapter develops an integrative perspective on stakeholder engagement. The chapter ends with the discussion on the implications of the new, more holistic perspective on engaging with stakeholders.
In: Heikkurinen, P. (ed.). Sustainability and Peaceful Coexistence for the Anthropocene. Routledg... more In: Heikkurinen, P. (ed.). Sustainability and Peaceful Coexistence for the Anthropocene. Routledge: London and New York.
Introduction to the book 'Sustainability and Peaceful Coexistence for the Anthropocene'.
Acta Philosophica Fennica, 93: 449-463.
Purpose /// The focus of the enquiry is on the research question of how stakeholder claims for tr... more Purpose /// The focus of the enquiry is on the research question of how stakeholder claims for transparency work as a means to support responsibility in the international supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach /// This theoretical study analyses the relationship between stakeholder claims for corporate transparency and responsible business in the global context, and develops a conceptual model for further theoretical and empirical work.
Findings /// The study finds that the call for corporate transparency is insufficient as a means to increase responsibility within international supply chains. The erroneous belief that stakeholder claims for transparency will lead to responsible behaviour, is identified as the 'transparency fallacy'. The fallacy emerges from the denial of opacity in organisations and the blindness to the conditions of international supply chains (including complexity, distance, and resistance) that work against attempts to increase transparency.
Research limitations/implications /// Acknowledging the limits of the transparency mechanism in both management theory and practice is necessary in order to advance responsible business in the international arena. Being conceptual in nature, the generic limitations of the type of research apply.
Practical implications /// While acknowledging opacity, corporate managers and stakeholders should focus on changing the supply chain conditions to support responsible behaviour. This includes reducing complexity, distance, and resistance in the supply network.
Originality/value /// This study contests the commonly assumed link between corporate transparency and responsibility, and sheds light on the limits and unintended consequences of stakeholder attempts to impose transparency on business organisations.
The large-scale ecological damage caused by growth societies calls for economic degrowth in terms... more The large-scale ecological damage caused by growth societies calls for economic degrowth in terms of a radical decrease in matter/energy throughput. This article examines the role of modern technology in degrowth with a focus on the question of agency and its ethical implications. After conceptualising technology as practice, the paper finds that while technological practice encompasses an agency for social change, it is restricted to transforming the non-human world to human-made objects. This is because in technological practice the world and its objects unfold as a standing-reserve for human use. Due to this calculative and anthropocentric thinking, technological practice does not and cannot support the emergence of a kind of agency that either does or can let things be. Moreover, the more technological the practice, the more objects are utilised. The paper concludes that technological practice does not support the transition to degrowth, because it directs its agents towards the continuous transformation of non-human-made objects into human-made objects resulting in an increase in cumulative throughput. The paper thus suggests that an ethos of releasement is needed to attain, as well as to live in, a degrowth society. The rationale provided for refraining from the technological practice in order to contribute to ecologically sensible social change is the chief contribution of this paper.
This article develops an integrative perspective on corporate responsibility by synthesising comp... more This article develops an integrative perspective on corporate responsibility by synthesising competing perspectives on the responsibility of the corporation at the organisational and societal levels of analysis. We review three major corporate responsibility perspectives, which we refer to as economic, critical, and politico-ethical. We analyse the major potential uses and pitfalls of the perspectives, and integrate the debate on these two levels. Our synthesis concludes that when a society has a robust division of moral labour in place, the responsibility of a corporation may be economic (as suggested under the economic perspective) without jeopardising democracy and sustainability (as reported under the critical perspective). Moreover, the economic role of corporations neither signifies the absence of deliberative democratic mechanisms nor business practices extending beyond compliance (as called for under the politico-ethical perspective). The study underscores the value of integrating different perspectives and multiple levels of analysis to present comprehensive descriptions and prescriptions of the responsibility phenomenon.
As a response to anthropogenic ecological problems, a group of organisation scholars have acknowl... more As a response to anthropogenic ecological problems, a group of organisation scholars have acknowledged the importance of ecocentric theorising that takes materiality and non-human objects seriously. The purpose of this article is to examine the philosophical basis of ecocentric organisation studies and develop an ontological outline for ecocentric theorising in the Anthropocene. The paper identifies the central premises of ecocentric organisations from the previous literature, and complements the theory with a set of ontological qualities common to all objects. The study draws on recent advances in object-oriented and ecological philosophies to present three essential qualities of objects, namely autonomy, uniqueness, and intrinsicality. The paper discusses how these qualities are critical in reclaiming the lost credibility and practical relevance of ecocentrism in both organisational theory and the sustainability sciences in general. To organise human activities in a sustainable manner in the new geological era, a new ontology is needed that not only includes materiality and non-humans in the analysis, but also leads to an ecologically and ethically broader understanding of ecospheric beings and their relationships.
This paper reviews and compares two mainstream business theories, namely market and stakeholder o... more This paper reviews and compares two mainstream business theories, namely market and stakeholder orientations, as contending strategies of corporate responsibility for sustainable development. We argue that even though stakeholder orientation offers a broader inclusion of values and expectations than market orientation, they share considerable similarities in terms of sustainability assumptions and how the role of the corporation becomes perceived in the quest for sustainable development. Both strategies leave responsibility outside the firm by emphasising the role of either customers or stakeholders as the basis of strategizing. Both strategies are also based on assumptions consistent with weak sustainability (at best), which is argued to be insufficient in order to achieve sustainability over time and space. Therefore, this article suggests that a new orientation is needed if corporations are to contribute to sustainable development, namely sustainable development orientation. We call for further research in outlining a business strategy that admits corporations' responsibility for sustainable development and departs from the strong sustainability assumption.
Antroposeenissä ihmiset käyttävät väärin valtaansa suhteessa ei-inhimilliseen maailmaan, lähinnä ... more Antroposeenissä ihmiset käyttävät väärin valtaansa suhteessa ei-inhimilliseen maailmaan, lähinnä tyydyttäen toissijaisia tarpeitaan ja alati kasvavia materiaalisia halujaan. Yleisesti hyväksytystä ihmiskeskeisestä maailmankuvasta johtuen vallan väärinkäyttöä ei tulkita väkivallaksi vaan kehitykseksi. Elonkehä ei kuitenkaan ole olemassa pelkästään ihmisiä varten. On siis aika määritellä väkivalta uudelleen.
Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Apr 12, 2024
Alue ja ympäristö, Aug 30, 2023
Oxford University Press eBooks, Mar 29, 2021
On the basis of the chapters of the book, it is concluded that increasing technology use and adva... more On the basis of the chapters of the book, it is concluded that increasing technology use and advancement are not necessarily a desired phenomenon. In addition to the positive consequences that we often hear about, the effects of technology are at times neutral, but often also negative. For this reason, we should always consider not only the potential of technology but also its pitfalls from various points of view, including non-anthropocentric perspectives. This leads us to abandon any one-dimensionality, such as the techno-optimism prevailing particularly in the discourses of ecological modernization and green growth, and to call for an investigative attitude in the study of technology in relation to sustainability.
Ecological Economics, May 1, 2022
Maaseutututkimus =, Jul 3, 2023
Global sustainability, Apr 24, 2023
Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Feb 23, 2023
Journal of Cleaner Production, Mar 1, 2013
Sustainability, Mar 26, 2020
Environmental Science & Policy, Mar 1, 2022
International handbooks in business ethics, 2017
Environmental Values, 2021
This article analyses the concept of sufficiency in relation to sustainability and discusses ethi... more This article analyses the concept of sufficiency in relation to sustainability and discusses ethical implications for sustainable organisation in time and place. We identify three foundational conceptualisations of sufficiency related to sustainability: (1) a limits model that starts with objective boundaries imposed by the biosphere and basic human needs; (2) a preference model that treats sufficiency as a subjective inclination for moderation defined situationally; and (3) a balancing model that seeks to integrate the objective limits and subjective preferences by focussing on action embedded in the socio-ecological context. This includes balancing the needs of humans with those of non-humans. The limits model builds on universal duty, the preference model on preference utilitarianism and the balancing model on action-oriented virtue ethics. The balancing model of sufficiency is well suited to meeting the needs of present and future generations as well as delivering intra- and int...
Routledge eBooks, Sep 27, 2018
Oxford University Press, Mar 31, 2021
Current debates on sustainability are largely building on a problematic assumption that increasin... more Current debates on sustainability are largely building on a problematic assumption that increasing technology use and advancement are a desired phenomenon, creating positive change in human organizations. This kind of techno-optimism prevails particularly in the discourses of ecological modernization and green growth, as well as in the attempts to design sustainable modes of production and consumption within growth-driven capitalism. This transdisciplinary book investigates the philosophical underpinnings of technology, presents a culturally sensitive critique to technology, and outlines feasible alternatives for sustainability beyond technology. It draws on a variety of scholarly disciplines, including the humanities (philosophy and environmental history), social sciences (ecological economics, political economy, and ecology) and natural sciences (geology and thermodynamics) to contribute to sustainability theory and policy. By examining the conflicts and contradictions between technology and sustainability in human organization, the book develops a novel way to conceptualize, confront, and change technology in modern society.
Sustainability Beyond Technology
This chapter presents common ways to perceive technology and technological development in relatio... more This chapter presents common ways to perceive technology and technological development in relation to sustainability. These are (1) technological optimism, (2) technological pessimism, (3) technological neutralism, and (4) technological holism. In addition, four contemporary fallacies surrounding technology are presented: (1) technological development reduces environmental impacts (the decoupling fallacy); (2) technological development benefits everyone (the equity fallacy); (3) technological development is outside human control (the autonomy fallacy); and (4) technological development can be rationalized entirely (the intellect fallacy). The chapter argues that technology is a historically and contextually diverse phenomenon—there certainly are technologies, which can serve sustainability, but to understand what these are and what their use entails, any one-dimensional and/or linear view has to be abandoned.
Sustainability beyond Technology: Philosophy, Critique, and Implications for Human Organization, 2021
Current debates on sustainability are largely building on a problematic assumption that increasin... more Current debates on sustainability are largely building on a problematic assumption that increasing technology use and advancement are a desired phenomenon, creating positive change in human organizations. This kind of techno-optimism prevails particularly in the discourses of ecological modernization and green growth, as well as in the attempts to design sustainable modes of production and consumption within growth-driven capitalism. This transdisciplinary book investigates the philosophical underpinnings of technology, presents a culturally sensitive critique to technology, and outlines feasible alternatives for sustainability beyond technology. It draws on a variety of scholarly disciplines, including the humanities (philosophy and environmental history), social sciences (ecological economics, political economy, and ecology) and natural sciences (geology and thermodynamics) to contribute to sustainability theory and policy. By examining the conflicts and contradictions between technology and sustainability in human organization, the book develops a novel way to conceptualize, confront, and change technology in modern society.
The rapid industrialization of societies has resulted in radical changes to the Earth’s biosphere... more The rapid industrialization of societies has resulted in radical changes to the Earth’s biosphere and its local ecosystems. Climate scientists have recorded and forecasted worrying global temperature rises going back to the early twentieth century, while biologists and palaeontologists have suggested that the next mass extinction is on its way if the current rate of species loss continues. To avert further ecological damage, excessive natural resource use and environmental deterioration are challenges that humanity must deal with now. The human species has had such a significant impact on the natural environment that the present geological epoch can be referred to as the ‘Anthropocene’, the age of humans. The blame and responsibility for the prevailing unsustainability, however, cannot be assigned equally to all humans.
To analyse the root problems and consequences of unsustainable development, as well as to outline rigorous solutions for the contemporary age, this transdisciplinary book brings together natural and social sciences under the rubric of the Anthropocene. The book identifies the central preconditions for social organization and governance to enable the peaceful coexistence of humans and the non-human world. The contributors investigate the burning questions of sustainability from a number of different perspectives including geosciences, economics, law, organizational studies, political theory and philosophy. The book is a state-of-the-art review of the Anthropocene debate and provides crucial signposts for how human activities can, and should, be changed.