Excerpt

Full Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix
Professor Cary L. Cooper, CBE xi
Professor Erik Bichard xiii

A man of our time
The futility of the waggling finger
Excuses, excuses
Legislation, technology and market forces are not enough

2 People are irrational and self-centred
The apparently hopeless case of sustainable behaviour
Failure is not inevitable (Part 1)
Failure is not inevitable (Part 2)
Our survey said …
Reacting to evidence
The myth of developing world self-interest
Don’t look at me
The mind is willing but …
Incentives and spurs
Yes I am doing my bit – aren’t I?
Behaviour in the context of reform

3 Leaders and the bolt of light
Getting personal about sustainability
Are business leaders bad people?
Change of heart or change in fashion?
Reputation and corporate conformity
Is it a conviction thing?
Individual conviction: Terry Thomas
Individual conviction: Ray Anderson
Individual conviction: Yvon Chouinard
Isolated stories or a recipe for global success?

4 Working together: boycotts, campaigns and the feelgood factor
Who’s talking, and who’s listening?
The door to the burning building
Rallying around the Spar
The search for a little respect
Dissecting effective campaigns
Why boycotts and campaigns are a positive force for change

5 What is it about the Swedes?
The making of a reputation
Do they mean us?
Sustainability as a cultural characteristic
Do Swedes live it?
Sustainable talk
Consensus as a nature-based thing
Understanding more about nature as Swedish social context
Can the Swedish experience be translated?

6 Why sustainable change works better at work
Workers’ sustainability time
Can attitudes about sustainability be changed at work?
Attitude change through persuasion

7 Acting sustainably – the power of theatre
Art, science and sustainability
Can plastic ever be fantastic?
Playing at a theatre near you
Positive movement and the creation of space

8 Nature as persuader
Our common thread
The rift between man and nature
Why the connection between our actions and nature’s problems matters
We are not in Kansas anymore
Awe of nature as a motivator
Valuing nature
Awe, empathy and the workplace
Nature as context

9 It’s values and emotions, stupid!
Two Formula 1 racing car drivers stood at the gates of heaven
The role of emotion in sustainable change
The fuzzy world of values
What does a values-driven business mean in practice?

10 You shall be rewarded
The unattractively paternalistic world of happiness
I’m so sorry, let me buy you another
An end to the blame game
I can’t wait for you
An end to inaction
Dangling the prize
Incentives in the workplace
Looking in the right place for the right incentive
Positive responsibility and habits

11 The next positive steps forward
Life in the freezer
Positive change is possible
Comfort in numbers
I, human
Rewarding cultures
Don’t worry, but do hurry

References