The term "sustainability" can be defined in different ways depending upon the framing of the contextual reference. In the globalized business environment of the early-21st century, however, the contextual reference wherein the term "sustainability" is most cogent is corporate social responsibility. Within the context of corporate social responsibility, sustainability refers to the management of the use of resources in a way that seeks to perpetuate resource supply, as opposed to exploiting resources with an objective of maximizing short-term profitability. When considered in this context, resources include air, land, and water, as well as the substances that are extracted from the physical environment. Socially responsible corporations, thus, seek to attain an optimal balance between sustainability and profitability in their operations (Crane, 2007; Mager & Sibilia, 2010).
Within a globalized business environment wherein resources are increasing scarce and ecological change is a part of the equation, sustainability and profitability are not either/or options. Rather, sustainability and profitability are interdependent variables. A socially responsible corporation cannot protect the environment without the level of profits required to effectively implement sustainable strategies. In turn, sustainable profits depend on a sustainable resource base that cannot be maintained if it is sacrificed for short-term corporate gain (Crane, 2007).
Vodafone is a global provider of mobile telecommunications services. The Company pursues a sustainability strategy that pursues (a) eco-efficiency in operations and in consumer uses of products and services, (b) innovation in the development of carbon-saving machine-to-machine (M2M) customer connections, and (c) a formalized, monitors, and enforced organizational commitment to socially responsible corporate behavior (Vodafone Group plc, 2011). Vodafone
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