Dow Chemical's Use of E-Commerce in
Executive Summary
No organization could be further from the image of the "tree hugger" than the world 's largest chemical producer, Dow Chemical Company. Yet for all of industry 's superficial acknowledgement of the need for environmental responsibility, no other organization has so completely focused on balancing financial, social and environmental results. Dow has incorporated a highly successful e-commerce strategy, not only for the benefits it can yield in business results, but also as part of its ongoing implementation and management of its Triple Bottom Line business model.
Introduction
"The ocean will be dead in seven years!" So prophesied actor Ted Danson nearly 20 years ago in the environmental Chicken Little alarm that encouraged everyone to "save the earth." Clearly, the ocean is still alive, and even Ralph Nader has given up his campaign to rid Los Angeles of cars. Well-meaning but misinformed and misdirected groups and individuals so trivialized environmental issues that those with the means and ability to make real differences in essence tuned them out.
Eventually, formerly left-leaning members of academia began to realize that no, society was not going to regress to horse-and-buggy days; and businesses must operate profitably if they are to remain in business and so benefit the local, regional and national economy. A conference held in North Carolina in 1982 was the first to address both extremes in an effort to arrive at workable solutions. By the early 1990s, the concept of the triple bottom line (TBL) had emerged. The TBL model recognizes that businesses must be profitable, but it measures their success in terms of social and environmental issues as well. Long-term goals of the TBL include bringing value to all stakeholders and achieving truly sustainable practices.
The view of the TBL model at most organizations is that it is a "nice" gesture but not truly workable in the real world. Dow Chemical Company takes the opposite view,
No organization could be further from the image of the "tree hugger" than the world 's largest chemical producer, Dow Chemical Company. Yet for all of industry 's superficial acknowledgement of the need for environmental responsibility, no other organization has so completely focused on balancing financial, social and environmental results. Dow has incorporated a highly successful e-commerce strategy, not only for the benefits it can yield in business results, but also as part of its ongoing implementation and management of its Triple Bottom Line business model.
Introduction
"The ocean will be dead in seven years!" So prophesied actor Ted Danson nearly 20 years ago in the environmental Chicken Little alarm that encouraged everyone to "save the earth." Clearly, the ocean is still alive, and even Ralph Nader has given up his campaign to rid Los Angeles of cars. Well-meaning but misinformed and misdirected groups and individuals so trivialized environmental issues that those with the means and ability to make real differences in essence tuned them out.
Eventually, formerly left-leaning members of academia began to realize that no, society was not going to regress to horse-and-buggy days; and businesses must operate profitably if they are to remain in business and so benefit the local, regional and national economy. A conference held in North Carolina in 1982 was the first to address both extremes in an effort to arrive at workable solutions. By the early 1990s, the concept of the triple bottom line (TBL) had emerged. The TBL model recognizes that businesses must be profitable, but it measures their success in terms of social and environmental issues as well. Long-term goals of the TBL include bringing value to all stakeholders and achieving truly sustainable practices.
The view of the TBL model at most organizations is that it is a "nice" gesture but not truly workable in the real world. Dow Chemical Company takes the opposite view,
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