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Foster Business Library


Sustainable Businesses


Foster Business Library research guides are aimed at University of Washington students, faculty, and staff, highlighting resources available to them; users not currently affiliated with the university may be unable to access some of these resources.
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Foster Business Library Databases:

The Foster Business Library offers an extensive collection of over fifty databases on its homepage; see under Databases. For a complete list of Foster databases, see the List of All Business Databases. Access to these databases from off campus requires that you first go to the Off-Campus Access button, in the upper right of all library webpages. These resources may not be accessed from off campus except by those with a valid UW Net ID and password. For more information on Foster business databases, click Databases, A-Z. For information on which Foster business databases to use, see the Database Index. For information on accessing Foster databases from off campus, see Database Access. For guidelines on responsible database usage, see Database Usage.

  • Conference Board Business Knowledge Research:   On the Foster Business Library homepage, under List of All Business Databases, at the bottom of the list of Business Databases. This searchable database of full-text research reports, published by the Conference Board, is focused on major issues in business and economics. For a 37-page PDF cumulative index to this database, click here.

    See eight research reports under the topic Sustainability.

  • JSTOR:   This database may be found under List of All Business Databases. JSTOR is a subject searchable index of 360 journals, with full-text backfiles of scholarly journals, some of which date back to the 1800's. Among the collections of scholarly journals on this site are ones for Business and for Economics, encompassing 72 journals.

    A search for "Sustainable Business" produced just eighteen articles.

  • Social Sciences Citation Index:   Included under Business Databases on the Foster Business Library homepage. This database "is a multidisciplinary index, with searchable author abstracts, covering the journal literature of the social sciences. It indexes more than 1,725 journals spanning 50 disciplines, as well as covering individually selected, relevant items from over 3,300 of the world's leading scientific and technical journals. It "provides access to current information and retrospective data from 1956 forward."

    A search in this database for "Sustainable Business" produced over fifty references.

    Web Resources:

    Unlike library databases, Web resources are available wherever you have web access; they do not require that you access them via the Off-Campus Access button, in the upper right of all library webpages. When using web resources, be sure to evaluate the credibility of these resources. For a subject index to web resources, see Business Resources on the Web on the Foster Business Library homepage.

  • Center for Sustainable Enterprise:   "The Center for Sustainable Enterprise (CSE) at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School was established to help executives and future business leaders understand how social and environmental considerations are changing the competitive landscape of business." See their Case Studies, MBA White Papers, and Articles.

  • Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes:   "Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide." See their section on Corporate Sustainability and their Indexes Overview, with their world, U.S., and other sustainability indexes available in PDF or Microsoft Excel format. "The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) comprises more than 300 companies that represent the top 10% of the leading sustainability companies out of the biggest 2500 companies in the Dow Jones World Index." Free registration is required to access these lists. See also their Publications on this topic.

  • The Forest Stewardship Council:   This nonprofit organization, formed in 1993, promotes forest stewardship and certifies forest product companies and their products which come from responsibly-managed forests (according to FSC principles and criteria). Members of this organization include the timber industry, the forestry profession, environmental and conservation groups, and forest product certification organizations in 25 countries. "Certification provides a mechanism for linking consumers and producers in the marketplace." See their list of Certified Companies.

  • The Global Compact:   "In an address to The World Economic Forum on 31 January 1999, United Nation Secretary-General Kofi Annan challenged business leaders to join an international initiative – the Global Compact – that would bring companies together with UN agencies, labour and civil society to support nine principles in the areas of human rights, labour and the environment. The Global Compact’s operational phase was launched at UN Headquarters in New York on 26 July 2000." Sustainability is one of the guiding principles of this compact. See their list of over 2,000 companies.

  • The Global Reporting Initiative:   "The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) was established in late 1997 with the mission of developing globally applicable guidelines for reporting on the economic, environmental, and social performance, initially for corporations and eventually for any business, governmental, or non-governmental organisation (NGO). Convened by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the GRI incorporates the active participation of corporations, NGOs, accountancy organisations, business associations, and other stakeholders from around the world." This organization is based in Amsterdam; its website lacks a search engine. See their 2002 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The document itself is 104 pages long, in Adobe Acrobat PDF form; click here to go direct to the document.

  • Google Print:   "This project's aim is simple: make it easier to find relevant books. We hope to guide more users to books – specifically books they might not be able to find any other way – all while carefully respecting authors' and publishers' copyrights. Our ultimate goal is to work with publishers and libraries to create a comprehensive, searchable, virtual card catalog of all books in all languages that helps users discover new books and publishers find new readers." See their list of over 1,500 books with content on the topic of Sustainable Business.

  • The Green 50:   This Inc Magazine online feature profiles fifty companies practicing green business, with sustainability as one of the hallmarks of company operations and strategy.

  • International Institute for Sustainable Development:   This organization is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with offices in Ottawa, New York and Geneva. "Founded in 1990, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is in the business of promoting change towards sustainable development. Through our research and through effective communication of our findings, we engage decision-makers in government, business, NGOs and other sectors to develop and implement policies that are simultaneously beneficial to the global economy, the global environment and to social well-being. We also believe fervently in the importance of building our own institutional capacity while helping our partner organizations in the developing world to excel." See their Business and Sustainable Development section, and special webpage for Business and Sustainable Development, with an extensive list of Case Studies (also available by country or sector).

  • Sustainable Business (Wikipedia):   This free online user-created and maintained encyclopedia, Wikipedia, can be a good starting point for a brief orientation to a topic. Some sections are not yet completed.

  • Sustainable Business Institute:   This San Jose, California organization describes itself as "non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to bringing about increased understanding of, and commitment to, the concept of sustainability within business and communities worldwide." See their List of Partners.

  • Sustainable Business Network:   This New Zealand-based organization "has over 400 members, many of whom have excellent sustainable business practices worth sharing. Those experiences are now being harnessed with a database of case studies." See their Case Studies and Tools & Resources.

  • The Sustainable Development Communications Network:   "The SD Gateway integrates the on-line information developed by members of the Sustainable Development Communications Network. In addition to over 1,200 documents available in SD Topics, we provide services such as a calendar of events, a job bank, the Sustainability Web Ring, a roster of mailing lists(listservs) and news sites dealing with sustainable development." "The Sustainable Development Communications Network (SDCN) is a group of leading civil society organizations seeking to accelerate the implementation of sustainable development through broader, integrated information and communications about what we know." This network is based in Winnipeg. See their Sustainable Development Topics, including Business & Trade.

  • Sustainable Washington:   This site is the state of Washington's homepage for sustainable business practices. See their Success Stories, Progress Reports, and References & Links.

  • SustainableBusiness.com:   "We are the Internet community for businesses that integrate economic, and social and environmental concerns into their core strategy. In short, we help green business grow. We use the Internet to "grease the wheels" - to accelerate the spread of sustainable business practices by increasing market penetration of sustainable products, services, and the companies that produce them. SB.com covers the field as a whole, bringing together businesses from such diverse industries as renewable energy, organic products, social investing, green building and construction, and re-manufacturing." This site has a useful Resource Directory and a search engine. See the list of Companies Committed to Sustainable Forestry Practices.

  • Sustainability Reporting Guidelines:   The Global Reporting Initiative "was established in late 1997 with the mission of developing globally applicable guidelines for reporting on the economic, environmental, and social performance, initially for corporations and eventually for any business, governmental, or non-governmental organisation (NGO). Convened by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the GRI incorporates the active participation of corporations, NGOs, accountancy organisations, business associations, and other stakeholders from around the world." See their Sustainability Reporting Guidelines for 2002.

  • U.S. Department of Energy -- Sustainable Business:   This site provides an introduction to the topic of sustainable business, with information on key principles, industrial ecology, assistance programs, tools, articles and publications, and Success Stories.

  • The World Business Council for Sustainable Development:   "The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of 175 international companies united by a shared commitment to sustainable development via the three pillars of economic growth, ecological balance and social progress. Our members are drawn from more than 35 countries and 20 major industrial sectors." This organization is based in Geneva. See their long list of Case Studies as well as their list of member companies.

    See also these two University of Washington sites:

    For more web resources on sustainability, of a more general nature, see More Sustainability Resources.

    Foster Business Library Reference Collection:

    The Foster Business Library Reference Collection consists of business handbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other quick reference tools. It is located behind the Reference Desk in Foster, arranged by call number. Reference materials cannot be checked out; they may only be used in the library.

  • The Blackwell encyclopedic dictionary of business ethics.
    Arranged alphabetically by topic from Accounting Ethics to Worker Safety, with an extensive index at the back of this 700-page book. Each of about 300 topics in business ethics is explained in a page or two, with a bibliography at the end of every topic. Interestingly, this volume in the twelve-volume Blackwell encyclopedia of management is the thickest.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HD30.15 .B455 1995 v. 11

    See Business and Society on pages 48 to 50; Business Associations for Social Responsibility on pages 50 to 51; Corporate Social Performance on pages 154 to 155; Environment and Environmental Ethics on pages 205 to 208; and Social Responsibility on pages 593 to 595.

  • Business: the ultimate resource.
    This 2,200-page single volume is "designed to offer a wide range of insights, information, and practical guidance on every aspect of management" via 2.5 million words of text from 200 contributors, with 700 illustrations and 150 maps, in seven major sections including best practice, a management library, business thinkers and management giants, a business dictionary, a world business almanac, and a guide to business sources.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HD38.15 .B878 2002.

    See Sustainable Development in the section on Environmental Management, on pages 113 and 114; Corporate Social Responsibility, on pages 291 and 292; Social Responsibility of Management, on pages 2115 to 2117; and

  • The IEBM international encyclopedia of business and management.
    This seven-volume set (plus an index volume) consists of 750 essays on a wide variety of topics, arranged alphabetically, from Accounting to Zimbabwe, Management In.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HF1001 .I53 2002.

    See volume two for Environmental Management, on pages 1771 to 1786, for references to sustainable business.

  • Business ethics: a reference handbook.
    Over 400 pages of information about business ethics and their application to consumers, advertising, corporations, employees, the environment; also includes information about codes of ethics, a business ethics glossary, and relevant cases, statutes and agencies.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HF5387 .D54 1998
    (also in Foster Business General Stacks, CALL NUMBER: HF5387 .D54 1998)

    See Corporate Social Responsibility on pages 115 to 122 and the chapter on the Environment on pages 267 to 324.

  • Encyclopedia of business ethics and society.
    This five-volume reference work includes 900 essays by scholars, arranged alphabetically by topic, on all aspects of business ethics.
    Foster Business Library Reference, CALL NUMBER: HF5387 .E53 2008.

    See Sustainability in volume four, on pages 2030 to 2034.

    Foster Business Library Books:

    The Foster Business Library maintains a collection of over 70,000 books on all business topics. To search for materials on all three campuses of the University of Washington, go to the UW Libraries Catalog, in the upper left corner of the Foster Business Library homepage. Search by keyword, title, author, series, etc.

    To limit the results of your search just to materials in the Foster Business Library collection, use the Modify or Limit options at the top of the search results and change the library location to Foster Business Library. Availablity is indicated on the right of each online catalog record. First, note in which collection, within Foster, your materials are in, since the library has ten different Collections, each in a different location and often with differing arrangements. "Available" indicates that the book should be on the shelves under that call number and available for you to check out. "Due" and a date indicates that the book is already checked out to someone and is due back on the date indicated; you can have the "Request/Place Hold" feature to recall the book for your use.

    If the material you want is not in the collections of the University of Washington, you can use the "Search Summit" feature to repeat your search in the combined holdings of over thirty cooperating libraries in Washington and Oregon. Use the "Request This Item" feature in Summit to have books in those library sent here to Foster for you to check out.

    The Foster general stacks collection is located south of the main part of the Foster Business Library, through the two pass-throughs into the basement of Balmer. The arrangement is by call number, from A (at the east end, near the Copy Center) to Z (at the far west end).

    A keyword search for Sustainable Business produced a list of just eight records in the UW Libraries, with just five records in the Foster Business Library. Repeating this keyword search in Summit produced a much longer list of over 300 records. A broader keyword search, in the UW Libraries, for Sustainable, limited to the Foster Business Library, produced over seventy records. Another keyword search, for Sustainable and Case and Studies, limited to the Foster Business Library, produced seven records.

    Examples of Foster Business Library titles from these searches include:

    For more books in the Foster Business Library, see such subjects as:

    On the environmental side, see also books with such subjects as:

    Foster Business Library Corporate Annual Reports:

    The Foster Business Library maintains a collection of several thousand annual reports for hundreds of U.S. and foreign companies. These reports are filed in lateral filing cabinets near the Foster Reference desk under the sign Corporate Annual Reports. Annual reports for companies in an industry can be a valuable source of information about the industry itself. For a list of all the companies in the collection, see the library's Corporate Annual Reports Collection. For an index to corporate annual reports in the collection by industry sector, see the Annual Reports Industry Sector Index. For an index to companies in the collection with headquarters outside the U.S., see Corporate Annual Reports Headquarters Index.

    Some companies detail their activities in the area of social and environmental responsibility in their annual reports--or issue separate annual reports on those topics.

    Foster Business Library Articles:

    Articles in academic journals, magazines, trade periodicals, and newspapers are one of the best sources for any kind of research. While the Foster Business Library offers a large periodicals print collection, comprising over 800 titles, articles are most easily accessed online, 24/7, in such fulltext article databases as EBSCO Business Source Premier, Factiva, LexisNexis Academic, Newsbank Infoweb, and ProQuest Databases. These article databases are available in the library or from off-campus, and provide access to over 10,000 periodicals and millions of articles.

    Library access to most ProQuest databases will terminate at the end of spring quarter 2008, except for ProQuest NewsStand, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, Historical New York Times, and the Historical Wall Street Journal. For more about this change, see UW Libraries Providing New Databases. After this change, comprehensive article searches should be performed in EBSCO Business Source Premier, Newsbank Infoweb, and ProQuest NewsStand. Also, after this change, links to the articles below will be broken.

    ProQuest Databases:

    This database--actually, a family of over two dozen databases--offers full text articles for over 10,000 publications, including scholarly journals, magazines, trade and industry periodicals, newspapers, and reports on a very wide range of topics. To find articles on specific topics, search by word or phrase by keying your search phrase into the search box--or search for your topic in the Topic Guide.

    Your search terms will be highlighted in red in each article.

    For example, a search in this database for "Sustainable Businesses produced over 1,300 articles, including seventy articles in scholarly journals, eighteen magazine articles, nearly two hundred articles in trade and industry publications, and over four hundred newspaper articles.

    In another example, a search for SUB(Sustainable Development) and Business produced over 1,200 articles, including over 440 articles in scholarly journals, nearly one hundred magazine articles, over 540 articles in trade and industry publications, and over seventy newspaper articles.

    A search for SUB(Sustainable Development) and SUB(Case Studies) and Business produced over two dozen articles, including:

    Help:
    26 July 2005; updated 29 May 2008.   Peter Stevens, Business Librarian, stevens@u.washington.edu


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    Last modified: Monday February 09, 2009 (stevens)