Volume 2 Issue 1
Authors: Julia Selberherr; Gerhard Girmscheid
Abstract: The considerable impact of the construction industry on sustainable development at the societal level is widely recognized. Therefore, various assessment and rating systems for sustainable construction have been developed. For planners and enterprises, the complexity of sustainable buildings and infrastructures poses significant challenges. In this paper a theoretical model for the implementation of sustainable business management in the construction industry is compiled. Systems theory serves as a scientific framework and the inner structuration is guided by sustainable business management theory. The principles of sustainable business management are adapted to the specificity of the construction industry and used to structure the business management processes. The theoretical model provides planners and construction companies with guidelines for the implementation of sustainable business management. It specifies general principles and gives examples for application at the different management levels which have to be targeted. Additionally, four perspectives, customers, finances, processes, and learning, are analytically separated for the implementation and continuous monitoring of improvement measures. The paper at hand thereby contributes to enabling planners and construction companies to become efficient and sustainably competitive.
Keywords: Business Management; Environmental Issues; Sustainability, Sustainable Construction