Role of Mobile Technologies in an Environmentally Responsible Business Strategy

Abstract

This chapter aims to investigate and expand the role of mobile technologies in an Environmentally Responsible Business Strategy (ERBS). An ERBS with mobile technologies can help organizations achieve socially responsible goals of reducing green house emissions, reducing physical movement of men and materials, and recycling materials, to name a few. Organizations are electronically collaborating globally through the medium of the Internet and by employing service-oriented architectures. This electronic collaboration amongst large numbers of globally spread businesses creates a collaborative business “ecosystem” that is also virtual. Virtual collaborations between businesses create further challenges for environmentally responsible strategies as they make it difficult to identify the precise contributors to green house emissions and pollutions. This chapter delves deeper into the role of mobile technologies in creating and enhancing what can be considered as Environmental Intelligence (EI) – extending business intelligence with mobility for a “Green” enterprise.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Environmentally Responsible Business Strategy (ERBS): A business approach that incorporates environmental factors in it.

Mobile Business Intelligence: Aims at use of mobile applications and mobile devices in a business organization resulting in reductions in operating costs, emissions and energy usage and thus reduction in energy consumption.

Green IT: The study and practice of using computing (IT) resources efficiently.

Environmental Intelligence (EI): An intelligent use of business tools and technologies which can lead an enterprise to a green enterprise.

Collaborative Business Ecosystem: A business ecosystem where enterprise developments are multi-disciplinary in nature such as social, environmental, economical and organizational.