Shifting to a Sustainable Manufacturing Culture in Australia
* Research Project: Reconfiguring the Enterprise: Shifting Manufacturing Culture in Australia. Coordinated by Research Project Manager: Dr Joanne McNeill. Western Sydney University, Institute for Culture and Society, REMaC project, 2018.
Context
Research on how the 'real world' manufacturing sector is changing in Australia.
Description
"If the manufacturing sector is to genuinely contribute to ecological and social wellbeing, then the culture of business needs to shift. In Australia, there are innovative manufacturers that are doing this by reorienting their businesses towards social and environmental sustainability. This project is exploring how these enterprises are making this shift, and the negotiations and compromises involved in operationalising both social and environmental sustainability while remaining financially viable. In so doing, the project contributes to debates about the nature of the enterprise in the 21st century, particularly in the context of climate change and growing social and economic inequality."
Status
"Since the end of 2016, the research team has been working with nine case study enterprises: A.H. Beard; Interface; Norco; OzGroup; Sebel Furniture ; Soft Landing; The Social Outfit; Varley Group; WorkVentures; and NCMC (Phase 1). Together the case study group includes: cooperatives, family-owned firms, social enterprises and globally listed companies. They manufacture across a wide range of sectors including: dairy, fashion, mattresses, blueberries and packaging, mattress recycling, carpet tiles, furniture, electronics re-use and repair, and specialised vehicles. They service local, national and international markets and are also engaged with global supply chains in sourcing their material inputs.
At the end of 2018, the research is in its third phase and to date the team has conducted 77 interviews with representatives of the participating enterprises; nine enterprise-specific workshops; one ‘whole group’ workshop; and multiple site visits to each enterprise. Representatives of two unions have also been met with.
The team has also visited a number of overseas manufacturing enterprises, who have also made valuable contributions to the project: Interface’s plant in the Netherlands; Pocheco, France; KOMOSIE, Belgium; Innesto Coop, Italy; Altus Enterprises, NZ; Zero Waste Network, NZ; and Goods that Matter, USA."
More information
Papers published to date:
- Gibson-Graham, J.K., Cameron, J., Healy, S. & McNeill, J. (2019). Roepke Lecture in Economic Geography – Economic Geography, Manufacturing and Ethical Action in the Anthropocene. Economic Geography, (DOI:10.1080/00130095.2018.1538697)
- Gibson-Graham, J.K., Cameron, J., Healy, S. & McNeill, J. (2019). Economic Geography and Ethical Action in the Anthropocene: A Rejoinder. Economic Geography, (DOI: 10.1080/00130095.2018.1538696)
- Healy, S., McNeill, J., Cameron, J. & Gibson, K. (2018). Pre-empting apocalypse? Postcapitalism as an everyday politics. Australian Quarterly (AQ), 89(2), 28-33
- Gibson, K. (2017). What ethical business can do to help make ecocities a reality. The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/what-ethical-business-can-do-to-help-make-ecocities-a-reality-80673