2011 - Sustainability Symposium Survey

1. What are the primary business challenges facing your organization over the next two years? (Please select your top three.)

What are the primary business challenges facing your organization over the next two years? (Please select your top three.) Attracting, retaining, and motivating talented people

Growing revenue

Increasing operating speed and adaptability

Innovating to achieve competitive advantage

Profitability acquiring and retaining customers

Reduce costs and increasing efficiencies

Responding effectively to disruption of our business model

Responding effectively to threats and opportunities of globalization

Responding effectively to threats and opportunities of sustainability

2. What are the greatest opportunities for your organization in addressing sustainability? (Select up to three opportunities.)

What are the greatest opportunities for your organization in addressing sustainability? (Select up to three opportunities.) Access to new markets

Better innovation of product/service offerings

Better innovation of business model and processes

Enhanced stakeholder/investor relations

Improved ability to attract and retain top talent

Improving brand reputation

Improved perception of how well company is managed

Improved regulatory compliance

Increased competitive advantage

Increased employee productivity

Increased margins or market share due to sustainability positioning

Reducing costs due to energy efficiency

Reduced costs due to materials or waste efficiencies

Reduced risk

There are no benefits

3. When addressing sustainability, to what extent do you agree with these factors being important to your organization?

	Strongly Disagree	Somewhat Disagree	Neutral	Somewhat Agree	Strongly Agree
Corporate social responsiblity issues	*When addressing sustainability, to what extent do you agree with these factors being important to your organization? Corporate social responsiblity issues Strongly Disagree	Corporate social responsiblity issues Somewhat Disagree	Corporate social responsiblity issues Neutral	Corporate social responsiblity issues Somewhat Agree	Corporate social responsiblity issues Strongly Agree
Economic sustainability of the organization	Economic sustainability of the organization Strongly Disagree	Economic sustainability of the organization Somewhat Disagree	Economic sustainability of the organization Neutral	Economic sustainability of the organization Somewhat Agree	Economic sustainability of the organization Strongly Agree
Environmental issues	Environmental issues Strongly Disagree	Environmental issues Somewhat Disagree	Environmental issues Neutral	Environmental issues Somewhat Agree	Environmental issues Strongly Agree
Employee/leadership health and well-being	Employee/leadership health and well-being Strongly Disagree	Employee/leadership health and well-being Somewhat Disagree	Employee/leadership health and well-being Neutral	Employee/leadership health and well-being Somewhat Agree	Employee/leadership health and well-being Strongly Agree
Increased emphasis on long-term perspective	Increased emphasis on long-term perspective Strongly Disagree	Increased emphasis on long-term perspective Somewhat Disagree	Increased emphasis on long-term perspective Neutral	Increased emphasis on long-term perspective Somewhat Agree	Increased emphasis on long-term perspective Strongly Agree

4. How significant of an obstacle is each of the following when evaluating sustainability-related challenges?

	Insignificant	Somewhat Insignificant	Neutral	Significant	Very Significant
Difficulty capturing comprehensive metrics about sustainability-related impacts of organization’s operations	*How significant of an obstacle is each of the following when evaluating sustainability-related challenges? Difficulty capturing comprehensive metrics about sustainability-related impacts of organization’s operations Insignificant	Difficulty capturing comprehensive metrics about sustainability-related impacts of organization’s operations Somewhat Insignificant	Difficulty capturing comprehensive metrics about sustainability-related impacts of organization’s operations Neutral	Difficulty capturing comprehensive metrics about sustainability-related impacts of organization’s operations Significant	Difficulty capturing comprehensive metrics about sustainability-related impacts of organization’s operations Very Significant
Difficulty considering sustainability at all (given competing priorities)	Difficulty considering sustainability at all (given competing priorities) Insignificant	Difficulty considering sustainability at all (given competing priorities) Somewhat Insignificant	Difficulty considering sustainability at all (given competing priorities) Neutral	Difficulty considering sustainability at all (given competing priorities) Significant	Difficulty considering sustainability at all (given competing priorities) Very Significant
Difficulty in verifying and valuing effects of sustainability-related strategies on reputation of brand, company and offerings	Difficulty in verifying and valuing effects of sustainability-related strategies on reputation of brand, company and offerings Insignificant	Difficulty in verifying and valuing effects of sustainability-related strategies on reputation of brand, company and offerings Somewhat Insignificant	Difficulty in verifying and valuing effects of sustainability-related strategies on reputation of brand, company and offerings Neutral	Difficulty in verifying and valuing effects of sustainability-related strategies on reputation of brand, company and offerings Significant	Difficulty in verifying and valuing effects of sustainability-related strategies on reputation of brand, company and offerings Very Significant
Difficulty predicting value of customer responses to sustainability-related strategies	Difficulty predicting value of customer responses to sustainability-related strategies Insignificant	Difficulty predicting value of customer responses to sustainability-related strategies Somewhat Insignificant	Difficulty predicting value of customer responses to sustainability-related strategies Neutral	Difficulty predicting value of customer responses to sustainability-related strategies Significant	Difficulty predicting value of customer responses to sustainability-related strategies Very Significant
Difficulty quantifying sustainability-related future risks	Difficulty quantifying sustainability-related future risks Insignificant	Difficulty quantifying sustainability-related future risks Somewhat Insignificant	Difficulty quantifying sustainability-related future risks Neutral	Difficulty quantifying sustainability-related future risks Significant	Difficulty quantifying sustainability-related future risks Very Significant
Lack of model/framework for incorporating sustainability-related factors in business cases	Lack of model/framework for incorporating sustainability-related factors in business cases Insignificant	Lack of model/framework for incorporating sustainability-related factors in business cases Somewhat Insignificant	Lack of model/framework for incorporating sustainability-related factors in business cases Neutral	Lack of model/framework for incorporating sustainability-related factors in business cases Significant	Lack of model/framework for incorporating sustainability-related factors in business cases Very Significant
Lack of individual incentives (compensation, advancement, etc.) that would prompt manages to consider sustainability when deciding strategy	Lack of individual incentives (compensation, advancement, etc.) that would prompt manages to consider sustainability when deciding strategy Insignificant	Lack of individual incentives (compensation, advancement, etc.) that would prompt manages to consider sustainability when deciding strategy Somewhat Insignificant	Lack of individual incentives (compensation, advancement, etc.) that would prompt manages to consider sustainability when deciding strategy Neutral	Lack of individual incentives (compensation, advancement, etc.) that would prompt manages to consider sustainability when deciding strategy Significant	Lack of individual incentives (compensation, advancement, etc.) that would prompt manages to consider sustainability when deciding strategy Very Significant
Opposition from executives or influential individuals	Opposition from executives or influential individuals Insignificant	Opposition from executives or influential individuals Somewhat Insignificant	Opposition from executives or influential individuals Neutral	Opposition from executives or influential individuals Significant	Opposition from executives or influential individuals Very Significant
Uncertain about future carbon pricing	Uncertain about future carbon pricing Insignificant	Uncertain about future carbon pricing Somewhat Insignificant	Uncertain about future carbon pricing Neutral	Uncertain about future carbon pricing Significant	Uncertain about future carbon pricing Very Significant

5. What do you believe is the status of sustainability on the agenda of top management? (Choose one)

What do you believe is the status of sustainability on the agenda of top management? (Choose one) Already a permanent fixture and core strategic consideration

On the agenda permanently, but not core

Temporarily on the agenda, but not core

Never considered for the agenda

Excluded from the agenda because viewed as a passing fad

Do not know

6. What is the size of your company (by number of employees)?

What is the size of your company (by number of employees)? Less than 100 employees

100 - 499 employees

500 - 999 employees

1,000 - 9,999 employeees

10,000 or more employees

7. What industry is your organization classified as?

What industry is your organization classified as? Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Mining

Construction

Manufacturing

Transportation,Communications, Electric, Gas and Sanitary Services

Wholesale Trade

Retail Trade

Services (Legal, Accounting, Engineering, Healthcare, etc.)

Finance, Insurance, Real Estate

Public Administration

Nonprofit

Higher Education

8. What describes your role in your organization?

What describes your role in your organization? Student

Individual Contributor

Front-line Manager

Senior Manager

Director

Vice President

Executive Level

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