WWF-Turkey’s Green Office Initiatives

Abstract

Subject Area

Organizational Behavior.

Study Level

This case is suitable to be used in advanced undergraduate and MBA/MSc level.

Case Overview

This case highlights the problems and prospects of World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Turkey’s Green Office program initiative. Green Office is an environmental management system developed by WWF-Finland 15 years ago and currently operates in China, Latvia, Pakistan, and Turkey in more than 200 organizations. The objectives of the program are to reduce the ecological footprint of the offices, decrease the negative impact of everyday operations at work, motivate and educate the employees to behave environmentally friendly, increase environmental awareness, reduce emissions, and save energy. WWF-Turkey runs the program since 2011, and it aims to influence and inspire people and businesses to address threats to nature and protect it for the sake of present and future generations. To be considered as a Green Office, an organization needs to comply with three main criteria: (1) consumption of natural resources (i.e., heating–cooling, office stationery, transportation, electricity, water, paper, and food consumption), (2) activities (i.e., purchase, cafeteria, cleaning services, waste management, building maintenance), and (3) increase in employees’ awareness. Accordingly, Green Office helps to determine concrete goals by systematically assessing the office resources and create their environmental management system. This case discusses the core essence of the Green Office program, the steps followed in implementing the program, as well as its benefits and challenges of being a Green Office.

Expected Learning Outcomes

The objective of this case is:

• to illustrate WWF-Turkey’s Green Office program initiative and

• to make students understand how a non-governmental organization (NGO) can foster green organizational behavior and embrace socially responsible business practices.

Citation

Coşkun, A. and Akar, N. (2019), "WWF-Turkey’s Green Office Initiatives", Quoquab, F. and Mohammad, J. (Ed.) Green Behavior and Corporate Social Responsibility in Asia, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 47-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78756-683-520191006