Rogat+-+Memo+-+Structuring+a+Project

Michelle Rogat

Memo - Structuring a Project

Legal and Legislative
 * Laws and regulations are forever being updated to protect the environment more, so businesses would be smart to get ahead of the curve and practice sustainability on their own as a way of ensuring they are abiding by them.
 * how country clubs are most non-profits whose revenue is supposedly for the reinvestment in the club itself, the facilities and grounds, etc.
 * The Earth Summits and Climate Action Plan set to reduce the nation's and the world's impact on the environment sets tone for businesses to become sustainable, yet global governments haven't made much progress, so it doesn't seem to be taken as a serious tone.

Technological
 * The development of more viable sustainable practices, such as being able to get your food and yard waste collected and composted at a local municipal composting facility, is increasing the resources available for businesses to become sustainable.

Economic
 * During the economic downturn in the 1980's country clubs were looking to save money and would fire the managers that had been there for a long time, sometimes around 15 years. Clubs did this to be able to hire new managers that had just graduated so that they could pay them less money, and if they didn't like them the members could replace that one too. This was a way to save money, but doing this can be detrimental for projects at the club because the new management might not care about environmental efforts, or communication and knowledge of the project could have gotten lost in the transitions. Lampman from Audubon International listed this as the biggest issue that would prevent golf courses from meeting certification needs; the new staff didn't know or there was inconsistent info among staff. (Lampman)
 * During the 2008 financial crisis, Audubon International found that instead of losing a lot of members, they would find more clubs that wanted advice on how to do certain things - that would help them in the long run economically. (Lampman)
 * It is important to look at the elite groups and the hospitality industry because they have the money to back the projects that need and initial boost, and they are the affluent members of society.
 * In order to convince a businesses into the sustainable movement, its always necessary to emphasize the potential cost reduction and increase in profits, because they have a misconception that being sustainable isn't profitable.
 * The government is providing businesses with more incentives for becoming environmentally sustainable.

Social
 * The role the elite has in shaping society's practices of sustainability.
 * The business structure of a country club is very interesting stakeholder model of communication for a business.
 * Taking an environmental stance can have other social effects like being viewed differently or like being associated with a political party or a radical.

Political
 * Being environmentally aware gets associated with a the democratic and liberal political parties.
 * It is crucial when working in an establishment to realize how the politics of a place works in order to get projects pushed through, and to realize the power plays present.

Cultural
 * It's habit to be wasteful, America is a society with consumerism as its culture.
 * There is resistance to change; if this way works then 'why change' motto.
 * Being wasteful can be seen as a status and might actually be a requirement of the hospitality industry in order to produce the luxury it calls for.
 * The golfing culture and country club culture is a major part of doing business nowadays.
 * I believe that an overall cultural shift is starting and is inevitable that our culture move towards sustainability, what is changes is the speed in which we are getting there, which is why a lot of the time I will talk of problems that come up that hold back the environmental movement overall as the "resistance" to sustainability.

Natural
 * It's natural that golfers would generally like the environment and nature, because that is where they play, and country clubs usually have very beautiful natural settings.
 * Change is natural, but so is becoming set in our habits and ways.