Charles Backman
Strategy and Global Management
University of Calgary
A system approach to understanding sustainability, sustainable development, and system failure

cabackma@ucalgary.ca

Charles Backman, a PhD candidate in the Strategy and Global Management Area, successfully passed his candidacy exam on May 13, 2008. Charles' research interest focuses on adapting to climate change, firm behaviour and strategic intent. Charles has an extensive educational and work related history. He received a Bachelor of Science in Forestry (1976) and a Master of Business Administration (1986) from the University of British Columbia. Additionally, he has a Master of Arts in International Studies (1990) and a PhD (1993) in Economics and Forest Management, from the University of Washington. Charles worked for a number of years as a forester and later in policy formation to support sustainable development of the Siberian Forest Resource while at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. For the last decade he has fulfilled a number of roles at the Grande Prairie Regional College in their forestry and business faculties. Delivering a suite of fourth year courses in the then forestry program at Grande Prairie Regional College for the last decade, he returned as a PhD student in September 2006 to the University of Calgary. He was awarded an ISEEE Entrance Fellowship in 2006 and a QE II Doctoral Scholarship in 2007. He delivered the capstone course in Strategic Management this spring before returning to Grande Prairie in the fall where he will be completing his dissertation entitled, "Strategic intent - Adapting to Climate Change and firm behaviour".

A system approach to understanding sustainability, sustainable development, and system failure

Sustainability has emerged over the last two decades as an important mantra for organizing society and guiding behaviour. While the triple bottom line of social, environment and economic has gained traction in the business world and on a larger societal basis, the focus has been on system continuity. Very little discussion if any examines sustainability from the perspective of outcomes which are not wanted. Because of the different interpretations which can be attached to sustainability, sustainable development, sustainable growth, consensus of appropriate behaviour on the part of actors of the "game" may be more difficult to develop than consensus on what is not wanted - such as a system failure. A first step is developing an analytical framework that opens up the chance to understand system failure and conditions underpinning it. Failure could be in terms of a failed nation state, a failed government, a failed organization or a failed idea for example and reasons underpinning the failure. This idea was given substance through the formulation of an analytical framework as a way to structure society and incorporate different dimensions that can be attached to sustainability. It is a work in progress.