The ecologically sustainable retailer

The purpose of this paper is to consider the practical implications of an ecologically oriented perspective, referred to as the new environmental paradigm (NEP), on the retailing sector. We begin by succinctly contrasting the technological, economic, and political differences between the prevailing worldview, referred to as the dominant social paradigm (DSP), and an ecologically based worldview. The organizational implications which emerge from the NEP suggest the following: (1) loosely coupled interorganizational networks based on resource flows, (2) locally responsive, globally coordinated organizing structures, and (3) process intensification through a systems approach to organization. We use these insights to evaluate the organizational structure, management systems, and processes of an ecologically sustainable retailer.