SUFFiciENcy EcONOMy ANd GRASSROOtS DEvElOPMENt

The Meaning of Sufficiency Economy
International Conference
169
Understanding this can lead to the development of management techniques that
decrease the competition, aggression and stress that comes with them. In
interviewing both the owners and their associates in these businesses, they almost to
a person noted that the lack of stress in the workplace is what made their work so
enjoyable.
Products of service and products of consumption
The term products of service refers to technological products that are returned
to the manufacturer in order to create a closed loop system where toxic materials are
recycled into new products rather than being released into the environment.
Products of consumption are biological products that are consumed and what
remains will harmlessly fall back into the ecosystem. Modern business is everything
that this is not. Resources are extracted in most immoderate fashion that is creating
a system that is dangerously dependent on geographically based natural resources
that are readily susceptible to disruptive actions. Waste materials are discarded into
the environment with almost total disregard for even potential impact. This model is
certainly not one that is set up to “cope with shocks from internal and external
changes” but rather, is one that increases the risk of shock.
Solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean energy
The use of alternative energy sources that do not harm the environment in
either extraction or emissions as primary energy sources is essential to
sustainability. Some of the networks’ programs include providing information to
businesses on how they can avail themselves of wind, solar and other alternative
energy sources. Another thing that the networks do is keep businesses informed of
opportunities in the development and and opportunities for funding in the
development of alternative energy technologies.
Western (and particularly U.S.) addiction to energy, particularly fossil fuel
based energy, is not moderate, not reasonable, and far from providing a selfimmunity
system.
Continuous improvement process
Providing for means of evaluating for constant improvement of a business
whether through location of lower priced resources or new markets or ideas for
improved process or quality is essential for sustainability.
These networks we looked at provide constant information and knowledge
sharing supportive of continuous improvement. They provide simple support
networks to encourage entrepreneurs theough tough times, The top-down enabling
leadership consolidates much of the time-consuming research and resource
management allowing more time in the grass-roots development work for
implementation and the evaluatiion required to direct change. This provides a kind
of self-immunization safety net.