SCOTTSDALE, Arizona - Environmental, health and safety (EHS) departments are feeling the full brunt of the current economic downturn. Outsourcing, downsizing, retirements, and restructurings have shrunk EHS staffs while work loads have steadily increased. How have the leading corporations met this challenge of staying competitive while practicing social responsibility?

The answer to this question has been under investigation by a team of researchers at Boston University School of Management (BU), Arizona State University College of Business (ASU), and Tufts University. The first public release of the project’s initial findings will take place during a day and a half workshop on October 15-16, 2002 at Tufts University in Medford MA. This investigation, "Organizations in Transition," examines the current approaches taken by companies to size and organize their EHS departments. The goal is to develop a "real-time" assessment of best practices, practices to avoid, and key characteristics for successful organizational transitions.

The project is being sponsored by an international network of sixteen major corporations. Executives from several of these corporations will present case studies of the organizational and staffing challenges they faced and overcame. The Organizations in Transition project is in its early stages and the investigators will be seeking input on research priorities and effective benchmarking techniques. More than half the time will be spend in open dialogue among the corporations exploring solutions to current issues and best practices.

Organizations in Transition is being managed by the Center for Environmental Innovation (CEI), a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit, in collaboration with Boston University's School of Management (BU). The project combines the talents of senior university researchers (Professor Andrew Hoffman at BU and Richard MacLean at ASU), researchers at Tufts University and ASU, and senior environmental consultants with extensive industry experience (Frank Friedman and Steve Rice).

For additional information about this workshop, including a detailed agenda and registration form, visit the CEI web site www.Enviro-Innovate.org or call the Project Manager, Richard MacLean, at 480-922-1620. Attendance will be limited to thirty participants and early registration is advised. This workshop is recommended for business executives who control EHS staffing and organizational decisions within their corporations.

Center for Environmental Innovation

Center for Environmental Innovation

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