OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/08/08 -- In their new book, "Positively Responsible," authors Erik Bichard and Cary Cooper CBE look at how individuals behave in a situation of global crisis and how businesses can start to take the necessary positive steps towards a more sustainable and financially stable future.

Inspired by years of working with businesses to lessen their environmental and social impacts and improve their competitiveness, "Positively Responsible" shows how sustainable business practices can be achieved without having a negative influence on either corporate leaders or their employees, by using the forces of market advantage rather than opposing them.

"Companies that choose to lead their employees and customers on sustainability issues are still dependent on enough people being ready to follow," according to author, Erik Bichard, former Chief Executive of the UK National Centre for Business & Sustainability. "A deep understanding of behaviour change in this area is therefore fundamental to a successful business model for would be sustainability leaders."

"Positively Responsible" challenges the assumption that incorporating sustainability into business strategy will be a necessarily painful and fiscally destructive process, exploring fundamental questions and issues, such as:

-- Are people essentially irrational and self-centred?
-- How do people respond at times of crisis?
-- How can leaders act as a bolt of light for change for their business?

Illustrated by corporate case studies taken from Nestle, Wal-Mart, Marks & Spencer, South West Airliners (SWA), The Body Shop, Ben & Jerry's, Shell, ICI, BNFL, Boeing, DuPont, Dow, Mitsui and StoraEnso, Norsk Hydro, Amec, FRC Group, Electrolux and others, the authors show how a more proactive approach pays dividends for the future.

"Positively Responsible" combines a penetrating understanding of sustainable business development with a comprehensive description of what motivates or de-motivates human beings. This breakthrough approach examines the varying influences of incentives on human behaviour and how these can be used to chart a coherent and positive course of action within organizations. It recommends a new strategy for corporate social responsibility, built on a market-based justification for change, and within the crucial timescales predicted by climate researchers.

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About the Authors:

Erik Bichard

Erik Bichard is Professor of Regeneration and Sustainable Development at Salford University, in Greater Manchester. During his career, he has worked as a sustainable development practitioner in the public, private, third and now academic sector. Until June 2007, and for ten years, he was Chief Executive of the UK National Centre for Business & Sustainability. In addition to his role at Salford, he has his own practice: Positively Responsible. In the past he has been Co-operatives UK' s sustainability advisor, and currently performs the same function for the City of Liverpool. He is a member of the UK Sustainable Development Panel, and serves on several company boards as a non-executive director including the social enterprise FRC Group, and Migrant Workers North West.

Professor Bichard is a frequent contributor to newspaper, TV and radio programmes covering a range of sustainability issues from recycling and renewable energy to social cohesion and responsible business issues.

Cary L. Cooper CBE

Cary L. Cooper is Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health, and Pro Vice Chancellor at Lancaster University. He is the author/editor of over 100 books (on occupational stress, women at work, and industrial and organisational psychology), has written over 400 scholarly articles for academic journals, and is also a frequent contributor to national newspapers, TV and radio.

Professor Cooper is past President of the British Academy of Management, is a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute, and one of the first UK-based Fellows of the (American) Academy of Management (having also won the 1998 Distinguished Service Award for his contribution to management science from the Academy of Management). In 2001, Cary was awarded a CBE in the Queen' s Birthday Honours List for his contribution to occupational safety and health and, in 2007, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Division of Occupational Psychology of the British Psychological Society. He was recently included on Personnel Today's Top 40 Power Players for 2007 and HR magazine's 2007 Most Influential lists.

Both authors are available for press interviews and speaking engagements.

About the Book:

"Positively Responsible: How Business Can Save the Planet"
By Erik Bichard and Cary L. Cooper CBE
ISBN: 978-0-7506-8475-0
www.positivelyresponsible.com
Imprint: Butterworth-Heinemann
Approx. 232 pages
Trim size 234 X 165 mm
Price: GBP GBP 15.99; EUR EUR 23.95; US $28.95
UK Publication Date: May 2008 Global Publication Date: June 9, 2008

Quotes for the Book:

"Whether business can be part of the solution to our ecological crisis is perhaps the great question of our age. This book will be indispensable to anyone seeking an answer." -- Mark Lynas

"At last -- a book about 'business and sustainability' that treats business as an integral part of society... and business people as real people with real feelings, doubts and contradictions." -- Jonathon Porritt, Forum for the Future

About Elsevier:

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier's 7,000 employees in over 70 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com/), Scopus (http://www.info.scopus.com/), bibliographic databases, and online reference works.

Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com/) is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc (http://www.reedelsevier.com/), a world-leading publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier's ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

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Elsevier

Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Working in partnership with the global science and health communities, Elsevier's 7,000 employees in over 70 offices worldwide publish more than 2,000 journals and 1,900 new books per year, in addition to offering a suite of innovative electronic products, such as ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com), MD Consult (http://www.mdconsult.com), Scopus (http://www.info.scopus.com), bibliographic databases, and online reference works.

Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com) is a global business headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and has offices worldwide. Elsevier is part of Reed Elsevier Group plc (http://www.reedelsevier.com), a world-leading publisher and information provider. Operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business sectors, Reed Elsevier provides high-quality and flexible information solutions to users, with increasing emphasis on the Internet as a means of delivery. Reed Elsevier's ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

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