Post 3

Corporate Evolution

            For hundreds of years the nobility, or the aristocracy, ran the world. These were a select few who had the “inherited privilege” to own land and run businesses. (Thorpe, 2007) “The idea that anyone can work hard and achieve monetary success is a relatively recent idea.” (Thorpe, 2007) You were born into a certain social and economical position, and it wasn’t until the late 1700’s that the market economy started to develop and moved production from feudal agriculture to industrial systems. This gave rise to the beginning of corporations as well as a new elite group of people. Known today as the 1%, this group is made up mostly of CEO’s and that “1% of people receive as much income as the poorest 57%.” (Thorpe 2007) These corporations have monopolized their industries. For example, when it comes to commercial furniture, Herman Miller and knoll are the first brands everyone looks at. This is especially obvious in the internship I am currently doing. Every time I need to spec furniture for a commercial space those two brands are the ones my supervisors tell me to look at. Fortunately for the Interior Design industry these two companies have tried to be consciously aware of how their products and manufacturing affect the world. Throughout the past decades corporations have taken a back seat when it comes to being environmentally conscious, but these two companies have helped shape the corporate culture towards a more sustainable future.

           

             Herman Miller is a company that has always had the cause of creating sustainable products for the citizens of the world.  In 1952 DJ De Pree, the founder of Herman Miller stated, “Herman Miller will be a good corporate neighbor by being a good steward of the environment.” For decades, Herman Miller has gone against the mold that other corporations fall into, and take into account how what they manufacture and sale, affects the environment. “Designing our products with consideration for their environmental impact is a central corporate strategy.” (Herman Miller Environmental Advocacy) Whether it’s decreasing the amount of VOC their products produce, or eliminating the amount of hazardous waste they produce, Herman Miller strides to have no carbon footprint on the world. Below is a diagram depicting current goals of Herman Miller and how much progress they have made. 

            Knoll is another corporation that has taken huge leaps in becoming, and promoting, a completely sustainable company. Their environmental history dates back to 1978 when they hired an environmental engineer to redeisgn one of their water treatment plants to reduce harmful effluents. (Knoll) When it comes to Knoll and Environment Sustainability they focus on three areas. Cimate change, third pary certification, and environmentally-friendly materials, products and manufacturing processes. A link to this guide is found below. These three areas encompass anything from elimianating their carbon dioxide emissions to producing textiles that can be LEED Certified. Unlike other companies that just want to make money, Knoll actually gives discounts to companies that use their products.

Knoll Environmental Timeline

http://www.knoll.com/environment/env_downloads.jsp

            The culture of these two companies is another aspect that make them inovators in sustainability. Throught out the book are many alternative strategies when it comes to corporate culture. I think that Herman Miller and Knoll could fit into each of these alternatives. First off they are both companies that don’t “push” their products on the public. When was the last time you saw a Knoll or Herman Miller commercial or advertisement outside of a design or design related magazine? Anyone can buy their products, but its sales reps work directly with professional designers, architects, and decorators, not pushing their products in every household.

           

             According to Thorpe, “the designer considers one dimension of an artifact- its salability- above all else.” Basically meaning they design products to make them as appealing to the consumer as possible without taking into account how the products performes or how long they will last. Herman Miller and Knoll  do not go by this principle. They take into account something called ergonomics, among other things, which is the study of how our body interacts with equipment and devices. They study how our body interacts with office furniture and how that affects our body. For Knoll they have a  guide, called the Layperson’s guide, of ergonomic standards that they use when they design any product. A link to that guide is posted below. I have also posted a link to a video, because I couldn’t figure out how to add the video to the blog, about how important posture is to your health as well as to your productivity throughout the day.  

Office Ergonomic Standards:  A Layperson’s Guide

http://www.knoll.com/research/index.jsp

To Thrive, Change Up Your Posture

http://www.hermanmiller.com/research/topics/all-topics/to-thrive-change-up-your-posture.html

            Throughout this blog I discussed how corporations in the Interior Design industry go against the grain of other corporations in a more sustainable direction. Both in how the companies are run and how they are changing the corporate culture. I hope next time you buy a product or work with a large company that you think about how that company takes the environment into account when they manufacture and sale their products. I sure know I will!!