The Challenge of Sustainability: Corporate Governance in a Complicated World reviews the
evolution of five types of corporate governance and their different sustainability objectives.
It discusses the challenges for boards in achieving sustainability from an environmental
economic employment and social perspective and introduces the concept of a political tragedy
of the commons if boards do what is in the best interests of their profitability only without
considering their responsibilities and unintended consequences for their stakeholders. It
explains how volatility uncertainty complexity and ambiguity complicate making sustainable
decisions. This book explores ways of helping prevent such negative outcomes. John Zinkin
asserts the director's need to reconcile volatility with vision uncertainty with understanding
complexity with courage and commitment and ambiguity with adaptability. To prevent a potential
political tragedy of the commons the book suggests new decision-making processes treating
employees differently and makes the case for reforming capitalism. It is aimed at managers
board members and all those who influence them including shareholder activists corporate
legal personnel politicians activists and general readers interested in applying some of
these suggestions in their roles as stakeholders managers and directors.
