On Display: Corporate Responsibility
Welcome to our digital exhibit on Corporate Responsibility. This page is a companion to the physical display in the Harvard Kennedy School Library, available through April 2025. Harvard affiliates can request books via HOLLIS, for pick-up at the library of your choice.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) "is the idea that a business has a responsibility to the society that exists around it." While the definition of "socially responsible" varies between firms, common focus areas include environmental stewardship, ethical operations, and philanthropy. These focus areas are often summed up as the "triple bottom line" or the "three Ps": people, planet, and profit. CSR's popularity has steadily grown over the past decade, with 90% of companies on the S&P 500 index publishing CSR reports in 2019 compared with 20% in 2011.
A related concept is ESG (environmental, social, and governance) or impact investing, which is a framework for corporate investment decisions with similar goals as CSR.
At Harvard Kennedy School, the Corporate Responsibility Initiative (CRI) at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government (M-RCBG) "explores the intersection of corporate responsibility, corporate governance, public policy, and international development. It bridges theory and practice, builds leadership skills, and supports constructive dialogue and collaboration among business, government, civil society and academics."
The books in this display explore the "three Ps" of Corporate Responsibility -- people, planet, and profit -- and how businesses can balance the three to ensure positive social impact.
Acknowledgements
The Corporate Responsibility Initiative team first envisioned this display, led its curation, and offered key insights at every stage of its creation.
Harvard Initiatives
- Corporate Responsibility and Citizenship HubCreated and maintained by the Corporate Responsibility Initiative at HKS's Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, the Hub is "an online resource for inter-disciplinary research and commentary produced at Harvard University which speak to issues in corporate responsibility and citizenship, as well as elements of sustainability, ESG and corporate governance."
- Business & Environment InitiativeHosted at HBS, this initiative "educates, connects, and mobilizes business leaders to address climate change and other environmental challenges."
- Institute for Business in Global Society (BiGS)Hosted at HBS, the Institute "empowers business leaders to make an impact on the biggest challenges of our time," including climate change, economic inclusion, and inequality.
- Program on Corporate GovernanceHosted at HLS, this program "seeks to foster research and scholarship about corporate governance and facilitate discourse in this field among academics, practitioners, and policy-makers."
- Project on Impact InvestmentsHosted at HBS, this project "is dedicated to studying the universe of impact investors and portfolio companies that seek to generate social benefits alongside financial returns as well as creating the infrastructure for others to expand knowledge on the impact investing sector."
- Race, Gender & Equity InitiativeHosted at HBS, this initiative "brings together a global, multidisciplinary community of HBS faculty, alumni, and students to champion projects and programs that advance understanding, generate tools and solutions, and grow a network of leaders who are advancing equality in business and society at large."
- The Salata Institute for Climate and SustainabilityThe mission of this Institute is to "develop and promote durable, effective, and equitable solutions to the climate change challenges confronting humanity" through direct engagement with governments, businesses, NGOs, and communities.
- Social Enterprise InitiativeHosted at HBS, this initiative "applies innovative business practices and managerial disciplines to drive sustained, high-impact social change."
- Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enterprise (SHINE)Hosted through the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard's Institute for Quantitative Science, SHINE conducts "research with the aim of shining a light on the dynamic connections that exist between individuals, organizations, workplaces and communities and their impact on our well-being."
Book List
Click on the circular "i" icons to view book descriptions. Click on the Harvard shield icons to access ebooks (HarvardKey required).
21st Century Investing: Redirecting Financial Strategies to Drive Systems Change by
How institutions and individuals can address complex social, financial, and environmental problems on a systemic level-and invest in a more secure future. Investment today has evolved from the basic, conventional approach of the past. Investors have come to recognize the importance of sustainable investment and are more frequently considering environmental and social factors in their decisions. Yet the complexity of the times forces us to recognize and transition to a third stage of investment practice- system-level investing. In this paradigm-shifting book, William Burckart and Steve Lydenberg show how system-level investors support and enhance the health and stability of the social, financial, and environmental systems on which they depend for long-term returns. They preserve and strengthen these fundamental systems while still generating competitive or otherwise acceptable performance. This book is for those investors who believe in that transition. They may be institutions, large or small, concerned about the long-term stability of the environment and society. They may be individual investors who want their children and grandchildren to inherit a just and sustainable world. Whoever they may be, Burckart and Lydenberg show them the what, why, and how of system-level investment in this book- what it means to manage system-level risks and rewards, why it is imperative to do so now, and how to integrate this new way of thinking into their current practice.
ISBN: 9781523091072Publication Date: 2021
Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value by
In the wake of continuing corporate scandals there have been few, if any, CEOs that have stepped forward as models of "doing things right"--except the former chairman and CEO of Medtronic, Bill George. George has become the unofficial spokesperson for responsible leadership--in business, the media, and academia. In Authentic Leadership Bill George makes the case that we do need new leaders, not just new laws, to bring us out of the current corporate crisis. He persuasively demonstrates that authentic leaders of mission-driven companies will create far greater shareholder value than financially oriented companies. During George's twelve-year leadership at Medtronic, the company's market capitalization soared from $1.1 billion to $460 billion, averaging 35% per year. George candidly recounts many of the toughest challenges he encountered -- from ethical dilemmas and battles with the FDA to his own development as a leader. He shows how to develop the five essential dimensions of authentic leaders--purpose, values, heart, relationships, and self-discipline. Authentic Leadership offers inspiring lessons to all who want to lead with heart and with compassion for those they serve. Bill George helps readers answer vital questions such as: What should I do when my personal values conflict with company business values? How do I make trade-offs between the needs of my customers, my employees, and my company's shareholders? Do I really want to devote my talents to business? Authentic Leadership provides a tested guide for character-based leaders and all those who have a stake in the integrity and success of our corporations.
ISBN: 9780787969134Publication Date: 2003
Business Solutions for the Global Poor: Creating Social and Economic Value by
Based on research presented at The Harvard Business School's first-ever conference on business approaches to poverty alleviation, Business Solutions for the Global Poor brings together perspectives from leading academics and corporate, non-profit and public sector managers. The contributors draw on practical and dynamic how-to insights from leading BOP ventures from more than twenty countries world-wide. This important volume reflects poverty's multi-faceted nature and a broad range of actors--multinational and local businesses, entrepreneurs, civil society organizations and governments--that play a role in its alleviation.
ISBN: 9780787982164Publication Date: 2007
Capitalism at Risk: How Business Can Lead by
The spread of capitalism worldwide has made people wealthier than ever before. But capitalism's future is far from assured. Pandemics, income inequality, resource depletion, mass migrations from poor to rich countries, religious fundamentalism, the misuse of social media, and cyberattacks; these are just a few of the threats to continuing prosperity that we see dominating the headlines every day. How can capitalism be sustained? And who should spearhead the effort? Critics turn to government. In their groundbreaking book, Capitalism at Risk, Harvard Business School professors Joseph Bower, Herman Leonard, and Lynn Paine argue that while robust governments must play a role, leadership by business is essential. For enterprising companies -- whether large multinationals, established regional players, or small startups -- the current threats to market capitalism present important opportunities. In this updated and expanded edition of Capitalism at Risk, Bower, Leonard, and Paine set forth a renewed and more urgent call to action. With three additional chapters and a new preface, the authors explain how the eleven original disruptors of the global market system clash with the digital age, and they provide lessons on how to take action. Presenting examples of companies already making a difference, Bower, Leonard, and Paine show how business must serve both as innovator and activist, developing corporate strategies that effect change at the community, national, and international levels. Filled with rich insights, this new edition of Capitalism at Risk presents a compelling and constructive vision for the future of market capitalism.
ISBN: 9781633698253Publication Date: 2020
Collaborative Governance: Private Roles for Public Goals in Turbulent Times by
All too often government lacks the skill, the will, and the wallet to meet its missions. Schools fall short of the mark while roads and bridges fall into disrepair. Health care costs too much and delivers too little. Budgets bleed red ink as the cost of services citizens want outstrips the taxes they are willing to pay. Collaborative Governance is the first book to offer solutions by demonstrating how government at every level can engage the private sector to overcome seemingly insurmountable problems and achieve public goals more effectively. John Donahue and Richard Zeckhauser show how the public sector can harness private expertise to bolster productivity, capture information, and augment resources. The authors explain how private engagement in public missions--rightly structured and skillfully managed--is not so much an alternative to government as the way smart government ought to operate. The key is to carefully and strategically grant discretion to private entities, whether for-profit or nonprofit, in ways that simultaneously motivate and empower them to create public value. Drawing on a host of real-world examples-including charter schools, job training, and the resurrection of New York's Central Park--they show how, when, and why collaboration works, and also under what circumstances it doesn't. Collaborative Governance reveals how the collaborative approach can be used to tap the resourcefulness and entrepreneurship of the private sector, and improvise fresh, flexible solutions to today's most pressing public challenges.
ISBN: 9780691149790Publication Date: 2011
Corporate Responsibility Coalitions: The Past, Present, and Future of Alliances for Sustainable Capitalism by
It is estimated that there are more than 110 national and international business-led corporate responsibility coalitions. Given the growing reach and significance of these alliances, there is now a critical need for an informed and balanced analysis of their achievements, their progress, and their potential. In Corporate Responsibility Coalitions, the first book to chronicle the subject, David Grayson and Jane Nelson explore the past, present, and future of these coalitions. They consider the emergence of new models of collective corporate action over the past four decades; the increasing number of these coalitions, their diversity and complexity; and how they network with each other and a broader set of institutions that promote sustainable capitalism. Drawing on their global study, the authors light the way for the future development of these influential alliances. In addition, they provide in-depth profiles of the most strategic, effective, and long-standing coalitions.
ISBN: 9780804785242Publication Date: 2013
Deeply Responsible Business: A Global History of Values-Driven Leadership by
Corporate social responsibility has entered the mainstream, but what does it take to run a successful purpose-driven business? A Harvard Business School professor examines leaders who put values alongside profits to showcase the challenges and upside of deeply responsible business. For decades, CEOs have been told that their only responsibility is to the bottom line. But consensus is that companies--and their leaders--must engage with their social and environmental contexts. The man behind one of Harvard Business School's most popular courses, Geoffrey Jones distinguishes deep responsibility, which can deliver radical social and ecological responses, from corporate social responsibility, which is often little more than window dressing. Deeply Responsible Business offers an invaluable historical perspective, going back to the Quaker capitalism of George Cadbury and the worker solidarity of Edward Filene. Through a series of in-depth profiles of business leaders and their companies, it carries us from India to Japan and from the turmoil of the nineteenth century to the latest developments in impact investing and the B-corps. Jones profiles business leaders from around the world who combined profits with social purpose to confront inequality, inner-city blight, and ecological degradation, while navigating restrictive laws and authoritarian regimes. He found that these leaders were motivated by bedrock values and sometimes--but not always--driven by faith. They chose to operate in socially productive fields, interacted with humility with stakeholders, and felt a duty to support their communities. While far from perfect--some combined visionary practices with vital flaws--each one showed that profit and purpose could be reconciled. Many of their businesses were highly successful--though financial success was not their only metric of achievement. As companies seek to coopt ethically sensitized consumers, Jones gives us a new perspective to tackle tough questions. Inspired by these passionate and pragmatic business leaders, he envisions a future in which companies and entrepreneurs can play a key role in healing our communities and protecting the natural world.
ISBN: 9780674916531Publication Date: 2023
Democratize Work: The Case for Reorganizing the Economy by
An urgent and deeply resonant case for the power of workplace democracy to restore balance between economy and society. What happens to a society--and a planet--when capitalism outgrows democracy? The tensions between democracy and capitalism are longstanding, and they have been laid bare by the social effects of COVID-19. The narrative of "essential workers" has provided thin cover for the fact that society's lowest paid and least empowered continue to work risky jobs that keep our capitalism humming. Democracy has been subjugated by the demands of capitalism. For many, work has become unfair. In Democratize Work, essays from a dozen social scientists--all women--articulate the perils and frustrations of our collective moment, while also framing the current crisis as an opportunity for renewal and transformation. Amid mounting inequalities tied to race, gender, and class--and with huge implications for the ecological fate of the planet--the authors detail how adjustments in how we organize work can lead to sweeping reconciliation. By treating workers as citizens, treating work as something other than an asset, and treating the planet as something to be cared for, a better way is attainable. Building on cross-disciplinary research, Democratize Work is both a rallying cry and an architecture for a sustainable economy that fits the democratic project of our societies.
ISBN: 9780226819624Publication Date: 2022
For the World's Profit: How Business Can Support Sustainable Devleopment by
This book argues that the world is at a key juncture for considering how the targeted pursuit of business profits can better add up to the world’s profit, broadly defined.
The edited volume brings together a remarkable array of distinguished corporate, investor, government, academic, and nonprofit perspectives to reflect on the issues. The authors tackle such questions as how businesses can work more effectively with governments, financial institutions, and civil society to mitigate their own enterprise risk alongside risks to people and planet; how private resources, innovation, and networks can be mobilized to create value in solving major social and environmental challenges; and what types of accountability structures are needed to set boundaries, provide oversight, and create positive incentives for business performance.
Their perspectives offer insights into how sustainability can be introduced into business practices, finance and policymaking in a way that expands market opportunities and accelerates progress toward global sustainable development.
ISBN: 9780815741046Publication Date: 2017
Green: Your Place in the New Energy Revolution by
Green illustrates and sheds new light on the gamut of issues associated with renewable energy, a topic whose importance increases exponentially with every temperature record-setting year. Jane and Michael Hoffman use their years of experience to explain the technological and economic future of this ecologically significant issue. They incisively explain its politics: what countries are doing right now and, most importantly, what the U.S. should be doing. Green will cut through the hype and polemics surrounding ecologically friendly technologies and present the unvarnished truth. It will guide the reader through the misinformation and confusion over global warming, and demonstrate the degree to which renewable energy can be part of the solution.
ISBN: 9780230605442Publication Date: 2008
The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism by
Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy and orchestrator of the retailer's spectacular turnaround, unveils his personal playbook for achieving extraordinary outcomes by putting people and purpose at the heart of business. Back in 2012, "Everyone thought we were going to die," says Joly. Eight years later, Best Buy was transformed as Joly and his team rebuilt the company into one of the nation's favorite employers, vastly increased customer satisfaction, and dramatically grew Best Buy's stock price. Joly and his team also succeeded in making Best Buy a leader in sustainability and innovation. In The Heart of Business, Joly shares the philosophy behind the resurgence of Best Buy: pursue a noble purpose, put people at the center of the business, create an environment where every employee can blossom, and treat profit as an outcome, not the goal. This approach is easy to understand, but putting it into practice is not so easy. It requires radically rethinking how we view work, how we define companies, how we motivate, and how we lead. In this book Joly shares memorable stories, lessons, and practical advice, all drawn from his own personal transformation from a hard-charging McKinsey consultant to a leader who believes in human magic. The Heart of Business is a timely guide for leaders ready to abandon old paradigms and lead with purpose and humanity. It shows how we can reinvent capitalism so that it contributes to a sustainable future.
ISBN: 9781647820381Publication Date: 2021
Just Business: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights by
One of the most vexing human rights issues of our time has been how to protect the rights of individuals and communities worldwide in an age of globalization and multinational business. Indeed, from Indonesian sweatshops to oil-based violence in Nigeria, the challenges of regulating harmful corporate practices in some of the world's most difficult regions long seemed insurmountable. Human rights groups and businesses were locked in a stalemate, unable to find common ground. In 2005, the United Nations appointed John Gerard Ruggie to the modest task of clarifying the main issues. Six years later, he had accomplished much more than that. Ruggie had developed his now-famous "Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights," which provided a road map for ensuring responsible global corporate practices. The principles were unanimously endorsed by the UN and embraced and implemented by other international bodies, businesses, governments, workers' organizations, and human rights groups, keying a revolution in corporate social responsibility. Just Business tells the powerful story of how these landmark "Ruggie Rules" came to exist. Ruggie demonstrates how, to solve a seemingly unsolvable problem, he had to abandon many widespread and long-held understandings about the relationships between businesses, governments, rights, and law, and develop fresh ways of viewing the issues. He also takes us through the journey of assembling the right type of team, of witnessing the severity of the problem firsthand, and of pressing through the many obstacles such a daunting endeavor faced. Just Business is an illuminating inside look at one of the most important human rights developments of recent times. It is also an invaluable book for anyone wanting to learn how to navigate the tricky processes of global problem-solving and consensus-building and how to tackle big issues with ambition, pragmatism, perseverance, and creativity.
ISBN: 9780393062885Publication Date: 2013
Leading Sustainable Change: An Organizational Perspective by
The business case for acting sustainably is becoming increasingly compelling - reducing our global footprint to sustainable levels is the defining issue of our times and it is one that can only be addressed with the active participation of the private sector. However, persuading well established organizations to act in new ways is never easy. This book is designed to support business leaders and organizational scholars who are grappling with this challenge by pulling together leading edge insights from some of the world's best researchers as to how organizational change in general - and sustainable change in particular - can be most effectively managed. The book begins by laying out the economic case for change, while subsequent chapters describe how leaders at firms such as Du Pont, IBM and Cemex have transformed their organizations, exploring issues such as the role of the senior team and the ways in which firms shift their identities, build innovative cultures and processes, and begin to change the world around them. Business leaders will find the book a source of both powerful examples and immediately actionable ideas, while scholars will be deeply intrigued by the insights that emerge from the cross cutting exploration of one of the toughest challenges our society has ever faced.
ISBN: 9780198704072Publication Date: 2015
Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results by
Two leading gender experts and Harvard researchers reveal a new paradigm for fairness at work and offer professionals at every level, in any kind of organization, immediate, proven, and evidence-based ways to do their everyday work better and smarter--and more fairly. To make organizations more fair, many well-meaning individuals and companies invest their time and resources in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. But because inequity is built into the structures, processes, and environments of our workplaces, adding these programs has been ineffective and often becomes a burden passed off to the individuals they are meant to help. In Make Work Fair, behavioral scientist and author of What Works Iris Bohnet and gender expert Siri Chilazi offer data-backed, actionable solutions that build fairness into the very fabric of the workplace. Their methods--tested at many organizations, and grounded in data proven to work in the real world--help us make fairer, and simply better, decisions. Using their three-part framework, employees at all levels can embed fairness into their everyday practices. Believing in equal opportunity is essential--but it isn't enough. Offering an evidence-based blueprint, Make Work Fair shows you how to make it a reality, no matter your role, seniority, responsibilities, or where you are in the world.
ISBN: 9780063374416Publication Date: 2025
Management as a Calling: Leading Business, Serving Society by
Business leaders have tremendous power to influence our society, how it operates, whether it is fair, and the extent to which it impacts the environment. And yet, we do not recognize or call out the responsibility that comes with that power. This book is meant to challenge future business leaders to think differently about their career, its purpose, and its value as a calling or vocation, one that is in service to society. Its message is for current and prospective business students, business leaders thinking anew about the role of business in society, and the business educators that train all these people.
We face great challenges as a society today, from environmental problems like climate change and habitat destruction, to social problems like income inequality, unemployment, lack of a living wage, and poor access to affordable health care and education. Solutions to these challenges must come from the market (as comprised of corporations, the government, and nongovernmental organizations, as well as the many stakeholders in market transaction, such as the consumers, suppliers, buyers, insurance companies, and banks), the most powerful institution on earth, and from business, which is the most powerful entity within it. Though government is an important and vital arbiter of the market, business is the force that transcends national boundaries, possessing resources that exceed those of many nations. Business is responsible for producing the buildings that we live and work in, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the forms of mobility we employ, and the energy that propels us. This does not mean that only business can generate solutions or that there is no role for government, but with its unmatched powers of ideation, production, and distribution, business is positioned to bring the change we need at the scale we need it. Without business, the solutions will remain elusive. Indeed, if there are no solutions coming from the market, there will be no solutions. And without visionary and service-oriented leaders, business will never even try to find them.
ISBN: 9781503615304Publication Date: 2021
Power, for All by
Power is one of the most misunderstood—and therefore vilified—concepts in our society. Many assume power is predetermined by personality or wealth, or that it’s gained by strong-arming others. You might even write it off as “dirty” and want nothing to do with it. But by staying away from power, you give it up to someone else who may not have your best interest in mind. We must understand and use our power to have impact, and pioneering researchers Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro provide the playbook for doing so in Power, for All.
Battilana and Casciaro offer a “necessary” (Tarana Burke, creator of the #MeToo movement and bestselling author of Unbound) and “invaluable” (David Gergen, CNN political analyst) vision of power: the ability to influence someone else’s behavior. This influence is derived from having access to valued resources, and once you understand what those are, you can take action to improve life for yourself and others.
With proven strategies of agitating, innovating, and orchestrating change, Power, for All shows how those with less power can challenge established structures to make them more balanced. The authors teach you how to power-map your workplace to find who can create real change at work, plan for and cause sustaining shifts, and understand the two basic needs all human beings share—safety and self-esteem—and the resources people seek to satisfy those needs: money and status, but also autonomy, achievement, affiliation, and mortality. They explore how these dynamics play out through vivid storytelling: as Donatella Versace successfully leads her brother’s company after his death—despite having a title, but little influence; what social movements can learn from youth climate activists and how they can go farther; and how a manager can gain the trust of skeptical employees and improve the workplace.
Power, for All demystifies the essential mechanisms for acquiring and using power for all people.
ISBN: 9781982181109Publication Date: 2021
Profits and Sustainability: A History of Green Entrepreneurship by
Are profits and sustainability compatible? This book brings unique perspectives to this key debate by exploring the history of green entrepreneurship since the nineteenth century, and its spread globally in industries including renewable energy, organic food, natural beauty, ecotourism, recycling, architecture, and finance. The book uses the lens of the extraordinary and often eccentric men and women who defied convention and imagined that business could help save the planet, rather than consume it. The social and religious beliefs that drove many of these individuals are explored as the book looks at how they overcame huge obstacles to execute their strategies. The green entrepreneurs seen here are shown to have created new markets and industries, and driven innovations in sustainable practices, even at times when most consumers and governments marginalized the entire subject. The struggles of early pioneers appear to have been rewarded by the growth of environmental awareness among consumers, business leaders, and others in recent years, but the Earth's environmental health continues to deteriorate. If profits and sustainability have proved challenging to reconcile, the book argues that one reason was how they were both defined.
ISBN: 9780198706977Publication Date: 2017
Profits with Principles: Seven Strategies for Delivering Value with Values by
At a time when unethical business practices continue to dominate the business press, PROFITS WITH PRINCIPLES offers persuasive proof that when businesses combine profit making with a concern for values and the greater good, they do better in the marketplace than those that concentrate only on the bottom line.In PROFITS WITH PRINCIPLES, Ira A. Jackson and Jane Nelson show the quantifiable and enduring business advantage to "doing the right thing." The companies profiled in PROFITS WITH PRINCIPLES-including Starbucks, Citigroup, Alcoa, General Motors, General Electric, Dupont, and Dell-come from different industries and have implemented different strategies to build trust and gain a competitive advantage. What they share, however, are basic operating principles of making values integral to the way they do business. By focusing on creating societal as well as shareholder value, they have built market share, improved risk management, enhanced innovation, strengthened consumer loyalty, and attracted the best talent.Jackson and Nelson's seven principles include Harness Innovation for the Public Good, as in the simple, low-cost water purifier from Proctor & Gamble that has the potential to save thousands of lives; Spread Economic Opportunity, exemplified by Marriott's "Pathways to Independence" program that creates job opportunities for former welfare recipients and gives the company a competitive advantage in the marketplace for low-skilled employees; and Put People at the Center, a value practiced by Alcoa that reduced its lost workday injury rate by more than 90% since 1988. This breakthrough guide on how companies can build trust and grow market share by making a difference opens the door to a new kind of capitalism, providing a wealth of infinitely useful and practical recommendations a company of any size can adapt.
ISBN: 9780385501637Publication Date: 2004
Purpose and Profit: How Business Can Lift Up the World by
Are purpose and profit in conflict, or can both be achieved simultaneously with the right mindset and tools? What are the forces that are reshaping the relationship between the two? What can we all do to strengthen the relationship between purpose and profit as entrepreneurs, managers, employees, consumers, and investors? Backed by cutting-edge research, Purpose and Profit provides answers to these fundamental questions that are increasingly defining the business landscape all around the world. Distinguished Harvard Business School Professor George Serafeim takes readers on a research-driven journey to understand: How and why environmental and social issues are becoming increasingly relevant for organizations worldwide; The ways that companies can design and implement strategies that generate greater impact; The six archetypes of value creation enabled by these new trends; The role of investors in driving greater recognition of ESG issues; and How we can all look at the choices we make and careers we pursue in a way that maximizes purpose and profit in our own lives.
ISBN: 9781400230358Publication Date: 2022
Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire by
A renowned Harvard professor debunks prevailing orthodoxy with a new intellectual foundation and a practical pathway forward for a system that has lost its moral and ethical foundation. Free market capitalism is one of humanity's greatest inventions and the greatest source of prosperity the world has ever seen. But this success has been costly. Capitalism is on the verge of destroying the planet and destabilizing society as wealth rushes to the top. The time for action is running short. Rebecca Henderson's rigorous research in economics, psychology, and organizational behavior, as well as her many years of work with companies around the world, give us a path forward. She debunks the worldview that the only purpose of business is to make money and maximize shareholder value. She shows that we have failed to reimagine capitalism so that it is not only an engine of prosperity but also a system that is in harmony with environmental realities, the striving for social justice, and the demands of truly democratic institutions. Henderson's deep understanding of how change takes place, combined with fascinating in-depth stories of companies that have made the first steps towards reimagining capitalism, provide inspiring insight into what capitalism can be. Together with rich discussions of important role of government and how the worlds of finance, governance, and leadership must also evolve, Henderson provides the pragmatic foundation for navigating a world faced with unprecedented challenge, but also with extraordinary opportunity for those who can get it right.
ISBN: 9781541730151Publication Date: 2020
Sustainable Enterprise Value Creation: Implementing Stakeholder Capitalism Through Full ESG Integration by
This book provides a practical guide to the creation of sustainable enterprise value and implementation of the principles of stakeholder capitalism for corporate boards and management teams. The authors argue that business leadership is on the threshold of a new era driven by major shifts in technology, society, political economy and climate change. They set this transition in international and historical context and outline a comprehensive leadership agenda for fully integrating environmental, social, governance (ESG) and data stewardship risks and opportunities into corporate governance, strategy, reporting and partnerships. This systematic approach is illustrated with good practices by leading companies and includes an explanation of how sustainability reporting is making the leap into formal accounting standards set by the same body that oversees international financial accounting standards and what companies should do to prepare. The book's combination of scholarly analysis and practical guidance make it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to navigate the new business context, whether from the perspective of a board director, C-suite executive, manager, policymaker, scholar or student.
ISBN: 9783030935597Publication Date: 2022
Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change the World One Smart Innovation at a Time by
Over a decade ago, renowned innovation expert Rosabeth Moss Kanter co-founded and then directed Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative. Her breakthrough work with hundreds of successful professionals and executives, as well as aspiring young entrepreneurs, identifies the leadership paradigm of the future: the ability to "think outside the building" to overcome establishment paralysis and produce significant innovation for a better world. Kanter provides extraordinary accounts of the successes and near-stumbles of purpose-driven men and women from diverse backgrounds united in their conviction that positive change is possible. A former Trader Joe's executive, for example, navigated across business, government, and community sectors to deal with poor nutrition in inner cities while reducing food waste. A concerned European banker used the power of persuasion, not position, to find novel financing for improving the health of the oceans. A Washington couple enticed global partners to join an Uber-like platform to match skilled refugees with talent-hungry companies. A visionary journalist-turned-entrepreneur closed social divides by giving fifty million social media users access to free local education and culture. When traditional approaches are inadequate or resisted, advanced leadership skills are essential. In this book, Kanter shows how people everywhere can unleash their creativity and entrepreneurial adroitness to mobilize partners across challenging cultural, social, and political situations and innovate for a brighter future.
ISBN: 9781541742710Publication Date: 2020
What Works: Gender Equality by Design by
Gender equality is a moral and a business imperative. But unconscious bias holds us back, and de-biasing people's minds has proven to be difficult and expensive. Diversity training programs have had limited success, and individual effort alone often invites backlash. Behavioral design offers a new solution. By de-biasing organizations instead of individuals, we can make smart changes that have big impacts. Presenting research-based solutions, Iris Bohnet hands us the tools we need to move the needle in classrooms and boardrooms, in hiring and promotion, benefiting businesses, governments, and the lives of millions. What Works is built on new insights into the human mind. It draws on data collected by companies, universities, and governments in Australia, India, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, Zambia, and other countries, often in randomized controlled trials. It points out dozens of evidence-based interventions that could be adopted right now and demonstrates how research is addressing gender bias, improving lives and performance. What Works shows what more can be done-often at shockingly low cost and surprisingly high speed.
ISBN: 9780674089037Publication Date: 2016
Your Data, Their Billions: Unraveling and Simplifying Big Tech by
What if somebody knew everything about you? Somebody does. That somebody is "Big Tech." Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft know more about you than you do. And they make billions of dollars by cashing in on your private data. Our personal data, which Big Tech companies get for free, is the engine that drives the unregulated, free-for-all world called the digital marketplace. These corporate giants may bring us information and entertainment, convenience and connection, but they also do a lot of harm. So, what can we do about it? This eye-opening book provides vital information that has been out of reach to those who need it most—the millions of Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft users who have come to love and depend upon these digital products. Veteran consumer advocate Jane Hoffman makes the complex world of Big Tech simple to grasp as she reveals exactly how Big Tech uses—and abuses—your personal information. And she proposes a bold blueprint for reforming these corporate behemoths. Your Data, Their Billions is a guidebook to everything at stake in our digital society, from Big Tech's overreach into our daily lives to its practices that threaten our democracy.
ISBN: 9798765012512Publication Date: 2022
