Society and business relations

The story of how one organization envisioned a future transformed.

If we could better track the value of human capital, employees would be better off.

(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will...

Research reveals how activist investors help and hurt.

For visionary CEOs in the for-profit finance sector, a giant business opportunity is emerging: connecting entrepreneurs and their organizations with the resources they need to create lasting social change. Since the late 1980s, the citizen sector has taken off and experienced rapid growth in terms of productivity and impact. The financial industry has not kept […]

The industry giant is creating shared value with African businesses, paving the way for others in the process.

As Afghan-U.S. relations continue to deteriorate, it's hard to imagine that the two nations can find political common ground. But the language of business...

CEOs, take note.

If you are the leader of a large organization (or only of yourself) who cares about improving the world, here’s a question you should consider: How will you participate in the global solution networks that are increasingly managing to address the world’s problems? A global solution network is a group of independent parties that have […]

They’re a reminder that mastery, membership, and meaning are the best motivators.

"Mission" for nonprofits is the same as "profits" for private sector companies. In the private sector, corporations achieve their goals by carefully designing...

Protections and benefits shouldn’t be based on employment status alone.

Editor’s note: This post is one in an occasional series on Vijay Govindarajan’s and Christian Sarkar’s idea to create a scalable housing solution for the world’s poor. Each post will examine the challenge from a different perspective, including design, technology, urban planning and more. Today, Bob Freling examines the energy challenge. The $300 House: The […]

Realizing the full potential of this evolving sector requires three things.

They're taking multiple routes to social good.

Employees are constantly in motion—making sales calls or taking service trips; visiting an international office for a few days or relocating there for a few years; soaring across oceans in the corporate jet or heading across town in the company car. Typically, these activities are administered by an assortment of departments and vendors. But we […]

Take a cue from venture capital and increase the appetite for taking chances.

This post is part of a three-week series exploring the re-invention of the social infrastructure of cities, published in partnership with the Advanced Leadership Initiative at Harvard University. Last week, the NAACP released a report with a blunt, but sadly accurate, title — Misplaced Priorities. I could not help but think about this title in […]

Instead of battling the NLRB, McDonald's should extend an approach it's using with suppliers.

The headline in yesterday’s New York Times business section was instantly exciting: “Kleiner Perkins and Partners Create $250 Million ‘Social’ Fund.” Another progressive venture fund, this one driven by social justice rather than environmental issues? Fantastic! But reading the full article on the New York Times blog dispelled my enthusiasm: Hoping to capitalize on the […]