Building off the presentations and research I have given recently on "Beyond Business As Usual", one of the common themes of discussion is why and how responsible firms will act when it comes to living up to their duty to more than just the bottom line. That, with the cost of externalities of the current business as usual model rising, a new dynamic is beginning to take shape where firms who do no…
Last week, when I asked my friends on Facebook for their opinion on my recent presentation on Beyond Business As Usual, I was asked by one friend "whatever happened to doing the right thing even if it impacted the profit, the bottom line?" It was a great question, and I had two hree reasons why more firms have not traditionally been willing to see "good" as the "right" thing to do through thei…
This evening while speaking with the CSR manager of a large services firm, we were discussing the good impact that a CSR manager can have within the firm. It was an interesting conversation because (1) it was centered around corporate volunteering, the structure that a corporation has in place, and the ability of a single person (who is supported) to leverage that work and (2) we compared her w…
Last week, in partnership with HK Polytechnic, I co-organized with Poly U an event called the Opportunities Beyond Business as Usual for nearly 100 alumni and business executives. An event that came about through discussions about the future of business, and the future of social enterprises, we specifically made the decision to use the two hours to make the case that the meaning of moving be…
If you are aspired to build a successful career as Social Entrepreneur, don’t miss the chance to attend the one-day intensive workshops conducted by Mr Richard Brubaker, one of one of Asia’s most prominent speakers on the issues of CSR, Sustainability, and Social Entrepreneurship. The workshop is exclusively opened for PolyU students and alumni. Content Highlights: Global trend in Social E…
Can conventional “Business as Usual” practice guarantee your business success? How can we capture the growing opportunity for doing “good business”, which means not only achieving your business objectives, but also going beyond to contribute to social missions, sustainability, and environmental preservation? Good business is about going beyond expectations, seeking out and addressing externalit…
For many CSR managers, one of the more challenging (mind numbing) aspects of transacting an international donation can be the regulatory hurdles, and for U.S. firms there are two IRS channels whereby this can be accomplished: 1. Equivalency Determination: Involves gathering a significant amount of background information and documentation from the foreign charity, and then having a US Based law fi…
Developing the business case for sustainability is growing easier by the day, and many executives are now identifying areas where their firm is exposed. It is a process that for many, even those with seemingly small operations, can be a difficult and complex one, and in our recent series of articles for Supply Chain Magazine we have identified a number of areas where firms can take immediate actio…
Last week, I was asked to speak at the British Chamber of Commerce about corporate volunteering in China. Specifically, how can firms develop a program that has a long-term benefit to the community. I was encouraged to see between 30-35 firms in attendance, and my counterpart, Roy Zhang from Abbott, and I spent about a hour on the process and benefits of building a program. In my presentation…
Following the upgrade of my Social Entrepreneurs/ enterprise and Environmental / Sustainability professional twitter lists, I thought I would expand to a third post that included some of the CSR professionals I know working in China. this list is a bit thinner than the others, partially because some practitioners are included on the other lists, so if you know of anyone who has been left off pleas…
A very interesting interview of Michael Porter focuses on his recent work (thoughts) on how firms going forward are going to have to rethink how they formulate strategies. Creating shared value, Porter effectively states that firms will have look at their value proposition, look at quality, and look at their role as members of society. That instead of operating through models that extract,…
While doing a bit of research on effective change agents, I came across an interview of Debra Meyerson who wrote Tempered Radicals How People Use Difference to Inspire Change at Work where she is quoted as saying the following: Effective agents of change at the grassroots level know who they are and what they are trying to accomplish. Effective tempered radicals hold on to their deepest goals, wh…
5 Steps to Developing a Successful Corporate Philanthropy Program Through my work, working with firms looking to develop "CSR" programs in China, more often than not the conversations I have revolved around donating money. For many firms, even those experienced in philanthropy, China can be a difficult place. The groups who are able to accept 50,000+ USD are more likely to be GONGOs (Government…
Last year, Jack Ma said in an interview with Charlie Rose that the biggest business opportunities (in China) would be those fixing China's problems, and if you have been following IBM in china they are clearly showing an interest. going back 3 years ago, IBM began working with the city of Shenyang to monitor the city water supply, with the expectation that following the one year monitoring…
No doubt you have all by now heard about the NY times piece that has catalyzed a (global) discussion on Apple's sense of responsibility. It is a discussion that has taken place in many forms, and with many angles, but in rereading the piece I found two paragraphs that were most interesting to me. Some former Apple executives say there is an unresolved tension within the company: executives wan…
