At a certain point, if he’s going to get to the top of the boxing profession, a fighter has to learn the difference between the truth and a lie. The lie is thinking that submission is an acceptable option. The truth is that if you give up, afterward you’ll realize that any of those punches that you thought you couldn’t deal with, or those rough moments you didn’t think you could make it through, w…
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…
Following last week's piece on moving from band-aids to solutions, I thought I would share the above as another example of where I see flawed thinking on sustainability in the economy. Great package. Statistics that back up his points. Key messages hit. But for anyone who has been involved in sustainability, this message is lacking depth. Particularly as his statistics and key messages ar…
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…
Business leaders have today warned financial short-termism is continuing to prevent companies from becoming more sustainable. A global survey of 642 senior executives, campaigners and academics conducted by consultancies GlobeScan and SustainAbility found 88 per cent of respondents regard pressure to deliver immediate financial results remains a significant barrier to firms' sustainability effo…
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…
If the goal is to solve (or avert) the problems of business as usual, then it is going to take more than band-aids to do it. That is a simple lesson that I teach my students every semester, and one that requires them to go through a series of exercises to identify the root factors causing the problems that emit the byproiducts we are seeing, who the stakeholders are of the key factors, and then…
For social entrepreneurs, or socially minded entrepreneurs, maintaining a focus on excellence and impact should be paramount. At times, maintaining that focus is difficult .. and tiring .. and it's my hope that this clip helps those of you who are looking for a bit of inspiration (and focus). CrossFit Journal: Pursuit of Excellence with Greg Glassman: "I learned quite a bit about fitness…
Following my posts on the role of business schools as an agent, medium, for sustainability, I felt it was necessary to address the fact that aside from the intentions of the school, the dean, or the professors, the students themselves must be engaged to adopt in a manner that provides the best chances for success. An issue I addressed at a PRME conference in Copenhagen: For us, the key to succ…
While there are those who feel that China's economy has no limits, I would like to direct your attention to yet another example of where China's economy is outstripping the basic laws of environmental carrying capacity. Poyang lake, located in North Jiangxi province is perhaps one of the largest lakes that you have never heard of, and it is likely that it will be lost. At only 5% of its…
Though my time at CEIBS teaching a course on responsible leadership I have been fortunate to meet peers at other schools and within the corporate world who are teaching their students and employees values and issues of society, economics, and the environment. It is a process that at times feels like climbing a sheer faced rock, and given the fact that many schools are still hesitant to say…
There can be fewer examples of an "open secret" in China than the worsening air quality levels in China's major cities. For a period, this "open secret" was one that was acceptable by all because of the promise of better days, but following the Beijing Olympics and Shanghai EXPO the air has only grown worse in both cities. Not better as promised. Which has recently been exacerbated by the…
In the recent entry What really drives value in corporate responsibility? , CB Bhattacharya, Daniel Korschun, and Sankar Sen call into the question the value of CSR programs to the firm, and make three suggestions of how firms can get back on track. It was an article that for me started off quite well, and does a good job to frame a basic problem of CSR programs: Few companies are clear about…
An interesting conversation between my wife and my recently fired nanny provided an anecdotal insight into the depths of ethics, and the value of ethics, in China. Wife: "so why did your son left his last job?" Nanny "the company is a mess, my son managed quality inspection for car parts and his manager just want him to keep one eye open one eye closed, so they can meet production quota. My son…
