One of the conversations that I find myself in, and write about as well, is the ability of tangibility to catalyze change. that instead of focusing efforts on issues like "climate Chnage" and saving the polar bears, it is important to look locally at the source to fix problems before their byproducts (methane, CO2, lead, etc) are able to do their damage. So, when reading through the recent Busine…
Watching the Foxconn pays its low-level workers in Shenzhen the legal minimum wage at 900 yuan/month. Ma Liquan, a former employee informed China Central Television (CCTV, 11 May 2010): “After deducting mandatory social securities, we earn only some 800 yuan a month. No one seems to force us….and yet we’ve no choice but to do overtime work.” Set against the Harvard Business Review Case stud…
Following last week's post where I listed China's Social entrepreneurs and enterprises, I thought I would also update the list of people and organizations who are focused on sustainability and the environment in China. As before, this is certainly not a complete list of those who exist on twitter, so if you see anyone missing, please post in the comments section. Environmentalists and Sustainabi…
A recent clip of Malini Mehra, Founder & CEO for the Centre for Social Markets answering the question of "What holds Socially business from scale?" presents an great opportunity to open a discussion about what problems prevent success for many social businesses' business plans. In the 2 minute clip, she mentions three issues that hold back the organization Enabling environment - p…
From Brandi Carlile “Have you ever”: have you ever wandered lonely through the wood? and everything it feels just as it should you’re part of the life there, part of something good if you’ve ever wandered lonely through the woods How many urban dwellers would say no, that they have never wandered through the woods, and what does that mean for increasing awareness of sustainability? T…
While reviewing some old posts for issues/ discussions that I thought should be updated, I came across a post where I listed China's Social Entrepreneurs on Twitter... and it was old. Really Old. so, in an effort to make sure everyone is up to date and connected, pelase find the updated list of Entrepreneurs and Organizations. I know that there are people and organizations that I am missing…
The other day while working with some colleagues on a paper, we began discussing the various approaches to sustainability and responsible leadership that we are seeing within the business school community. A discussion that has been taking place for several years, but what was interesting about this review was to see the progress that has been made, and how we are seeing others look to advance…
Professor Rebecca Henderson from Harvard Business School gives a very interesting presentation at the recent Harvard Thinks Green forum, called "Making Money While Making a Difference: Is It Really That Easy?". Focused on the ability of the corporate model to be a (profitable) change agent, the key question that she attempts to answer is: Whether business can be a major lever for change, a…
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…
We cannot neglect the important role of catalysts. In the forward of the Jeffrey Hollinger's book The Responsibility Revolution, Peter Senge writes that business models will move away from CSR/ sustainability exercises (and towards true sustainability) when one of two things happen: "I can only see two things that will shift the state of affairs: a different vision of the future that is more insp…
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…
