We have entered a time when how we do things is essential to our ability to succeed, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman. In this “Era of Behavior,” shame is a powerful social and business force and a behavior rooted in sustainable values. Shaming can even be inspirational. How? Shame is a key element of self governance and an example of a self-correcting force in a self-governing culture.
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Google’s threat to withdraw from China, rather than accept censorship, is a breathtaking example of corporate values at work and a landmark moment in the history of corporate responsibility, says HOW contributor Marc Gunther. It’s the boldest statement any U.S. company has ever made about doing business in China. And Google’s get-tough stance with China will be good for its business.
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HOW Online contributor
The trumped-up "Climate Gate" scandal has drawn an inordinate amount of attention, with climate change deniers using fairly innocuous evidence to question the integrity of all climate science. Even if the deniers were right — which they're not — the business case for investing in environmental innovation still holds up, as does the moral imperative, says HOW contributor Andrew Shapiro.
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Like many people, I was holding out hope for a binding policy agreement on climate change from Copenhagen, says HOW contributor Andrew Shapiro. Now, global leaders can re-frame the climate challenge as an opportunity to drive innovation and economic revitalization. We need a game plan that connects policymakers with business leaders and investors to drive the development of solutions.
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Are investors who watched Bear Stearns and Merrill Lynch destroy billions in shareholder value ready to focus on what makes companies sustainable? The recent “Sustainable Stock Exchanges” conference discussed building the case for whether companies with good environmental, social and governance practices will deliver superior shareholder returns, says HOW contributor Marc Gunther.
More »Everywhere I travel, I hear the same refrains: "We need more regulation," or on the flip side, "If we hadn't deregulated, we wouldn't be in this financial mess." More regulation could be a very good thing, but we shouldn’t rush to regulation without asking whether it’s a list of prohibitive rules or something deeper, something that inspires consistent and right behavior, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman.
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At a recent United Nations meeting, participants signed the “Global Economic Ethic: Consequences for Global Businesses” manifesto, which lays out principles and values to create common moral ground in the global marketplace. As the wicked web of connections is being revealed by the crisis, a new global ethic is an idea whose time has come, says HOW contributor Thomas M. Kostigen.
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The aspiration to create "green jobs" should be seen as shorthand for two public priorities — immediate job creation and long-term transformation of the economy for sustainability and prosperity — and both goals can be addressed simultaneously, says HOW contributor Andrew Shapiro. What we need to ask is: How can we make every industry a green industry and every job a green job?
More »Here’s an innovative idea: A handful of European towns are getting rid of their traffic signals and parking meters. I believe that there is a lesson here that is relevant to all of us, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman. It’s relevant to discussions on ways we can become more self-governing. The big idea: You don't need rules to generate good behavior.
More »As a CEO, I'm eager to put the recession to rest, says HOW contributor Dov Seidman. At the same time, how could we not take this opportunity to ask fundamental questions? Now that there are signs of recovery, there's a part of me — and I'm reluctant to admit this — that doesn't want things to get too good too fast. We could use more time to understand what went wrong with our economy.
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