"There's a big value to being a corporate citizen. It gets your name out there, it's good marketing and, in some industries, you can build customers.”
— Richard Kazis,
Jobs for the Future
Many companies are making a commitment to corporate responsibility by contributing to education. These programs often enrich curricula in everything from science and technology to literacy. This changing role of business in society moves beyond just maximizing returns to shareholders to include being good corporate citizens equally responsible to different constituencies and diverse communities.
More »"It shouldn't be a matter of giving to one and not spending with the other. Now is when we can dig deep and do both. Otherwise, we might as well forget about the holiday spirit. We'll turn into a nation of Scrooges."
We've heard the phrase, "give the gift of giving." But in this economy, should we give to charities instead of product manufacturers? Profit and nonprofit organizations can both use our dollars right now. We have the responsibility of keeping society afloat during hard times — and that includes businesses as well as charities; our conscience as well as our economy.
More »"Without a clear, compelling and relevant idea for your organization, it is impossible to develop organizational optimism — at least in times of great uncertainty,"
— Mats Lederhausen,
CEO, BE-CAUSE
With so much daily news of wavering markets, it may be difficult for business leaders to remain positive and display that confidence to others throughout the organization. HOW Online decided to ask leaders, innovators and authors, "How do you keep your sense of optimism — and convey it to employees and co-workers — when so much bad news is out there now?"
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Get real! It’s difficult to imagine how many millions of times a day that phrase is used around the world. Get real. Be practical. It can be heard on street corners, at cocktail parties and in corporate boardrooms. Frequently, the speaker uses it as a command to dash the aspirations of a person or an organization. Stop daydreaming! What you’re talking about is never going to happen! We see it differently.
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Bosses at U.S. companies are in for some "very challenging times" as the economy undergoes dramatic change, says Edward E. Lawler, director of USC's Center for Effective Organizations and a professor at its Marshall School of Business. Successful corporations in the 21st century need to address the critical issue of "human capital."
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In a corporate world where 60-year-olds work alongside newly minted college grads, who will accept extra work with no compensation? The scenario raises complex issues of trust, loyalty and corporate culture, and illustrates the challenges posed by a multigenerational workforce.
More »With daily news of soaring gas prices and the credit crunch, business leaders have seen signs of recession. So how does a leader provide the steady course? The answer comes not by bracing for the downturn, but by embracing the new 21st century world.
More »In the era of inspirational leadership, competitive advantage is being derived not only from pragmatic values such as quality, but also from humanistic, social, and environmental values such as integrity, transparency, sustainability, and trust. The source of 21st-century leadership — and the inspiration that fuels it — has shifted from success to significance, as viewed through the prism of "should."
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