What’s good for the Goose…
Source:Editor's Blog
WE hear an increasing amount these days about corporate social entrepreneurship. Indeed, the current issue of Exec features a revealing and refreshing interview with Duncan Goose, founder of One water. We’ll be revisiting the concept that big business has finally grown a conscience in future editions, but for now we must pay due respect to such global brands as Starbucks and McDonalds, the latter of which, while expanding the world’s waistline, at least ploughs some of its profits back into educational and altruistic good works.
While the Eighties were an age of get-rich-quick, and the Nineties genuflected to the idea of get-rich-quicker (and knife your corporate neighbour while you’re at it), the new Millennium has softened society’s nose and suddenly FairTrade is rapidly replacing ‘profit-at-any-cost ‘as the buzz-phrase of the moment. Duncan Goose’s initiatives exemplify that ethos wonderfully.
Of course, there will always be those who demand greater and greater returns while exploiting their workforces, steadfastly determined to display little if any social conscience. But fortunately for all concerned, these corporate dinosaurs are going the way of their ancient predecessors as the notion that an organisation’s greatest asset really is the integrity of its workforce takes hold.
Of course, as senior managers it is imperative that we remain commercially aware and ensure that our businesses are competitive. That does not necessarily mean, however, that we sacrifice those who underpin our organisations at the first sign of stormy waters.
As always, your comments on this issue are more than welcome.
Have a good month…
Paul Pearce-Couch
Group Editor
Exec
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