Welcome to the very special issue magazine co-published by The Harvard Business School Institute for Business in Global Society and the Council on Business & Society: COMPANIES & PURPOSE: Purpose-driven business and its imprint on employees, profit, society, and planet

In this second collaboration, Harvard BiGS & CoBS offer you 106 pages of insights and 24 articles from globally recognised faculty and prominent business leaders from around the world to propose a truly global and also regional perspective on the ever-important issue of purpose and its impact on corporate value, employee motivation, society, and planet.

This special issue kicks off with an introductory Editorial by Prof. Debora Spar, Senior Associate Dean, Business and Global Society at Harvard Business School, and Adrian Zicari, Academic Director of the CoBS, and professor of Accounting at ESSEC Business School.

Three sections follow: Companies & the changing landscape, Leading by example – purposeful businesses, and Global Perspectives on Companies & Purpose.

Section 1 highlights include exploring the role that business plays in solving social problems, how companies can manage the dual mandate of profit and purpose, the purpose ecosystem and how private actors and stakeholders help companies reach the SDGs, and finally business for good – an update on the shifting landscape since the 2019 pledge by 181 US CEOs

Section 2 includes a focus on the increasing interest in company ownership and how it brings wealth to the wider base, the strategic nature of integrity in corporate governance and purpose, caregiving and companies – how it boosts corporate value and workforce motivation, and corporate business coopetition as a strategy for building a better world.

Section 3 explores the bigger picture and features, among other super insights, innovations from the global south that combine profit and purpose, the move beyond the business case for equality, reframing sustainability as purpose, and a focus on Latin American CEOs and responsible leadership that impacts business and society.  

So, as this seemingly exceptional year of change, complexity and challenge moves on, we hope you enjoy this special issue co-developed by two of the world’s most influential actors in responsible business at the crossroads of society and planet. We’d be delighted to hear from you – your feedback, comments and ideas – and please feel free to join in the debate either by contacting us through this website, or through the contact details on page 2 of this magazine.

Kind regards,

The BiGS-CoBS Editorial Team.

Useful links:

• Link up with Profs. Debora Spar and Adrian Zicari on LinkedIn
• Download our previous co-developed magazine on Climate Change: Strategies for advancing the green transition.
• Read a related article: Companies must commit to profound transformations.

Learn more about the Council on Business & Society

The Council on Business & Society (CoBS), visionary in its conception and purpose, was created in 2011, and is dedicated to promoting responsible leadership and tackling issues at the crossroads of business, society, and planet including the dimensions of sustainability, diversity, social impact, social enterprise, employee wellbeing, ethical finance, ethical leadership and the place responsible business has to play in contributing to the common good.  

• Follow the CoBS on LinkedIn
• Download magazines and learning content from the CoBS website downloads page.

Member schools of the Council on Business & Society.

• ESSEC Business School, France, Singapore, Morocco
• FGV-EAESP, Brazil
• School of Management Fudan University, China
• IE Business School, Spain
• Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, India
• Keio Business School, Japan
• Monash Business School, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia
• Olin Business School, USA
• Smith School of Business, Queen’s University, Canada
• Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa
• Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
• Warwick Business School, United Kingdom.