http://www.ips-dc.org/reports/top_200_the_rise_of_corporate_global_power

I wonder how this list will look like once the economy recovers since many underdeveloped countries are recovering at a faster speed than developed ones.

1) The role of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) professions at government contractor companies.  The issue at hand is why is there such low representation of women in high level ranks (C-level)?   I am collaborating with my colleague and former classmate Gabe Galvan in launching the 1st survey in this specific niche area.  We are in the process of launching the survey this week and are excited at the opportunity to publish the results, much awaited and in demand already in the metro Washington DC area.

2) The vision of leaders on corporate responsibility by 2020.  My colleague Nazlin Bhimji and I have crafted interview questions that ask leaders in CSR/CR to articulate their vision, their priorities and their planned actions in CSR by 2020.  We have completed out beta testing and will be ready to begin interviewing leaders in corporate responsibility in the next few weeks.  If you want to recommend leaders don’t hesitate to reply to this blog and we would be happy to interview them.

3) The role that CSR has on the HR function.  I have been delighted with the book by Eileen Cohen “CSR for HR” that is on target in perceptions and misconceptions of HR and provides a road map to elevate the HR profession and make it a more valuable and key contributor to the business.  Here is the link to Eileen’s blog: http://www.csrforhr.com.  I am curious as to how to better connect CSR to the talent acquisition function, particularly in small and mid-sized companies.  I truly believe that organizations should not hire “employees” but “people.”  People have unique talents that a firm can leverage and engage for multiple benefits: the individuals involved, the communities they live in, our environment and the goals of the company. 

More to come in this area as my reading continues.

It has been a challenge and a great journey to think about what responsible management in today’s business environment should be about.

In my work with small companies that truly want to be great companies and great employers, I have had the most satisfaction in bridging the misconceptions of Responsible and Sustainable Management and equipping small companies with the tools and structure to become better employers to today’s workers.  Corporate Responsibility seems to be about large corporations, many of which are doing great work in terms of transparency, accountability and reporting.  

The Certificate in Responsible Management is awarded to MBA graduates who have demonstrated their commitment to becoming responsible business leaders, by fulfilling the three requirements of the CRM program – service, academics, and extracurricular activities related to responsible and sustainable management.  I have learnt more than I had expected in every requirement area: the service exposed me to communities in need that I was not aware existed in the US capital.  The academics broadened my views and perspectives, and those of my classmates, particularly as we engaged in discussions that continued way after classes ended.  The extracurricular activities allowed me to meet business leaders that apply responsible management in their workplaces, learn about organizations that have succeeded in their practices and have learnt by erring and trying again.  In essence accomplishing this Certificate connected me with a brilliant circle of people, resources and friends that support my journey in responsible management.  The certificate has created a “virtuous cycle” that will make all those of us involved and all of those  we connect with, better professionals, business leaders and human beings.

The conference invited leaders from different perspectives to present for 25 minutes on their perspective of corporate responsibility and where organizations are going and leading nowadays.

 This lecture impacted on all of the six principles of PRME: the purpose was clear, the values were inevitable, the method was open and exposed very different views, research was implicit, partnership even continues after the lecture and new networks and partners have been formed, and yes, dialogue: such wonderful dialogue was encouraged.

I was particularly impressed by two of the speakers:

1)     Ed Freeman, Ruffin Chair of Business Ethics, The Darden School; University of Virginia and the George Washington University  Welling Professor, and

2)     Per L. Saxegaard, Founding Partner Norden Realkapital, Oslo & Founder of Business for Peace Foundation, Oslo (http://businessforpeace.no)

Prof. Freedman presented thought provoking concepts such as stating that companies with good governance are compatible with good business practices and good management and good leadership: these types of companies have and do business for humans.  It is true, in the world we live in, sometimes it feels like it is business communities against the community or other stakeholders.  He went on to say that companies have the investors they deserve if in their minds, quarterly earnings equal the value of the firm, which makes management have a “beat the street mentality”.

For me, the most visionary speaker was Mr. Per Saxegaard who focused on “Marying Performance and Purpose”.  He has coined the term “businessworthy.”  The perspective of this word implies a strong and growing business case for ethically aware business practices.  Perspectives that interplay with general moral business principles and competencies that are followed in close business relationships.  Such business principles and competencies constitute the rationale for the concept of Businessworthiness, which is linked to the concept of Creditworthiness, as understood by every businessperson.  Being Worthy in the Business of your relationships with – your customers and suppliers, your co-workers, and the communities you act within – seems to be a relevant concept for conduct in a modern business environment.  http://businessforpeace.no/foundation-businessworthiness.

He also focused on being a responsible manager and the concept of “being one person” vs. one business person and your regular being.  He also introduced concepts I had not thought about like “business violence” which occurs when a business in its blind and eager race to win, prevents others from winning too, which is counterproductive in the business arena – where having losers and winners makes society worse.  Business is an area where the sports analogies must stop since it is possible to have win-win situations, which Mr. Saxegaard believes are a dynamic requirement for long term business engagements (not a zero-sum game, but a game with mutual benefits).

In regards to the political and regulatory environments, he mentioned the need for a conscious capitalism and that companies will need to provide “future proof” for regulations that will inevitable come an d where responsible companies will be ahead of the curve.

In our pursuit of becoming Certified responsible Managers, he remained us of “being mindful” and “being aware” and being proud of being part of a business, not to excuse it.”

Per the description on their website (http://www.bcorporation.net/about <http://www.bcorporation.net/about> )  B Corporations are a new type of corporation which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. B Corporations take the triple bottom line to a new level of transparency and a comprehensive review of all areas of a business’s practices, by measuring/rating the company’s impact on all of it’s non-financial stakeholders (employees, community, the environment, consumers, suppliers, and corporate governance/accountability). All Certified B Corporations:

• Meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards.
• Institutionalize stakeholder interests.
• Build collective voice through the power of a unifying brand.

I personally empathize with their tag line: How do we tell the difference between a “good company” and just good marketing? I like the fact that in earning the certification, B Corporations underscore the need for transparency and standards to measure corporate practices and hold corporations accountable. This creates a new debate about how corporate social and environmental responsibility will be measured and communicated in the future. All B Corporations are subject to a physical audit and must submit supporting documentation to verify their claims. The community of B Corporations is growing fast: 270 companies representing over 50 industries and almost $2 billion in collective annual revenue.

I will explore more, take the certification survey and report back to other seekers of the certificate for responsible management.

Sabina

This book gave me a great framework for starting the environmental scan and feasibility plan required for this course.  Easy to read, to follow and implement.  Filled with examples and practical actions to take to move ideas into action.

 1) CR is important to the organization and they’d want to implement a program at the earliest opportunity,

2) the organization lacks the time, the knowledge and the resources to create such an initiative, to deploy it and to sustain it.  This gap between what organizations state they need and their inability to create and maintain in a long-term sustainable way led us to design a phased program with simple initial actions that grow and expand in a cumulative manner.

 We have conducted research on corporate responsibility in multiple countries and have focused on business outcomes that, especially in for profit organizations, would contribute to maintaining a CR program.

 We have created, based on the research conducted by Ms. Sheila Bonini at McKinsey, our own Return on Responsibility analysis, which is be the basis to implement a solid program that can measure its value from inception, vs. being perceived as a cost.

We will work with Proff. Griffin to review our progress and adjust the program based on her recommendation so we can be readly to beta test it at smal non-profit organizations.

Last year, I volunteered with them in the role of Lead Community Relations.  The role had been inactive so we decided to implement simple initiatives that could have a significant impact in the community.

• Implemented 3 new initiatives:

1. Business Books for Libraries
2. Toys for Tots donations
3. Dress for Success donations

We collected donations that amounted for 146 business books – we only accepted books that dated from 2007.  These were distributed to libraries in coordination with their Collections Librarians, based on what they already had and was needed.

Toy donations begun as early as September and most of them were delivered in coordination with local fire stations in northern VA so they could reach the rural areas of VA.  178 new toys were collected and distributed right in time for the holiday season.

Supporting women without jobs was an incredibly successful initiative that took place year-round since clothes donations were planned in a seasonal manner.  The back to work initiative was also supported by reviewing resumes and many times, working one-o-one with women ready to have interviews.  We collected 56 suits, 29 dresses, 70 pairs of shoes, 51 coats and jackets and many stockings and jewelry.

NOVA SHRM is truly dedicated to helping the communities where we live, work and enjoy life.  These initiatives were just the beginning, besides all the career development and educational work the association does.

The George Washington University sponsors NOVA SHRM and the association promotes the school’s Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development.

• Understand the importance of nonconformity.  Leadership is about change, hope, and the future.  Leaders have to venture into uncharted territory, so they must be able to handle intellectual solitude and ambiguity.
• Display a commitment to learning and developing yourself. Leaders must invest in themselves. If you aren’t educated, you can’t help the uneducated; if you are sick, you can’t minister to the sick; if you are poor, you can’t help the poor.
• Develop the ability to put personal performance in perspective. Over a long career, you will experience both success and failure. Humility in success and courage in failure are hallmarks of a good leader.
• Be ready to invest in developing other people. Be unstinting in helping your colleagues realize their full potential.
• Learn to relate to those who are less fortunate.  Good leaders are inclusive, even though that isn’t easy. Most societies have dealt with differences by avoiding or eliminating them; few assimilate those who aren’t like them.
• Be concerned about due process. People seek fairness—not favors. They want to be heard. They often don’t even mind if decisions don’t go their way as long as the process is fair and transparent.
• Realize the importance of loyalty to organization, profession, community, society, and, above all, family. Most of our achievements would be impossible without our families’ support.
• Assume responsibility for outcomes as well as for the processes and people you work with. How you achieve results will shape the kind of person you become.
• Remember that you are part of a very privileged few. That’s your strength, but it’s also a cross you carry. Balance achievement with compassion and learning with understanding.
• Expect to be judged by what you do and how well you do it—not by what you say you want to do. However, the bias toward action must be balanced by empathy and caring for other people.
• Be conscious of the part you play. Be concerned about the problems of the poor and the disabled, accept human weaknesses, laugh at yourself—and avoid the temptation to play God. Leadership is about self-awareness, recognizing your failings, and developing modesty, humility, and humanity.

The Responsible Manager – Harvard Business Review, January 2010, page 36.  By Prof. C. K. Prahalad.