‘Pay to help’ is a new trend which could change the future of volunteering
Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Volunteering is a popular way for people to give something back to society. Whether it’s joining a tree-planting group, or helping out at a charity shop, spending time contributing to a cause is something valued by almost a billion people across the world. Some businesses have picked
Sustainability ideals are often crushed by corporate demands. Here’s how businesses can let them flourish
Urbanscape/Shutterstock A “calling” in the context of work might be characterised by a strong sense of purpose and a motivation beyond just being paid at the end of the month. It’s mostly associated with occupations like healthcare workers, teachers or nonprofit staff, for example. We might not immediatel
Investors value corporate tax responsibility – at least when the company is based somewhere with a lot of inequality, research shows
When corporations based in areas of above-average income inequality pay more taxes, it’s not just the public that appreciates it – investors do, too. That’s the key finding of our recent research published in the journal Accounting and the Public Interest. Our finding challenges traditional economic theor
Corporate social responsibility disclosures are a double-edged sword, new research suggests
Hoping to win over customers, businesses from Amazon to Zoom have taken to touting their good deeds in corporate social responsibility reports. CSR reports let companies spotlight what they’ve done for workers, consumers, communities and the environment – essentially all their goals beyond simply making a p
Businesses are leveraging the UN Sustainable Development Goals to gain political influence
Businesses can freely use the SDG framework, logos and colours in their communications without any external validation, meaning they can misuse them without needing to take them seriously. (Shutterstock) At first glance, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) appear to be a rallying cry for
More and more, business schools want to show they’re making a positive impact on society. But how should they measure it?
Business schools shape more than just business. iStock/Getty Images Plus Back in 1970, the economist Milton Friedman famously argued that businesses have a single responsibility: to increase profit. For decades, the so-called “Friedman doctrine” amounted to dogma in certain circles, including at many busine
‘Social profit orientation’ can help companies and nonprofits alike do more good in the world
Companies and nonprofits can make the world a better or worse place. PeopleImages/iStock via Getty Images Plus Economist Milton Friedman’s influential maxim, that a company’s sole obligation is to maximize profits, is outdated. Many companies have voluntarily integrated social concerns into their business o
Should businesses consult shareholders before taking a stand on social issues?
In 2017 many businesses took a stand on the Australian marriage equality plebiscite. We saw a comparable trend in recent months, as corporate Australia declared its position on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. This included everyone from the Big Four banks to Wesfarmers, Telstra and Rio Tinto. It was not onl
How to know if your employer is serious about helping you find purpose in your work
Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Paychecks are important, of course, but many people also want their work to “matter”. Whether this means helping people in your local area, or contributing to a global cause like reducing waste and fighting the climate crisis, 70% of respondents to a 2020 survey said their personal
How Australian companies can fudge their numbers to show social and environmental progress
Shutterstock What’s the easiest way to improve a company’s social and environmental performance? The unfortunate answer, from our analysis of Australian public companies, is to change the way you measure it. In particular, by changing what you said last year to make this year’s performance look better. Re