The corporate social conscience is on display in Davos, Switzerland, where global leaders from business, government, and civil society are assembled for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be committed to public-private partnerships that address the world’s most urgent challenges: climate change, poverty, chronic disease, illiteracy, plastic waste in the oceans, and much more. Unfortunately, after the initial splashy public announcement, most of these sincere and well-intentioned global partnerships are almost certain to quietly fail.
A new guide from FSG, The Social Ecosystem Dilemma — And How to Fix It, highlights the need for companies to take a new approach in order to capture important opportunities for growth and profitability that are often blocked by long-entrenched social or environmental problems. By identifying, managing, and overcoming these barriers, companies can create value for their shareholders and help lead social progress.
The guide outlines concrete and actionable steps for companies to build shared value ecosystems, based on insights from 12 companies across industries from around the world.