Practitioner Updates

The 2018 annual 3BL Forum has come and gone, but its impact will be reverberating throughout the corporate responsibility field for some time to come.

Our instinct to point the conference in this direction was on target. On the first day of last year’s “business” gathering, the major topics included immigration policy, gun control, and the opioid crisis—and that was before the lunch break. The event was definitely not a business as usual gathering.

Brands taking stands in the Saudi crisis. Taylor Swift gets out the vote. Is Taking a Stand “Red or Blue?”

We are witnessing a new development in the Brands Taking Stands movement: States defining themselves as “brands” by adopting definitive positions on social and political issues that are intertwined with business.

We are witnessing a new development in the Brands Taking Stands movement: States defining themselves as “brands” by adopting definitive positions on social and political issues that are intertwined with business.

The collision of principle and policy in current affairs has just ratcheted up several notches in intensity. The reason? The latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods imported into the U.S. that takes direct aim at profits at a number of the largest multinationals. After losing the lobbying battle to stave off this latest round, these companies are going public with their protests, hoping to encourage a rollback by taking a collective stand against a policy that hits their bottom line.

Considering all that we have experienced over the past 18 months, we are definitely at an inflection point when it comes to the business community deciding what role it has in pursuing social good. More companies have realized they have no choice but to speak out, and even take action, on some of the most volatile political and social issues of our time.

The socially responsible investment industry is exploding. By any measure, the growth is exponential, and increasing rapidly. The reasons are straightforward: Sustainable investing is increasingly seen as a superior methodology to manage risk and drive returns.

What does calling imply when used in reference to leadership in business? What could “meaning” mean in business practice?

Get the first look at the 2018 3BL Forum Agenda here.