A compelling look at the B Corp movement and why socially and environmentally responsible companies are vital for everyone’s future—"a valuable guide to an important force" (Financial Times)
"An important blueprint for how businesses can and should be both successful and a force for good."—Rose Marcario, President and CEO, Patagonia
"Better Business is the book to read if you want to put values and purpose at the center of your company. It’s an inspiring book with great insights to share."—Jerry Greenfield, co-founder, Ben & Jerry’s
Gold Medalist in the Business Ethics category, 2021 Axiom Business Book Awards and longlisted for the 2020 Porchlight Business Book Awards
Businesses have a big role to play in a capitalist society. They can tip the scales toward the benefit of the few, with toxic side effects for all, or they can guide us toward better, more equitable long-term solutions. Christopher Marquis tells the story of the rise of a new corporate form—the B Corporation. Founded by a group of friends who met at Stanford, these companies undergo a rigorous certification process, overseen by the B Lab, and commit to putting social benefits, the rights of workers, community impact, and environmental stewardship on equal footing with financial shareholders. Informed by over a decade of research and animated by interviews with the movement’s founders and leading figures, Marquis’s book explores the rapid growth of companies choosing to certify as B Corps, both in the United States and internationally, and explains why the future of B Corporations is vital for us all.
ISBN-13: 9780300247152
Media Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Yale University Press
Publication Date: 09-13-2020
Pages: 312
Product Dimensions: 5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.30(d)
Christopher Marquis is the Samuel C. Johnson Professor in Global Sustainable Enterprise and Professor of Management at Cornell University.
Table of Contents
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1 Focusing on Interdependencies, Not Externalities 18
2 Interdependence Day 47
3 Putting the Spotlight on Interdependencies 64
4 Getting the Law on the Stakeholders' Side 83
5 Investing for Impact 107
6 Employees as the Heart of the Company 128
7 Finding Kindred Spirits: The ? Community 148
8 Going Global 166
9 Widening the Funnel 187
10 Big Isn't Always Bad 204
11 Convincing Consumers to Care 223
Conclusion: An Age of Interdependence 240
Notes 245
Acknowledgments 275
Index 279
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