Champion of better capitalism
I was standing in the coffee queue at the University of East Anglia, in the break during the closing conference for our first-year business students. I turned to the student in front of me and asked if she had been at the session. “No” she … Continue readingCreativity – a basic requirement for business students
16 years ago, Tomorrow’s Company published the conclusion of an inquiry into the global company of the future. The tone was positive and optimistic. In the Tomorrow’s Global Company report of 2007, the assumption was that NGOs and businesses would work ahead of government, setting and committing … Continue readingTransparency was yesterday, tomorrow is about vigilance. Here are four questions boards need to ask.
‘It’s clear that while capitalism has a huge amount to offer in terms of wealth creation and encouraging free enterprise, it has still not found a way of enabling participation for all’ ‘Imagine a world where every young person not only has a small inheritance … Continue readingSet up a shadow board by all means, but when will you get serious about intergenerational fairness?
I listened recently to a fascinating BBC radio programme about housing in Vienna. There was so much to admire. Housing designed for community living; plenty of green space; accommodation rented to all social classes with no ‘no-go’ areas; a far sighted city authority had bought … Continue readingMigration – the fairness test to come
‘Degrowth is a planned reduction of energy and resource use designed to bring the economy back into balance with the living world in a way that reduces inequality and improves human well-being’. Jason Hickel, Author of Less is More Last week, experienced chair Heather Tierney-Moore … Continue readingDoes our company’s core activity help human beings thrive? If not, what are we planning to do about it?
Last week BBC Radio 4 hosted a discussion about capitalism between three authors – the Financial Times’ Martin Wolf, US Senator Bernie Sanders and economist Kate Raworth, whose contribution to an earlier broadcast I commented on here. None of these three participants spoke positively about … Continue readingThinking like an owner – a precious byproduct of capitalism
Trials of a 4-day working week have been a success, according to recent reports in The Guardian. 18 of the 61 participating companies have already made this pattern permanent. “At Ravelin Robotics, staff have been enjoying a three-day weekend,” said David Alatore, its chief technology officer. … Continue readingFrom Jack Welch to Paul Polman — what a change in just 15 years!
Last week ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston asked Rishi Sunak: ‘Why are so many people at the top of your party finding it so difficult to follow the rules? In response Mr Sunak said: “The things that happened before I was prime minister, I … Continue readingUnaccountable power and how to deal with it
Nadhim Zahawi’s dismissal from the government represents a dismal ending to a great story of an exile made good. His father escaped Iraq after displeasing Saddam Hussein and Nadhim Zahawi did not speak any English when he arrived in the UK in 1978 at the … Continue readingNadhim and Ram – two tales about fairness
‘Which company do you most admire?’ I like to ask this question if I am at a dinner party and the conversation gets boring. Some people immediately choose big companies which are household names. Larger companies I have heard mentioned recently include Patagonia, Proctor and … Continue readingWhich company do you most admire?