Business In Society
SHARE BUSINESS IN SOCIETY
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Business in Society Blog

Journalists and foreign affairs experts: “What’s up with China (China!) mediating an historic Iran-Saudi peace deal?” Think “hearts and minds”

Today, journalists and foreign affairs experts are exploring, “What’s up with China [China!] mediating an historic Iran-Saudi Arabia peace deal?” An answer: global hearts and minds. Headline and subhead of The New York Times report on China’s surprising new role as mediator in the just-announced Shiite-majority Iran /Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia peace deal: China’s Role in Iran-Saudi Arabia […]

[Read More]

Business leaders – and many other “influentials” – must “blow the whistle” on the political ESG football. “It’s just common sense.”

A recent New York Times headline said it all concerning the current political attack on ESG investing and companies’ commitment to social responsibility: “On Wall St., ‘Socially Responsible’ Is Common Sense. In Congress, It’s Political”.   https://nyti.ms/3ZEkHUr   Columnist Jeff Sommer, analyzing the current political backlash on ESG: “In the financial world, trillions of dollars […]

[Read More]

Vital, but unsung immigration news: US business/government Partners expanding funds to address root causes in Central America

With all the attention to the longstanding, seemingly intractable and tragic turmoil at the U.S. southern border — and many other major newsbreaks   — you may have missed this vital, yet under-reported related news from The New York Times last week: “Harris Announces Funding to Address Root Causes of Migration” “WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris […]

[Read More]

We should be alarmed, and motivated, by the new wave of challenges to college liberal arts studies, especially history

Under the New York Times headline, “The Dangerous Decline of the Historical Profession” Daniel Bessner , associate professor of international studies at Washington University, lays out this distressing observation: History teachers and students are dwindling; financial support is wavering; tenure is in decline; and political-ideological assaults are spreading. https://nyti.ms/3Xp1NQm  “As Americans fight over their history, the historical […]

[Read More]

The roiling political assault on ESG and the business social contract is about to hit Washington D.C.

Rally around the “ESG flag” folks. It’s about to be fired upon in the U.S. Congress. “ESG”, the well-established acronym for Environment/Social/Governance, the contemporary evolution of business addressing social as well as economic issues, is now becoming the latest target for right-wing politicians. In the U.S Senate session starting January 3rd, five senators will be […]

[Read More]

Defending Democracy: Now comes the hard part – how do we keep its music playing?

  Yes, the U.S. midterm elections defended (rescued?) American democracy. Now comes the hard part: How to strengthen that democracy in the coming days, months, and years. How to overcome the many inevitable distractions of “life happens” for each of us and the firehose of events and news of these “Roiling Twenty-Twenties”.   (Or, paraphrasing […]

[Read More]

New journalism standard? – All the news that’s fit to print of national interest — except what I’m withholding for my book

Poynter, the nonprofit institute long known as the go-to authority and supporter for ethical, excellent journalism, has published a provocative piece with this  subhead: “… new book stirs debate about reporters withholding information.”    https://bit.ly/3DSQ5qG    The opinion piece, by Tom Jones, reflects on the significance of the imminent book by the New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, the seemingly […]

[Read More]

Gorbachev’s tragedy, Biden’s democracy alarm and their surprising bond

  The New York Times print  headlines last week –   “Mikhail S. Gorbachev, 1931 – 2022 Visionary Soviet Leader Who Lifted the Iron Curtain” https://bit.ly/3efAAOD   “Biden Portrays Democracy as Under Fire in the U.S.” https://nyti.ms/3eobJIC   A “bond” between these disparate political leaders? It may surprise, but the case for it is worth […]

[Read More]

Journalists, public relations pros and others battling global disinformation are confronting the stark realities of this “pandemic of the mind”

(pan-dem-ic  : occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population.)     It is not hyperbolic to say it: The waves of disinformation engulfing global society now represent a pandemic of the mind. Disinformation ( a k a misinformation/ attacks on truth/ altered facts) is now analogous to COVID […]

[Read More]

A global network for sustainability education launches Call-to-Action support for Ukraine students, faculty

A vibrant global network of some 850 business/management institutions championing sustainable development – Principles For Responsible Management Education – is implementing a new, multi-faceted “Call-to-Action” in support of  Ukraine students, faculty and researchers.  “PRME Call-to-Action for Ukraine”   PRME is a United Nations-supported initiative founded in 2007. As a platform for sustainable development in schools and […]

[Read More]

A senior citizen’s urgent entreaty to Generation Z: “Help Defend Democracy!”

Dear Generation Z fellow citizens, I am an 88-year-old retired public relations professional. You are members of the latest generation to inherit impressive promise and power   “What Are the Core Characteristics of Generation Z?” Let’s “chat”.   My objective – I believe that Americans and citizens of other democratic societies have something in common, something very important – […]

[Read More]

Promising immigration initiatives for US southern border: Biz leaders’ early-investments response to US Call for Action

How it began (May 27 , 2021): Biden Names Harris to Work with Central America on Migration  – “plunging her into one of the most politically fraught issues facing the White House.”   How it’s going: (December 13, 2021) VP Harris announces company investments in Central America   Of special significance: This private sector early embrace of […]

[Read More]

Americans should annually commemorate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol

We rightfully commemorate existential attacks on America – of course,  the 9/11 national shock and trauma; and, many decades ago, December 7th, 1941, famously, the “day that will live in infamy.” But January 6th 2021 stands alone as the unprecedented,  violent internal assault on American democracy itself. The attack on the U.S. Capitol,  as well as its […]

[Read More]

Students urge social impact courses; Higher Ed “gets it’ on ESG education

‘There’s been an explosion of interest from students.’ – Todd Court, lecturer on sustainability at the Yale School of Management. That’s one of the money quotes in the Jenny Gross New York Times sweeping update on demand for environment/social/governance (ESG) courses at U.S. universities, “Business Schools Respond to a Flood of Interest in E.S.G.”. https://nyti.ms/3FIqf6e . Not […]

[Read More]

What I learned/shared during the fifty year evolution of the”CSR” acorn into today’s Sustainable Development/Stakeholder Capitalism

Perspective: The evolution of corporate social responsibility – and therefore, capitalism — over these five decades reflects companies’ growing engagement with major social issues as integral to a successful business model: I. The Zeitgeist  1970s: “If there was only some way to marshal the resources of the business community and the Establishment and apply them […]

[Read More]