Institute for Business in Society

Facebook’s whistlerblower, Frances Haugen, has made international headlines with her claims about the inner workings against the tech giant. Professor Jared Harris discusses business ethics in the era of big tech.

In The Stakeholder Podcast, Professor Ed Freeman interviews Carolyn Miles, former CEO of Save the Children, on how the pandemic changed work and how organizations can overcome institutional inertia and leverage the lessons of the pandemic to be stronger, create more loyalty, be more sustainable and enhance the future of the entire enterprise.

Mining activities support the functioning of society but their benefits are usually seen far from the area of extraction. One public-private partnership leverages the value chain to strengthen the economic ecosystem in resource extraction communities, focusing on both responsible production and creating opportunities for women and young people.

How can underserved students in the Americas learn technical skills, work in teams and prepare for workforce demands? How can higher education institutions collaborate with governments, the private sector and NGOs to create training programs for students in STEM, public health, climate solutions, agriculture sciences and financial inclusion?

Zero access to electricity perpetuates the poverty cycle. In Zambia, one public-private partnership is a blueprint to providing power to rural communities and changing millions of lives. While developed economies rework a century-old, centralized grid infrastructure, developing economies can design electric grids with clean technologies in mind.

Areas in Mesoamerica see health equity gaps in newborn, infant and maternal health. The Inter-American Development Bank partnered wit ha number of partners to create the Salud Mesoamerica Initiative an innovative way to improve access to quality health care for 1.8 million women and children living among the poorest 20 percent of the population.

The Cambodia Rural Sanitation Development Impact Bond combines private and public capital with on-the-ground implementation expertise and market-based solutions to improve health and accelerate the Royal Government of Cambodia’s goal of universal sanitation. A finalist for the P3 Impact Award, it’s a public-private partnership changing the world.

With the world on the brink of pandemic, a business was asked to make masks. How should it balance an ethical imperative against the risks of entering a new market? And what direction should it take when the crisis receded? Public-private partnerships can combine the strengths of diverse entities, driving rich, broadly beneficial results.

Russell Diez-Canseco, CEO of Vital Farms, a partner company of Conscious Capitalism Inc and Alexander McCobin, CEO of Conscious Capitalism Inc., tell Professor Freeman what changed their minds from “shareholder value maximizers” and led them to become two of the most outspoken advocates for stakeholder-centered capitalism.

The health of Americans is worse than that of populations of other wealthy nations. The U.S.’ lower health status inflicts costs on individuals, families, businesses and society, all of which are interdependent — as are community health and economic prosperity. What strategies can ensure that vital conditions are met for all Americans?