Institute for Business in Society

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?

A feeling that part of one’s identity is unwelcome at work threatens an employee’s connection with others and the organization, and a feeling rejection due to religion can be extreme. Here: A framework to think about how people respond when they feel their religious identities are threatened at work, in context of organizational culture.

Why would oil producers continue to pump oil despite an excess supply globally and a shortage in storage space? Darden Professors Elena Loutskina and Daniel Murphy examine how oil prices went negative (and could again), collateralized debt and oil producers’ relationships with lenders, and broader implications for the oil market.

Darden Professor Ed Freeman and Ben Freeman discuss stakeholder capitalism, the importance of and, and the key concepts we can learn from the problems imposed by the old story of business. They can lead us to a new one.  

With the onset of COVID-19, it was incredibly important for businesses to reach out to their consumers and preserve those consumers’ loyalty. Darden Professor Kimberly Whitler, an expert in marketing strategy and brand management, investigated how marketing teams were communicating with customers during the crisis.

Philosopher Isaiah Berlin stated that people fall into two categories: the fox and the hedgehog. Professor Mary Gentile shares her thoughts on why they must co-exist and work together.