Christopher Marquis, "Better Business: How the B Corp Movement Is Remaking Capitalism" (Yale UP, 2020)
b'I spoke with Prof. Christopher Marquis, Samuel C. Johnson Professor in Global Sustainable Enterprise and Professor of Management at Cornell University. His latest research book tells the story of an ambitious certification programme that aims to signal to customers and shareholders those small and large corporations that are responsible and caring with their workers, customers, with the planet and the local communities where they operate.\\nBusinesses 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.\\nIn Better Business: How the B Corp Movement Is Remaking Capitalism (Yale UP, 2020), Marquis tells the story of the rise of a new corporate form\\u2014the 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.\\nIn our conversation Christopher mentioned the origin of the book and why he believes in the work done by B Lab. The book is divided into 11 chapter and is full of interesting practical examples. In the talk we also mentioned the notion of \\u2018benefit corporation\\u2019, in the US and elsewhere.\\nI have asked the author why we should trust the founders of the B Movement and their certification programme. He answered with some examples and convincing arguments. We then focused on chapter 1, \\u2018Interdependencies not Externalities\\u2019, chapter 6, \\u2018Employees as the Heart of the Company\\u2019, chapter 10, \\u2018Big Isn\\u2019t Always Bad\\u2019, and eventually chapter 11, \\u2018Convincing Consumers to Care\\u2019. We concluded with his plans for the next book.\\nInformed by over a decade of research and animated by interviews with the movement\\u2019s founders and leading figures, Marquis\\u2019s 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.\\nAndrea Bernardi\\xa0is Senior Lecturer in Employment and Organization Studies at Oxford Brookes University in the UK. He holds a doctorate in Organization Theory from the University of Milan, Bicocca. He has held teaching and research positions in Italy, China and the UK. Among his\\xa0research interests\\xa0are the use of history in management studies, the co-operative sector, and Chinese co-operatives. His latest project is looking at health care in China. He is the co-convener of the EAEPE\\u2019s permanent track on\\xa0Co-operative economy and collective ownership.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices\\nSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law'