Companies are embedded in their social, economic, and political context — not separate from it. That means they are directly connected to the major crises that engulf society, from climate change to income inequality and beyond.
Top row, from left: Tima Bansal; Sarah A. Soule (photo: Elena Zhukova); Sarah Kovoor-Misra. Middle row: Ruha Shadab (photo: Jamie Mullick); Chang Hoon Oh. Bottom row: Marianna Fotaki; Sinziana Dorobantu; Maziar Minovi (photo: Richard Jopson).
Spotting a Modern Business Crisis — Before It Strikes
Eight perspectives on how societal challenges are evolving, and what that means for companies.
November 17, 2021
· Long read
Summary.
Businesses are embedded in the larger sociopolitical contexts in which they operate — not separate from them. And research shows that in communities under conflict, businesses can be perceived as sociopolitical actors that can have a positive impact on society. So how should organizations define a crisis, prepare for it, and know when and how to intervene? In this roundtable, eight scholars and practitioners discuss the relationship between business and society, how crises for businesses have evolved over the years, and the lessons they hope leaders learn from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
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