Millions of consumers, employees and investors are seeking to align their purchases, jobs and investments with their values. They want transparency and clear understanding of the brands they consume, work for, and invest in to be able to verify how they are contributing to sustainable development. Amid such a growing, unparalleled scrutiny, companies are increasingly held responsible for their business behavior, notably their environmental and social footprints. Yet there is one impact that is rarely discussed, as it remains hidden to the public eye. This is the ‘political footprint’ companies leave behind through the exercise of corporate political activities, be it lobbying or political contributions, and which often contradicts companies’ public statements.
By Alberto Alemanno
Despite environmental, social, and governance (ESG) funds gaining popularity, their impact on reducing negative externalities, such as greenhouse gas emissions, may be limited if not approached strategically. In our study, entitled “Responsible Finance: How to Optimize Impact,” forthcoming in the Review of Financial Studies, we show that investment capital could actually influence the behavior of more highly polluting companies to drive positive change for the planet.
By Stefano Lovo , Augustin Landier
The world we live in is profoundly different to the one we knew four years ago. Disruption to long-established patterns reveal opportunities for developing countries to secure a bigger share of the global economy. A policy paper by Abdelmonim Amachraa, Portfolio Lead at OCP Fondation, and Bertrand Quélin, Strategy and Business Policy at HEC Paris, for the Policy Center for the New South looks at how Morocco can best integrate with global markets, analyzing the challenges and next steps.
By Bertrand Quélin , Abdelmonim Amachraa
Doctor Anicet Fangwa's work on health centers and stillbirths in the Democratic Republic of Congo could save millions of lives by better managing health practices throughout Africa. The PhD graduate from HEC Paris describes the managerial tools he's been using in remote parts of the DRC.
By Anicet Fangwa , Bertrand Quélin , Marieke Huysentruyt
The European Commission mandated a group of experts to work on new European corporate social responsibility reporting requirements. Marieke Huysentruyt, Associate Professor of Strategy and Business Policy and Academic Director of the Inclusive Economy Center at the Society & Organizations Institute of HEC Paris, was part of a group that drafted legislation on the question of equal opportunity. She describes how her working group shaped their proposals for a wide, long-lasting impact.
By Marieke Huysentruyt
Faced with rising demands from society, it is crucial that companies address their social/societal impact and the board has a key role to play. A report recently published by the ESG Club of the French Institute of Administrators brushes a fresh picture of current social expectations regarding businesses. In this report, the members of the Social/Societal working group put forward recommendations for administrators to understand these expectations and anticipate the effect of social impact on the competitiveness of companies. Bénédicte Faivre-Tavignot Associate Professor (Education Track) of Strategy and Business Policy and cofounder of the Society & Organizations Institute at HEC Paris, and also board member, is one of the report’s authors. In this interview, she comments on the risks and challenges for companies and for board members.
By Bénédicte Faivre-Tavignot
Three HEC academics joined forces with an S&P Global social specialist in ESG research (Bruce Thomson) to bring out a landmark report on the social factors covered – and not - in ESG frameworks. The report “What Gets Measured” challenges traditional coverage of the social dimension in corporate ESG frameworks and suggests ways to ensure that what gets measured “matters for businesses and the people and communities they impact”. We talk with HEC professor and co-author Marieke Huysentruyt.
By Marieke Huysentruyt , Bénédicte Faivre-Tavignot , Leandro Nardi , Bruce Thomson
Many luxury brands have engaged in corporate social responsibility by linking products to a charitable cause. But altruism is at odds with the materialistic motivations to purchase fancy watches or handbags. So how do luxury brands overcome the paradox and get their clients to engage in charitable giving? Find out in this new study by HEC Paris Marketing Professor L. J. Shrum and PhD Sukhyun Kim, and Kiwan Park of Seoul National University.
By L. J. Shrum
Danone’s CEO had to leave his position under the pressure of increasingly powerful and influential activist hedge funds. With their controversial tactics aimed at maximizing shareholder profit, they undermine sustainability practices, which they consider wasteful. Indeed, not only do they tend to suppress the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of the companies they target, they also target companies with stronger CSR records in the first place, as a new study reveals. But its authors Mark DesJardine, Rodolphe Durand, and Emilio Marti also show that these companies can divert the attention of activist hedge funds, and that policymakers and socially minded investors can intervene, too.
By Mark Desjardine , Rodolphe Durand
Social entrepreneurship is characterized by a deep commitment to a social cause and the desire to develop new business models with economic, social, and ecological impacts. But can people be trained to become better at social entrepreneurship? HEC Paris Professors Thomas Åstebro and Florian Hoos found that social entrepreneurship training works, but only if carefully designed.
By Thomas Åstebro , Florian Hoos
