Programme Impact
Business is inherently embedded in society. As such, Good Organizations adopt an ethical approach to management, fostering moral character, meaningful work, and virtuous practices that nurture individual growth, collective wisdom, and the common good, for a flourishing future.
We advocate for a transformative journey that transcends profit-centric models, evolving from hierarchical, market-driven metrics to a focus on social justice, stakeholder value, and ultimately, the common good. Guided by the values of human dignity, freedom, justice, wisdom, and care, this shift requires deliberate and purposeful development—examining existing business ideologies, reflecting on values, governance, and leadership, and reimagining structures to cultivate business excellence and enable flourishing for all stakeholders.
Work Has Become a Global Health Hazard. After 50 years of “new work” and countless restructurings, agile transformations and yoga classes, we appear to be stuck in a hellish swamp of good intentions: better work remains squarely out of sight… Our organizations are still more often suffering machines than wellsprings of well-being; mental health in the workplace, according to an ILO survey, has decreased almost everywhere in the world, and correlated physical illnesses like heart attacks are on the rise. In the UK, 74% of the working population profess to be stressed out. Jeff Pfeffer, the American management professor, sums it up: bad jobs are destroying our lives. In the US, “the paycheck” is already the fifth leading cause of death.
And even on the inside, it seems, we are slowly withering away. In vain, we continue to yearn for more meaning at work… A recent study found that over 70% of respondents lack deeper significance in their daily work activities. The majority of jobs continues to offer limited opportunities for creativity or personal growth. In addition, more than 50% of people believe that our businesses still pay little attention to the real problems of our planet.We argue that a more fundamental change in how we think about work and how we design organisations is necessary. We build on neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics and suggest that a shift towards “eudaimocracy” might help to craft organisations that foster “organisational aliveness” and contribute positively to society. Drawing upon moral philosophy, sociology, complexity science and positive psychology we start to develop a set of principles and practices that could pragmatically bridge business ethics and management. In this context, we especially highlight the need to revise institutional governance, establish virtuous communities and develop practical wisdom and agency across the organisation. Using the concrete example of traditional HR processes, we examine how a novel approach could help to foster individual and collective flourishing and more radically address some of the shortfall of previous approaches.
GOOD ORGANISATIONS
Building on these considerations and combining virtue ethics with positive psychology, neurobiology, and evolutionary theory, we define "good" work as a social process that combines personal growth, the development of capabilities and friendships, and a profound sense of significance through recognized contribution to a shared and greater good. In essence, good work involves the vocational pursuit of personal excellence and the gradual becoming of the best people we are meant to be.
REINSPIRING ORGANISATIONS
Business excellence is the realization of both social value and personal fulfillment through work, achieved through an organization's commitment to nurturing the inherent worth and goodness within individuals and contributing to a higher purpose beyond profit maximization.
Wisdom is the individual and organisational ability to discern and enact the best course of action in complex situations, applying virtues, experience, and sound judgment to foster both personal growth and the common good.
But its not just about cultivating each organisational "component", but also about the connection between them. Truly virtuous organizations need to nurture a moral environment that combines care, integrity and compassion with a genuine commitment toward mutual elevation for the greater good. They need to enable a holistic development of individuals and communities.
In order to do so, we must continue to evolve organizational design, striking a progressive balance between local affordances within micro-organizations, individual growth, and the need to foster shared learning and a coherent external value proposition. And that’s difficult. In our research, we can clearly see that with growing scale corporations turn instrumentalist. To counter this, we must overlay the existing financial governance with disciplines for collective reflection and participation, essentially creating a living organizational constitution. The ultimate goal is to first connect people, structures and culture, thus nurturing organisational wisdom, identity and character, and then to enable a reflective equilibrium that continually actualises the potential of the organisation to create social flourishing.
business as a force for good
What's It All About?
The "Hunt for Good Organizations" is a groundbreaking initiative sponsored by Duke University, US, and the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. This unique course promises a transformative journey, empowering students to redefine their perception of organizations and leadership, and examine their own role in shaping a better world. Over the course, student teams will embark on a quest to identify and interview exemplary companies that are transforming their business and operating models in the spirit of goodness. Their mission: to uncover what sets these organizations apart and create insightful case studies that capture "the difference that really makes the difference". Through the elaboration of these case studies, we aim to empower our students to make more informed choices and actions in their own future careers.
Why Is This Important?
The "Hunt for Good Organizations" is more than an academic pursuit; it's a movement. We are dedicated to identifying and celebrating organizations that are actively contributing to a positive societal and environmental impact. Our students will delve deep into these organizations, uncovering and promoting the remarkable ways in which they enable the greater good. But we're not stopping there. Our plan is to share these case studies and best practices with a global audience to stimulate collective learning. Furthermore, we aim to develop robust measurement instruments that can objectively recognize and evaluate good organizations worldwide, facilitating qualification and continuous improvement against the highest ethical standards.
Making a Global Impact
In a world grappling with pressing issues like climate change, inequality, and social injustice, the role of organizations and leadership has never been more crucial. Therefore, our mid-term objectives are ambitious. We aspire to establish an alternative economic narrative that champions an economy for the greater good, with "Good Organizations" leading the way. We believe that by acknowledging and promoting organizations that are actively embodying positive change, we will not inspire others to follow but also set new benchmarks for businesses as forces for good, driving a systemic shift in leadership and business education. By engaging with this initiative, future employees and investors can make informed choices, supporting organizations that align with their values and avoiding those that fall short. Simultaneously, we want to attract a wider academic and public audience to our change initiative, generating vibrant interest and potential future collaboration.
Example Criteria for Good Organisations
Good organizations prioritize the common good, fostering a culture of integrity, fairness, empathy, and compassion. They emphasize community and character development, facilitate personal development through lifelong learning, while promoting a just and transparent compensation system. These organizations embody a holistic approach that balances the needs of employees, stakeholders, and society, based on clear ethical principles and a deep belief in the spirit of humanity. By embracing the essence of goodness, they not only create better workplaces but also contribute to a more humane and sustainable future.
Share your suggestions with us at info@leadershipsociety.world and let's inspire a world of organizations for good!
REINSPIRING ORGANISATIONS
Do you lead or know of an inspirational organisation that uses progressive management practices to integrate agility with corporate social responsibility? Get in touch with us to join our collaborative inquiry!
The core idea is simple. In a gLab we want to look at how we do things around here - how we relate to each other, our customers, our stakeholders, our tasks - and ask one simple question: are we bringing our highest potential to life? On that basis, we will seek to inspire our daily work and cultivate “team excellence” to enable the flourishing of all.
The Reinspiring Organisation Interview Series is a collaborative inquiry into progressive management practices that blend agility with corporate social responsibility. Featuring 150-200 publicly acclaimed companies known for innovation, people-centric management, and social value creation, this series seeks to explore how organizational practices influence both internal and external impact. The central hypothesis is that organizational "character" and leadership "wisdom" are the primary drivers of social value creation. Each interview will delve into the company's history, business model, and most significant achievements, as well as its governance framework, values, culture, organizational structure, and approach to leadership. The interviews will be conducted in 60-minute, topic-guided discussions and shared with a wide audience to inspire and inform the ongoing conversation about leadership and organizational transformation.
The gLab is a collaborative learning initiative aimed at uncovering how organizations can foster human flourishing in the 21st century. Rooted in Civic Humanism and symbolizing noble leadership, it emphasizes learning through prototyping rather than seeking immediate success. Combining academic rigor with practical application, the gLab addresses real organizational challenges while integrating personal and organizational growth. Through experiential, workplace-embedded learning, it fosters collaboration, peer-to-peer connections, and supportive environments for personal development. With a focus on active listening, powerful questioning, and evidence-based progress, the gLab builds communities of leaders dedicated to crafting better organizations.
Refine the "Good Organisations" concept
Enhance the effectiveness of the participating teams ("gLabs")
In this section we will soon present some initial ideas for the creation of good organisations, based on good practices emerging from our research and interviews
Success Measures & KPIs
Community and Development
A new series of interviews to examine alternative models for the economy! Launching in March 2024
Our Leaders for Humanity Masterclass will launch on June 28th!
Join our global quest to chase organisations for good and revolutionise responsible leadership education!
Pilot participation now open for Fall 2024!
✿ Business for Humanity is our monthly webcast series dedicated to exploring alternatives to capitalism. We interview global thought leaders on economic models that promise greater sustainability, and critically examine them in our ongoing meta inquiry with an interested community
✿ Leaders for Humanity and Leaders for Humanity Masterclass represent our PhD-level research where we engage with exceptional minds to explore the development of good leaders and organizations. This series provides extensive resources and background reading materials.
✿The Flourishing Manifesto is a global initiative uniting HR and business leaders, consultants, and researchers in a collaborative effort to redefine performance management as a catalyst for responsible business transformation and leadership.
✿"Business as a Force for Good" is our pilot program developed in collaboration with Duke University, designed to create a practical module for responsible leadership education, with a particular focus on business and MBA students.
. Create websites online