10 Questions: Is Growth for Good also Good for Growth?

Companies often view the social challenges that surround business opportunities – poverty, poor sanitation, loose governance structures – through the lens of corporate social responsibility (CSR) or philanthropy. But today, as economic growth in emerging markets has begun to outpace the growth of supporting institutions and infrastructure, many of these “contextual gaps” have begun to pose real threats to long-term business success. To reframe how business is done in these contexts, companies must consider how sustainable and inclusive business activities are becoming what’s good for business.

Learn more about our research on this topic:

• An op-ed by MIB Dean Bhaskar Chakravorti in Forbes on getting businesses to work towards the sustainable development goals
• Our recent forum, Inclusion Inc.
• A Stanford Social Innovation Review article by MIB Dean Chakravorti, “Business Growth for Good: Why Context Matters”

As part of our “10 Questions” Series, we delve into hard questions of international business not easily answered by a single book, class, discipline, or school of thought. They herald a future where the world and the world of business are ever more interconnected, where decisions can’t be made in a bubble, where real expertise demands deep ‘contextual intelligence.’ This series reflects that contextual intelligence we cultivate in our students in the MIB program.