is social business good business case study

Business Models
Case studies

Social Enterprises and Social Business: case studies

Best business models from successful socially-oriented organizations.

Wondering how social enterprises and social businesses around the world create, deliver and capture value ? If so, here are few case studies just for you!

Social Business Design, social business case studies, Aravind

Aravind Eye Care

Since 1976, Aravind works to eradicate needless blindness in India . Every year, this company performs over 400,000 eye surgeries, most of whom are performed free of charge for patients . But how is it possible for Aravind to make all this while remaining financially sustainable ?

Social Business Design, social business case studies, business model, biolite business model

BioLite manufactures products to provide clean energy for two different targets: outdoor recreational users and off-grid communities in developing countries . Thanks to its unique business model, called “ Parallel Innovation “, the company fulfills social impact and financial profitability.

jibu business model, jibu social business model canvas

Tackling water scarcity and unemployment in Africa. That’s at the very heart of Jibu. By combining financing opportunities, job creation and water filtration through a technology-enabled, franchise system , Jibu is managing to transforming the lives of millions across Africa for better.

Proximity Designs

In 2004, Tyler and his wife moved to Myanmar and founded Proximity Designs. Here, the firm combines “ product model ” and “ solution model “ to help farmers move out of rural poverty . In fact, Proximity sells farm tech solutions as well as agronomy services and loan products directly to its beneficiaries.

RecyclePoints

Chioma Ukonu launched RecyclePoints in 2015. Since than, the company became one of the most famous waste recycling and social benefit ventures based in Nigeria. Thanks to its circular business model , RecyclePoints collects recyclables while ensuring financial inclusion for households and individuals.

Rubycup, Rubycup business model, Rubycup case study, Ruby Cup, Ruby Cup business model, Ruby Cup case study

Founded in 2011, Ruby Cup is a worldwide leader in eco-friendly, menstrual health and hygiene products. Through its business model, based on the “ buy one, donate one ” principle, the company is able to provide women in fragile communities with access to reusable, cost-effective menstrual solutions and educational content.

sanergy, Social Business Design, social business case studies, business model, biolite business model

Ever wondered how a “ franchise model ” can ensure affordable access to hygienic sanitation in urban slums? That’s the story of Sanergy, a company providing accessible sanitation facilities in Kenyan cities and impoverished villages, as well as byproducts for local farmers and horticultural companies.

Social Business Design, social business case studies, SEP Jordan, SEP Jordan business model

SEP Jordan is re-defying stereotypes about refugees , fostering social and economical development in Jerash and Azraq camps (Jordan). An employment business model where refugee artisans are indeed the core engine of a profitable fashion startup, crafting high-end, quality textures.

Specialisterne

Thanks to its “ multiple business structure “, Specialisterne employs people with autism and offers IT services to international clients. But how did Specialisterne manage to establish its trademark in Denmark, USA, Australia and Brazil, among others, and scale its impact whi?

StartSomeGood

With over $12ML raised and 1095 projects funded, StartSomeGood is widely recognized as a leading crowdfunding platform . By using a traditional “ matchmaking model “, the company helps changemakers find risk-capital for their socially-oriented initiatives.

MORE CASE STUDIES COMING SOON

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Social Business for Sustainable Development: Cases from Bangladesh

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First Online: 01 January 2020
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Md Mahfuz Ashraf 6 &
Numa Sarker 7

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ((ENUNSDG))

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Social business is a new form of business that can be located somewhere between a profit-maximizing and a nonprofit organization. Unlike an Non-Government Organization (NGO) or a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) intervention, a Social Business is “not a charity,” it follows completely a business model (Yunus et al. 2010 ). Also unlike traditional for-profit businesses which focus on profit maximization, the Social Business focuses on the maximization of social benefits, and how to bring positive impacts to the society or to the environment. Social business describes an initiative of social consequences created by an entrepreneur with a social vision. This initiative may be a noneconomic initiative, a charity initiative, or a business initiative with or without personal profit.

Introduction

A social business is a business that does not strive to maximize profits but rather to serve humanity’s most pressing needs. It either creates income or provides essential products and...

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BCtA, GRI (2016) Measuring impact: how business accelerates the sustainable development goals. Business call to action and stichting global reporting initiative

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Villis U, Strack R, Yunus M, Bruysten S (2013) The power of social business: lessons from corporate engagements with Grameen. Boston Consulting Group, Boston

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Yunus M, Moingeon B, Lehmann-Ortega L (2010) Building social business models: lessons from the Grameen experience. Long Range Plan 43(2–3):308–325

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Acknowledgments

Case studies design and field investigation were supported by the PLuS Alliance Grant 2017, involving the UNSW Yunus Centre and the PLuS Alliance combining strengths of three leading research universities on three continents – Arizona State University Phoenix, USA; King’s College London, UK; and the University of New South Wales Sydney, Australia – to study the mapping of SDGs through socially-responsible initiatives. The authors acknowledged the support of the general managers, project managers and field coordinators of the two case study sites for providing relevant information for this work.

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Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Crown Institute of Higher Education, North Sydney, Australia

Md Mahfuz Ashraf

Division of Education and Innovation, Ashraf Begum, North Sydney, Australia

Numa Sarker

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Correspondence to Md Mahfuz Ashraf .

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European School of Sustainability Science and Research, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

Walter Leal Filho

Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

Anabela Marisa Azul

Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, The University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, Brazil

Luciana Brandli

HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

Amanda Lange Salvia

International Centre for Thriving, University of Chester, Chester, UK

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School of Sustainability Arizona State University, Tempe, USA

Rimjhim M Aggarwal

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Ashraf, M.M., Sarker, N. (2021). Social Business for Sustainable Development: Cases from Bangladesh. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Brandli, L., Lange Salvia, A., Wall, T. (eds) Decent Work and Economic Growth. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95867-5_29

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Management Decision

ISSN : 0025-1747

Article publication date: 8 February 2018

Issue publication date: 3 May 2019

Despite its immense potentials as a sustainable and innovative means to solve specific social problems, the basic concept of the social business model (SBM) advanced by Professor Muhammad Yunus remains unclear to many. There exists no literature that objectively compares this model from empowerment and economic growth perspectives with other seemingly similar concepts, such as social enterprise, non-governmental organization (NGO) and corporate social responsibility. Although many NGOs have been showing increasing interest towards the adoption of the SBM to minimize social problems sustainably, lack of conceptual clarity of the model limits the scope of its adoption in addressing social issues. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a systematic search, analysis and review of literature. It has made use of narrative synthesis of relevant literature on a diverse range of socially oriented models, frameworks and interventions.

This study identified five key aspects of social business, namely: business’s mission and outcomes, characteristics, operation, resource utilization and environmental considerations. Based on these five key aspects one may like to infer that unlike other social interventions, the alignment of SBM is specific to empowerment of disadvantaged people leading to sustainable economic growth. Analyzing a range of social business interventions in a developing country, Bangladesh, through the lens five key aspects demonstrates that social business is the most efficient way to sustainably maximize the social benefits and minimize specific social issues poverty of the people affected.

Originality/value

This study discusses the scopes of adopting SBM for the socially responsible organizations for sustainable empowerment and economic growth in emerging economies.

Social enterprise
Entrepreneurship
Corporate social responsibility (CSR)
Non-governmental organization
Emerging economy
Muhammad Yunus
Social business

Mahfuz Ashraf, M. , Razzaque, M.A. , Liaw, S.-T. , Ray, P.K. and Hasan, M.R. (2019), "Social business as an entrepreneurship model in emerging economy: Systematic review and case study", Management Decision , Vol. 57 No. 5, pp. 1145-1161. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-04-2017-0343

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The growth of social enterprises — for-profit businesses that tackle a social problem — is having a big impact

Thi Le makes high-visibility vests and hospital 'scrubs' for social enterprise Assembled Threads.

This high-vis vest does more than protect a construction worker at a Melbourne building site.

It also helps protect Suzi Amare, just kilometres away, who made it.

"This job helps me with finance," she says, smiling. "I'm not going anymore to Centrelink.

"It's a very big difference, a big jump."

Arriving in Australia from Ethiopia just three years ago, the single mother working at Assembled Threads has learned to use large sewing machines, works around her son's school hours, and has completed a qualification in textile production.

And what she's a part of — a social enterprise — is about to get a lot bigger.

'Creating real impact'

Social enterprises are for-profit businesses that tackle a social problem at the same time as doing their work.

"These are businesses that exist as any other business does. But they exist specifically to create social or environmental impact," says Tara Anderson, the chief executive of Social Traders — a company that certifies social enterprises.

"Social enterprise is business at its best."

There are more than 500 certified social enterprises in Australia, part of a field that has more than 12,000 businesses using the model.

Ms Anderson's company suggests the field is solidifying, with the number of certified businesses growing at 16 per cent a year, and the amount spent with them is rocketing by 36 per cent a year.

The work they do, and the people they employ, vary depending on the business.

"So they might be working with people with disabilities, migrants and refugees, families, children, communities, youth, people escaping the justice system, those that need some extra support to empower themselves and create better futures," she says.

But they're all creating real impact: providing training and employment to vulnerable and marginalised groups and building skills and careers.

And it's growing.

"We see four (out of) five that are increasing their revenue, and we see three-quarters of them increasing the amount they're spending on delivering that impact."

Businesses spent more than $843 million with social enterprises the company certified in the past six years.

By 2030, that's tipped to be $5.5 billion.

Well assembled

In a former supermarket next to high-rise residential towers that house thousands of newly arrived migrants and vulnerable communities, Edwina Walsh oversees workers at Assembled Threads.

The social enterprise makes and sells protective clothing nationwide, providing employment and training to people who've struggled to enter the job market.

"It's a fantastic game changer — to actually embed corporate responsibility and provide social and environmental impact."

Ms Walsh has been in the textiles industry her whole career. She and the industry call it by a fond name: "the rag trade."

After decades when Australia's local manufacturing industry was destroyed by cheaper offshore suppliers, she's slowly building it back up.

"Having a purposeful job actually does transform someone's life," she says, surrounded by workers cutting and stitching.

"When I got into this, I was more concentrating on local production. But I've seen firsthand how it transforms people's lives.

"You actually are moving someone from welfare into a purposeful job where they're getting paid, they're getting respected for their skills. They're contributing to society."

But it is not a charity, and most aren't set up that way.

"There's a misconception there," she says. The company can't receive tax-deductible donations and doesn't get philanthropic funding.

"We are a commercial enterprise, looking to build sustainable income channels through the procurement of our product. We solely rely on income and orders."

Good business

Some government contracts now mandate a certain percentage must be spent on products from social enterprises.

Additionally, large corporates with environmental, social and governance policies that promote positive environmental, social and governance outcomes are doing the same.

"Businesses are spending more with social enterprises too," Ms Anderson says.

"There's been $843 million spent with them in the last six years. We want that to grow to $5.5 billion by 2030."

Building right

Building industry behemoth Icon is devoting a percentage of its massive procurement budget to supporting social enterprises.

While specific conditions in some government contracts enforce it, Icon social procurement manager Nicole Donnison says extending the concept more broadly comes down to the company wanting to do more with its money.

"As a large construction company Icon has a responsibility to invest in the communities that we are working in," she says.

"It's really important to our people, to our team. It allows our people to live their values at work."

And with millions of dollars worth of products being used on construction sites, diverting even a small part of that stream has a big impact.

"We are able to provide a hand up to people in the community who need it the most, simply by thinking differently about the decisions we make day-to-day," she says.

In many instances, the cost of using a social enterprise like Assembled Threads is more expensive than the lowest-cost mass producer of products. But the company sees broader benefits.

"That is the difference, that's what's important to us. And the value they deliver, we don't see that as a cost we see that as an investment."

Broad benefit

With the experience she's gained, Ms Amare is thinking about opening a clothing shop for her local Ethiopian community.

"So now I want to sew for them, I want to open one," she says, laughing.

It's something Ms Walsh of Assembled Threads wants to promote — by getting more government and big business contracts to specify a proportion of spending on social enterprises.

"I've seen firsthand how it transforms people's lives," she says.

"You actually are moving someone from welfare into a purposeful job where they're getting paid, they're getting respected for their skills."

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'Massive impact': Regional businesses say new 'city-centric' policy will cost them thousands

Man looking at camera while sitting down in front of computer.

Home Affairs contracts awarded to companies with suspected links to drugs, firearms and bribery

Secretary of the Department of Defence Dennis Richardson speaks at the National Press Club.

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15.14: Case Study- Social Entrepreneurship at Tom’s Shoes

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Learning Objectives

Give examples of corporate social responsibility

young child wearing a pair of TOMS shoes

While there is no universally accepted definition of social entrepreneur , the term is typically applied to an individual who uses market-based ideas and practices to create “social value,” the enhanced well-being of individuals, communities, and the environment. Unlike ordinary business entrepreneurs who base their decisions solely on financial returns, social entrepreneurs incorporate the objective of creating social value into their founding business models.

Social entrepreneurship has become exceedingly popular in recent years and a number of prestigious business schools have created specific academic programs in the field. It is often said that social entrepreneurs are changing the world. They are lauded for their ability to effect far-reaching social change through innovative solutions that disrupt existing patterns of production, distribution, and consumption. Prominent social entrepreneurs are celebrated on magazine covers, praised at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and awarded millions of dollars in seed money from “angel” investors, and applauded as “harbingers of new ways of doing business.”

Social entrepreneurs are thus often hailed as heroes—but are they actually effecting positive social change?

Undeniably, social entrepreneurship can arouse a striking level of enthusiasm among consumers. Blake Mycoskie, social entrepreneur and founder of TOMS Shoes, tells the story of a young woman who accosted him in an airport, pointing at her pair of TOMS while yelling, “This is the most amazing company in the world!” Founded in 2006, TOMS Shoes immediately attracted a devoted following with its innovative use of the so-called One for One business model, in which each purchase of a pair of shoes by a consumer triggers the gift of a free pair of shoes to an impoverished child in a developing country.

The enthusiasm associated with social entrepreneurship is perhaps emblematic of increased global social awareness, which is evidenced by increased charitable giving worldwide. A 2012 study showed that 83 percent of Americans wish brands would support causes; 41 percent have bought a product because it was associated with a cause (a figure that has doubled since 1993); 94 percent said that, given the same price and quality, they were likely to switch brands to one that represented a cause; and more than 90 percent think companies should consider giving in the communities in which they do business.

Despite the eager reception from consumers, critics of social entrepreneurship have raised concerns about the creation of social value in a for-profit context. Thus, TOMS is sometimes mistaken for a charity because it donates shoes to children in developing countries, yet it is also in business to sell shoes. The company earns an estimated $300 million a year and has made Mr. Mycoskie a wealthy man. While companies are starting to look more like charities, nonprofits are also increasingly relying on business principles to survive an uncertain economy in which donors expect to see tangible results from their charitable contributions.

Our understanding of social entrepreneurship is complicated by the absence of any consensus on ways to measure social outcomes. As a result, there is little concrete statistical data available on the impact of social entrepreneurship. Indeed, there is not much agreement on a precise definition of social entrepreneurship, so it becomes difficult to say to what extent any given company is an example of social entrepreneurship. TOMS’ Chief Giving Officer, Sebastian Fries, recently told the New York Times that the company is “not in the business of poverty alleviation.”

Does this mean that increased social value is merely a happy by-product of the business of selling shoes? If so, what makes Blake Mycoskie a social entrepreneur?

Some critics go so far as to suggest that social entrepreneurs are merely using public relations tactics to engage in social or environmental greenwashing—taking advantage of consumers’ desire to do good. In some cases, it has been argued, social entrepreneurs can even do more harm than good. Lacking a full understanding of the socioeconomic and cultural dynamic of the developing countries in which they intervene, social enterprises can undermine fragile local markets and foster dependence on foreign assista nce. But in the end, the individual impact of social entrepreneurial ventures may outweigh some of these concerns.

Contributors and Attributions

Revision and adaptation. Authored by : Linda Williams and Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Good Corporation, Bad Corporation: Corporate Social Responsibility in the Global Economy. Authored by : Guillermo C. Jimenez and Elizabeth Pulos. Provided by : Open SUNY Textbooks. Located at : pressbooks.opensuny.org/good-corporation-bad-corporation/chapter/5/. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Toms. Authored by : Danielle Henry. Located at : https://www.flickr.com/photos/waterandglass/5826939576/ . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
TOMS - Gives new shoes to children in need. One for One. Provided by : TOMS. Located at : https://youtu.be/7MV3HWQHl1s . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
Thank You Notes From The Field. Provided by : TOMS. Located at : https://youtu.be/7b05syjxe2E . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License

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What Is a Social Enterprise?

Understanding social enterprises.

Social Entrepreneurship

Examples of a Social Enterprise

Special considerations.

Social Enterprise FAQs
Business Essentials

Social Enterprise: What It Is, How It Works, and Examples

Investopedia / Theresa Chiechi

A social enterprise or social business is defined as a business with specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose. Social enterprises seek to maximize profits while maximizing benefits to society and the environment, and the profits are principally used to fund social programs.

Key Takeaways

A social enterprise is a business with social objectives.
Maximizing profits is not the primary goal of a social enterprise as is with a traditional business.
Unlike a charity, social enterprises pursue endeavors that generate revenues, which fund their social causes.
Regarding employment, preference is given to job-seekers from at-risk communities.
Funding for a social enterprise is often obtained by selling services and goods.

The concept of a social enterprise was developed in the U.K. in the late 1970s to counter the traditional commercial enterprise. Social enterprises exist at the intersection of the private and volunteer sectors. They seek to balance activities that provide financial benefits with social goals, such as housing for low-income families or job training.

Funding is obtained primarily by selling goods and services to consumers, although some funding is obtained through grants. Because profit-maximization is not the primary goal, a social enterprise operates differently than a standard company.

While earning profits is not the primary motivation behind a social enterprise, revenue still plays an essential role in the venture's sustainability. Sustainable revenue differentiates a social enterprise from a traditional charity that relies on outside funding to fulfill its social mission. This goal does not mean social enterprises cannot be profitable. Instead, it's simply that their priority is to reinvest profits into their social mission rather than fund payouts to shareholders.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identifies social enterprises as being highly participatory, with stakeholders actively involved and a minimum number of paid employees.

Social Enterprise vs. Social Entrepreneurship

A social enterprise is not to be confused with social entrepreneurship , which focuses on individuals who develop solutions to social and environmental problems using existing business techniques and strategies. Social entrepreneurs seek innovative ways to drive change, whereas social enterprises form to fulfill a business purpose and solve societal needs through their commercial activities.

Many social enterprises successfully maximize improvements in social well-being . For example, Warby Parker is an American eyeglass retailer that donates a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair sold. TOMS, a California-based retailer, similarly has pledged to donate a pair of shoes or sunglasses for every pair sold. Also, Radicle trains businesses and gives them software tools to track and cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

Employees of social enterprises come from many backgrounds, but priority is given to those from at-risk sections of the communities. These may include long-term underemployed workers, who have historically worked in jobs where they were informally paid.

Social enterprise opportunities may seek to provide a living wage, which is above the minimum wage in most cities. Some social enterprises may pointedly seek out employees from at-risk groups as a requirement for hire.

What Are Examples of Social Enterprise?

Social enterprises are usually a blend of private and volunteer sectors. A credit union, a coffee shop that sells fair-trade beans and hires candidates from at-risk communities, or a neighborhood food co-op are all examples of social enterprises.

How Can I Start a Social Enterprise?

If you own a business, you could partner with a nonprofit, food pantry (if applicable), or other charity and donate your time, money, or products. If you are starting from the ground up, the first step may be to identify a problem and your solution to it, explain to potential funders your action plan, and make sure you have experts to back up and support your endeavor.

How Can I Get Hired to Work for a Social Enterprise?

If you want to get hired by a social enterprise, you should understand both the for-profit and the social benefits that it provides. Many employees of social enterprises are from diverse backgrounds and some may come from at-risk communities. Like any job, the qualifications will likely be based on experience and education, as well.

Social Enterprise UK. " FAQs ."

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. " The Social Enterprise Sector: A Conceptual Framework ," Page 1.

Warby Parker. " Buy a Pair, Give a Pair. "

TOMS. " Our Story ."

PR Newswire. " TOMS Introduces TOMS Eyewear, The Next One for One™ Product ."

Radicle. " About Radicle ."

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Contributors

The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility

Matteo Tonello is Director of Corporate Governance for The Conference Board, Inc. This post is based on a Conference Board Director Note by Archie B. Carroll and Kareem M. Shabana , and relates to a paper by these authors, titled “The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review of Concepts, Research and Practice,” published in the International Journal of Management Reviews .

In the last decade, in particular, empirical research has brought evidence of the measurable payoff of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives to companies as well as their stakeholders. Companies have a variety of reasons for being attentive to CSR. This report documents some of the potential bottomline benefits: reducing cost and risk, gaining competitive advantage, developing and maintaining legitimacy and reputational capital, and achieving win-win outcomes through synergistic value creation.

The term “corporate social responsibility” is still widely used even though related concepts, such as sustainability, corporate citizenship, business ethics, stakeholder management, corporate responsibility, and corporate social performance, are vying to replace it. In different ways, these expressions refer to the ensemble of policies, practices, investments, and concrete results deployed and achieved by a business corporation in the pursuit of its stakeholders’ interests.

This report discusses the business case for CSR—that is, what justifies the allocation of resources by the business community to advance a certain socially responsible cause. The business case is concerned with the following question: what tangible benefits do business organizations reap from engaging in CSR initiatives? This report reviews the most notable research on the topic and provides practical examples of CSR initiatives that are also good for the business and its bottom line.

The Search for a Business Case: A Shift in Perspective

Business management scholars have been searching for a business case for CSR since the origins of the concept in the 1960s. [1]

An impetus for the research questions for this report was philosophical. It had to do with the long-standing divide between those who, like the late economist Milton Friedman, believed that the corporation should pursue only its shareholders’ economic interests and those who conceive the business organization as a nexus of relations involving a variety of stakeholders (employees, suppliers, customers, and the community where the company operates) without which durable shareholder value creation is impossible. If it could be demonstrated that businesses actually benefited financially from a CSR program designed to cultivate such a range of stakeholder relations, the thinking of the latter school went, then Friedman’s arguments would somewhat be neutralized.

Another impetus to research on the business case of CSR was more pragmatic. Even though CSR came about because of concerns about businesses’ detrimental impacts on society, the theme of making money by improving society has also always been in the minds of early thinkers and practitioners: with the passage of time and the increase in resources being dedicated to CSR pursuits, it was only natural that questions would begin to be raised about whether CSR was making economic sense.

Obviously, corporate boards, CEOs, CFOs, and upper echelon business executives care. They are the guardians of companies’ financial well-being and, ultimately, must bear responsibility for the impact of CSR on the bottom line. At multiple levels, executives need to justify that CSR is consistent with the firm’s strategies and that it is financially sustainable. [a]

However, other groups care as well. Shareholders are acutely concerned with financial performance and sensitive to possible threats to management’s priorities. Social activists care because it is in their long-term best interests if companies can sustain the types of social initiatives that they are advocating. Governmental bodies care because they desire to see whether companies can deliver social and environmental benefits more cost effectively than they can through regulatory approaches. [b] Consumers care as well, as they want to pass on a better world to their children, and many want their purchasing to reflect their values.

[a] K. O’Sullivan, “Virtue rewarded: companies are suddenly discovering the profit potential of social responsibility.” CFO , October 2006, pp. 47–52.

[b] Simon Zadek. Doing Good and Doing Well: Making the Business Case for Corporate Citizenship . New York: The Conference Board Research Report, 2000, 1282-00-RR.

The socially responsible investment movement Establishing a positive relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and corporate financial performance (CFP) has been a long-standing pursuit of researchers. This endeavor has been described as a “30-year quest for an empirical relationship between a corporation’s social initiatives and its financial performance.” [2] One comprehensive review and assessment of studies exploring the CSP-CFP relationship concludes that there is a positive relationship between CSP and CFP. [3]

In response to this empirical evidence, in the last decade the investment community, in particular, has witnessed the growth of a cadre of socially responsible investment funds (SRI), whose dedicated investment strategy is focused on businesses with a solid track record of CSR-oriented initiatives. Today, the debate on the business case for CSR is clearly influenced by these new market trends: to raise capital, these players promote the belief of a strong correlation between social and financial performance. [4]

As the SRI movement becomes more influential, CSR theories are shifting away from an orientation on ethics (or altruistic rationale) and embracing a performance-driven orientation. In addition, analysis of the value generated by CSR has moved from the macro to the organizational level, where the effects of CSR on firm financial performance are directly experienced. [5]

The CSR of the 1960s and 1970s was motivated by social considerations, not economic ones. “While there was substantial peer pressure among corporations to become more philanthropic, no one claimed that such firms were likely to be more profitable than their less generous competitors.” In contrast, the essence of the new world of CSR is “doing good to do well.” [6]

CSR is evolving into a core business function, central to the firm’s overall strategy and vital to its success. [7] Specifically, CSR addresses the question: “can companies perform better financially by addressing both their core business operations as well as their responsibilities to the broader society?” [8]

One Business Case Just Won’t Do

There is no single CSR business case—no single rationalization for how CSR improves the bottom line. Over the years, researchers have developed many arguments. In general, these arguments can be grouped based on approach, topics addressed, and underlying assumptions about how value is created and defined. According to this categorization, CSR is a viable business choice as it is a tool to:

implement cost and risk reductions;
gain competitive advantage;
develop corporate reputation and legitimacy; and
seek win-win outcomes through synergistic value creation. [9]

Other widely accepted approaches substantiating the business case include focusing on the empirical research linking CSR with corporate social performance (CSP) and identifying values brought to different stakeholder groups that directly or indirectly benefit the company’s bottom lines.

Broad versus narrow views Some researchers have examined the integration of CSR considerations in the day-to-day business agenda of organizations. The “mainstreaming” of CSR follows from one of three rationales:

the social values-led model, in which organizations adopt CSR initiatives regarding specific issues for non-economic reasons;
the business-case model, in which CSR initiatives are primarily assessed in an economic manner and pursued only when there is a clear link to firm financial performance [10] ; and
the syncretic stewardship model, which combines the social values-led and the business-case models.

The business case model and the syncretic models may be seen as two perspectives of the business case for CSR: one narrow and one broad. The business case model represents the narrow view: CSR is only recognized when there is a clear link to firm financial performance. The syncretic model is broad because it recognizes both direct and indirect relationships between CSR and firm financial performance. The advantage of the broad view is that it enables the firm to identify and exploit opportunities beyond the financial, opportunities that the narrow view would not be able to recognize or justify.

Another advantage of the broad view of the business case, which is illustrated by the syncretic model, is its recognition of the interdependence between business and society. [11]

The failure to recognize such interdependence in favor of pitting business against society leads to reducing the productivity of CSR initiatives. “The prevailing approaches to CSR are so fragmented and so disconnected from business and strategy as to obscure many of the greatest opportunities for companies to benefit society.” [12] The adoption of CSR practices, their integration with firm strategy, and their mainstreaming in the day-to-day business agenda should not be done in a generic manner. Rather, they should be pursued “in the way most appropriate to each firm’s strategy.” [13]

In support of the business case for CSR, the next sections of the report discuss examples of the effect of CSR on firm performance. The discussion is organized according to the framework referenced earlier, which identifies four categories of benefits that firms may attain from engaging in CSR activities. [14]

Reducing Costs and Risks

Cost and risk reduction justifications contend that engaging in certain CSR activities will reduce the firm’s inefficient capital expenditures and exposure to risks. “[T]he primary view is that the demands of stakeholders present potential threats to the viability of the organization, and that corporate economic interests are served by mitigating the threats through a threshold level of social or environmental performance.” [15]

Equal employment opportunity policies and practices CSR activities in the form of equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies and practices enhance long-term shareholder value by reducing costs and risks. The argument is that explicit EEO statements are necessary to illustrate an inclusive policy that reduces employee turnover through improving morale. [16] This argument is consistent with those who observe that “[l]ack of diversity may cause higher turnover and absenteeism from disgruntled employees.” [17]

Energy-saving and other environmentally sound production practices Cost and risk reduction may also be achieved through CSR activities directed at the natural environment. Empirical research shows that being environmentally proactive results in cost and risk reduction. Specifically, data shows hat “being proactive on environmental issues can lower the costs of complying with present and future environmental regulations … [and] … enhance firm efficiencies and drive down operating costs.” [18]

Community relations management Finally, CSR activities directed at managing community relations may also result in cost and risk reductions. [19] For example, building positive community relationships may contribute to the firm’s attaining tax advantages offered by city and county governments to further local investments. In addition, positive community relationships decrease the number of regulations imposed on the firm because the firm is perceived as a sanctioned member of society.

Cost and risk reduction arguments for CSR have been gaining wide acceptance among managers and executives. In a survey of business executives by PricewaterhouseCoopers, 73 percent of the respondents indicated that “cost savings” was one of the top three reasons companies are becoming more socially responsible. [20]

Gaining Competitive Advantage

As used in this section of the report, the term “competitive advantage” is best understood in the context of a differentiation strategy; in other words, the focus is on how firms may use CSR practices to set themselves apart from their competitors. The previous section, which focused on cost and risk reduction, illustrated how CSR practices may be thought of in terms of building a competitive advantage through a cost management strategy. “Competitive advantages” was cited as one of the top two justifications for CSR in a survey of business executives reported in a Fortune survey. [21] In this context, stakeholder demands are seen as opportunities rather than constraints. Firms strategically manage their resources to meet these demands and exploit the opportunities associated with them for the benefit of the firm. [22] This approach to CSR requires firms to integrate their social responsibility initiatives with their broader business strategies.

Reducing costs and risks • Equal employment opportunity policies and practices • Energy-saving and other environmentally sound production practices • Community relations management

Gaining competitive advantage • EEO policies • Customer relations program • Corporate philanthropy

Developing reputation and legitimacy • Corporate philanthropy • Corporate disclosure and transparency practices

Seeking win-win outcomes through synergistic value creation • Charitable giving to education • Stakeholder engagement

EEO policies Companies that build their competitive advantage through unique CSR strategies may have a superior advantage, as the uniqueness of their CSR strategies may serve as a basis for setting the firm apart from its competitors. [23] For example, an explicit statement of EEO policies would have additional benefits to the cost and risk reduction discussed earlier in this report. Such policies would provide the firm with a competitive advantage because “[c]ompanies without inclusive policies may be at a competitive disadvantage in recruiting and retaining employees from the widest talent pool.” [24]

Customer and investor relations programs CSR initiatives can contribute to strengthening a firm’s competitive advantage, its brand loyalty, and its consumer patronage. CSR initiatives also have a positive impact on attracting investment. Many institutional investors “avoid companies or industries that violate their organizational mission, values, or principles… [They also] seek companies with good records on employee relations, environmental stewardship, community involvement, and corporate governance.” [25]

Corporate philanthropy Companies may align their philanthropic activities with their capabilities and core competencies. “In so doing, they avoid distractions from the core business, enhance the efficiency of their charitable activities and assure unique value creation for the beneficiaries.” [26] For example, McKinsey & Co. offers free consulting services to nonprofit organizations in social, cultural, and educational fields. Beneficiaries include public art galleries, colleges, and charitable institutions. [27] Home Depot Inc. provided rebuilding knowhow to the communities victimized by Hurricane Katrina. Strategic philanthropy helps companies gain a competitive advantage and in turn boosts its bottom line. [28]

CSR initiatives enhance a firm’s competitive advantage to the extent that they influence the decisions of the firm’s stakeholders in its favor. Stakeholders may prefer a firm over its competitors specifically due to the firm’s engagement in such CSR initiatives.

Developing Reputation and Legitimacy

Companies may also justify their CSR initiatives on the basis of creating, defending, and sustaining their legitimacy and strong reputations. A business is perceived as legitimate when its activities are congruent with the goals and values of the society in which the business operates. In other words, a business is perceived as legitimate when it fulfills its social responsibilities. [29]

As firms demonstrate their ability to fit in with the communities and cultures in which they operate, they are able to build mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders. Firms “focus on value creation by leveraging gains in reputation and legitimacy made through aligning stakeholder interests.” [30] Strong reputation and legitimacy sanction the firm to operate in society. CSR activities enhance the ability of a firm to be seen as legitimate in the eyes of consumers, investors, and employees. Time and again, consumers, employees, and investors have shown a distinct preference for companies that take their social responsibilities seriously. A Center for Corporate Citizenship study found that 66 percent of executives thought their social responsibility strategies resulted in improving corporate reputation and saw this as a business benefit. [31]

Corporate philanthropy Corporate philanthropy may be a tool of legitimization. Firms that have negative social performance in the areas of environmental issues and product safety use charitable contributions as a means for building their legitimacy. [32]

Corporate disclosure and transparency practices Corporations have also enhanced their legitimacy and reputation through the disclosure of information regarding their performance on different social and environmental issues, sometimes referred to as sustainability reporting. Corporate social reporting refers to stand-alone reports that provide information regarding a company’s economic, environmental, and social performance. The practice of corporate social reporting has been encouraged by the launch of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in 1997-1998 and the introduction of the United Nations Global Compact in 1999. Through social reporting, firms can document that their operations are consistent with social norms and expectations, and, therefore, are perceived as legitimate.

Seeking Win-Win Outcomes through Synergistic Value Creation

Synergistic value creation arguments focus on exploiting opportunities that reconcile differing stakeholder demands. Firms do this by “connecting stakeholder interests, and creating pluralistic definitions of value for multiple stakeholders simultaneously.” [33] In other words, with a cause big enough, they can unite many potential interest groups.

Charitable giving to education When companies get the “where” and the “how” right, philanthropic activities and competitive advantage become mutually reinforcing and create a virtuous circle. Corporate philanthropy may be used to influence the competitive context of an organization, which allows the organization to improve its competitiveness and at the same time fulfill the needs of some of its stakeholders. For example, in the long run, charitable giving to education improves the quality of human resources available to the firm. Similarly, charitable contributions to community causes eventually result in the creation and preservation of a higher quality of life, which may sustain “sophisticated and demanding local customers.” [34]

The notion of creating win-win outcomes through CSR activities has been raised before. Management expert Peter Drucker argues that “the proper ‘social responsibility’ of business is to … turn a social problem into economic opportunity and economic benefit, into productive capacity, into human competence, into well-paid jobs, and into wealth.” [35] It has been argued that, “it will not be too long before we can begin to assert that the business of business is the creation of sustainable value— economic, social and ecological.” [36]

An example: the win-win perspective adopted by the life sciences firm Novo Group allowed it to pursue its business “[which] is deeply involved in genetic modification and yet maintains highly interactive and constructive relationships with stakeholders and publishes a highly rated environmental and social report each year.” [37]

Stakeholder engagement The win-win perspective on CSR practices aims to satisfy stakeholders’ demands while allowing the firm to pursue financial success. By engaging its stakeholders and satisfying their demands, the firm finds opportunities for profit with the consent and support of its stakeholder environment.

The business case for corporate social responsibility can be made. While it is valuable for a company to engage in CSR for altruistic and ethical justifications, the highly competitive business world in which we live requires that, in allocating resources to socially responsible initiatives, firms continue to consider their own business needs.

In the last decade, in particular, empirical research has brought evidence of the measurable payoff of CSR initiatives on firms as well as their stakeholders. Firms have a variety of reasons for being CSR-attentive. But beyond the many bottom-line benefits outlined here, businesses that adopt CSR practices also benefit our society at large.

[1] See Edward Freeman, Strategic Management: a Stakeholder Approach , 1984, which traces the roots of CSR to the 1960s and 1970s, when many multinationals were formed. (go back)

[2] J. D. Margolis and Walsh, J.P. “Misery loves companies: social initiatives by business.” Administrative Science Quarterly , 48, 2003, pp. 268–305. (go back)

[3] J. F. Mahon and Griffin, J .J. “Painting a portrait: a reply.” Business and Society , 38, 1999, 126–133. (go back)

[4] See, for an overview, Stephen Gates, Jon Lukomnik, and David Pitt- Watson, The New Capitalists: How Citizen Investors Are Reshaping The Business Agenda , Harvard Business School Press, 2006. (go back)

[5] M.P. Lee, “A review of the theories of corporate social responsibility: its evolutionary path and the road ahead”. International Journal of Management Reviews , 10, 2008, 53–73. (go back)

[6] D.J. Vogel, “Is there a market for virtue? The business case for corporate social responsibility.” California Management Review , 47, 2005, pp. 19–45. (go back)

[7] Ibid. (go back)

[8] Elizabeth Kurucz; Colbert, Barry; and Wheeler, David “The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility.” Chapter 4 in Crane, A.; McWilliams, A.; Matten, D.; Moon, J. and Siegel, D. The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008, 83-112 (go back)

[9] Kurucz, Colbert, and Wheeler , 85-92. (go back)

[10] Berger,I.E., Cunningham, P. and Drumwright, M.E. “Mainstreaming corporate and social responsibility: developing markets for virtue,” California Management Review , 49, 2007, 132-157. (go back)

[11] Ibid. (go back)

[12] M.E. Porter and Kramer, M.R. “Strategy & society: the link between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility.” Harvard Business Review , 84, 2006,pp. 78–92. (go back)

[13] Ibid. (go back)

[14] Kurucz, Colbert, and Wheeler, 85-92. (go back)

[15] Ibid., 88. (go back)

[16] T. Smith, “Institutional and social investors find common ground. Journal of Investing , 14, 2005, 57–65. (go back)

[17] S. L. Berman, Wicks, A.C., Kotha, S. and Jones, T.M. “Does stakeholder orientation matter? The relationship between stakeholder management models and firm financial performance.” Academy of Management Journal , 42, 1999, 490. (go back)

[18] Ibid. (go back)

[19] Ibid. (go back)

[20] Top 10 Reasons, PricewaterhouseCoopers 2002 Sustainability Survey Report, reported in “Corporate America’s Social Conscience,” Fortune , May 26, 2003, 58. (go back)

[21] Top 10 Reasons . (go back)

[22] Kurucz, Colbert, and Wheeler (go back)

[23] N. Smith, 2003, 67. (go back)

[24] T. Smith, 2005, 60. (go back)

[25] Ibid., 64. (go back)

[26] Heike Bruch and Walter, Frank (2005). “The Keys to Rethinking Corporate Philanthropy.” MIT Sloan Management Review , 47(1): 48-56 (go back)

[27] Ibid., 50. (go back)

[28] Bruce Seifert, Morris, Sara A.; and Bartkus, Barbara R. (2003). “Comparing Big Givers and Small Givers: Financial Correlates of Corporate Philanthropy.” Journal of Business Ethics , 45(3): 195-211. (go back)

[29] Archie B. Carroll and Ann K. Buchholtz, Business and Society: Ethics, Sustainability and Stakeholder Management , 8th Edition, Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2012, 305. (go back)

[30] Kurucz, Colbert, and Wheeler, 90. (go back)

[31] “Managing Corporate Citizenship as a Business Strategy,” Boston: Center for Corporate Citizenship, 2010. (go back)

[32] Jennifer C. Chen, Dennis M.; & Roberts, Robin. “Corporate Charitable Contributions: A Corporate Social Performance or Legitimacy Strategy?” Journal of Business Ethics , 2008, 131-144. (go back)

[33] Kurucz, Colbert, and Wheeler , 91. (go back)

[34] Porter and Kramer, 60-65. (go back)

[35] Peter F. Drucker, “The New Meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility.” California Management Review , 1984, 26: 53-63 (go back)

[36] C. Wheeler, B. Colbert, and R. E. Freeman. “Focusing on Value: Reconciling Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability and a Stakeholder Approach in a Network World.” Journal of General Management , (28)3, 2003, 1-28. (go back)

[37] Ibid. (go back)

Nice blog. CSR has become something very important to all the corporate houses today. However, with the rising growth of CSR activities. It is very important to have an effective software that helps to keep a track of the entire exercise.

Interesting article! Perhaps nice to give Mr. Stephen ‘Gates’ his real name back? After all “The New Capitalists: How Citizen Investors Are Reshaping The Business Agenda” was written by Stephen DAVIS. I think he would like the recognition ;)

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Module 6: Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

Case study: social entrepreneurship at tom’s shoes, learning outcomes.

Give examples of corporate social responsibility

Social entrepreneurship has become exceedingly popular in recent years, and a number of prestigious business schools have created specific academic programs in the field. It is often said that social entrepreneurs are changing the world. They are lauded for their ability to influence far-reaching social change through innovative solutions that disrupt existing patterns of production, distribution, and consumption. Prominent social entrepreneurs are celebrated on magazine covers, praised at the World Economic Forum in Davos, awarded millions of dollars in seed money from “angel” investors, and applauded as “harbingers of new ways of doing business.”

Social entrepreneurs are thus often hailed as heroes—but are they actually effecting positive social change?

Does this mean that increased social value is merely a happy byproduct of the business of selling shoes? If so, what makes Blake Mycoskie a social entrepreneur?

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The State of Social Enterprise: A Review of Global Data 2013–2023

This report provides a comprehensive synthesis of the global state of social enterprise, using data from more than 80 countries gathered between 2013 and 2023. It aims to inform policy-makers and business leaders about the underestimated contribution of social enterprise towards global GDP, employment and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Social enterprise stands at the intersection of business and social good, spearheading innovative solutions that not only generate economic value but also drive significant social and environmental impact.

The global data gathered for this report indicates that there are approximately 10 million social enterprises across the world, generating around $2 trillion in revenue each year and creating nearly 200 million jobs. Social enterprises are also bridging the gender gap, with one in two social enterprises worldwide led by women, compared to one in five for conventional enterprises.

In addition to uncovering important insights, this report reveals gaps and challenges in social enterprise data. These include the availability and quality of data, the comparability of the available data and the difficulty of quantifying social and environmental value creation. Addressing these challenges will be critical to gaining a clearer understanding of the state of social enterprise globally.

World Economic Forum reports may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License , and in accordance with our Terms of Use .

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World book day: good reads about sustainability and business success.

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A man walks past the stand of a publishing house Photo credit should read DANIEL GARCIA/AFP via ... [+] Getty Images

World Book Day , celebrated globally on April 23rd, to promote reading and publishing, is a perfect occasion for reflection and learning, especially on topics that impact our global future. On this World Book Day, it's crucial to consider the role of sustainability in business. In today's increasingly eco-conscious market, sustainability is not just a buzzword but a vital component of business strategy. Business leaders seeking to understand how sustainability can drive profitability and innovation have a multitude of insightful books to consider. Here are four pivotal reads that demonstrate how integrating earth-friendly practices and social innovation isn't just good for the planet—it's also crucial for future-proofing businesses. Each book offers important guidance and insights, providing tools and strategies for leaders to not only enhance their current practices but also innovate towards a more sustainable future. Whether you're a seasoned executive or a new entrepreneur, these books shed light on the essential blend of profitability and sustainability, paving the way for a new paradigm in business leadership.

"The Greater Good: Social Entrepreneurship for Everyday People Who Want to Change the World"

Madeleine Shaw's book offers a compelling look at social entrepreneurship, which she presents as accessible to anyone motivated to make a difference. The author dismantles the myth that one needs a business background to impact positively. Shaw highlights case studies where small changes led to significant impacts, emphasizing the importance of social innovation in business. This book is particularly relevant for leaders aiming to build companies that not only profit but also contribute positively to society.

"Can Business Save the Earth? Innovating Our Way to Sustainability" by Michael Lenox and Aaron Chatterji

Michael Lenox and Aaron Chatterji address a critical question in the intersection of business and environmentalism. The two are seasoned academics and argue that while business alone can't solve all environmental issues, innovative business practices are crucial to making substantial progress. They provide a roadmap for leaders to incorporate sustainable practices effectively. Their strategic approach to innovation and sustainability serves as a guide for businesses intent on making genuine, impactful changes.

"Work Better, Save the Planet: Earth-Friendly Ways to Improve Productivity, Health, and Well-Being"

“The obsolete workplace is bad for business, problematic for people and harmful to the planet.” Author Gina Schaefer takes a practical approach to sustainability in the workplace. Relying on two decades of pre-pandemic data and post-COVID insights, the book suggests that small, earth-friendly changes in office environments can lead to improved employee health and productivity. Covering topics from green office spaces to eco-friendly work practices, Schaefer provides actionable advice for managers and CEOs alike to create more sustainable and efficient workplaces. Her work aligns with the growing evidence that sustainable companies often outperform their less green competitors in the long run.

"The Sustainability Edge: How to Drive Top-Line Growth with Triple-Bottom-Line Thinking"

Suhas Apte and Jagdish Sheth explore how businesses can gain a competitive advantage by embedding sustainability into their core strategy. They argue that focusing on the triple bottom line—people, planet, profit—can drive a company's growth, innovation, and resilience. The authors use case studies to demonstrate how sustainable practices have led to enhanced corporate reputations and long-term success. This book is essential for leaders looking to integrate deeper ethical practices into their business models.

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These books collectively offer a diverse range of perspectives and insights on why and how business leaders can and should leverage sustainability and social innovation. They not only make a compelling case for the profitability of sustainability but also provide practical advice on implementing these practices effectively. Business leaders who embrace these insights may find themselves at the forefront of the new, green economy, ready to face the challenges of the 21st century with innovative and sustainable solutions.

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Your Career Doesn’t Need to Have a Purpose

Stephen Friedman

Focus on making your work meaningful instead.

Outside of popular anecdotes and social media stories, there is little evidence that a single, defined “purpose” is necessary for a rewarding career. In fact, it can be quite the opposite. It’s surprisingly common to go after what we think is our purpose only to discover that we hate it. Instead, shift your focus from “purpose” to “meaning.” Ask yourself:

What do I like, prefer, or enjoy doing? Let go of yearning for a career purpose. Dial it back and consider what you liked about any of your previous jobs, school projects or other ways you spend your time. Perhaps you liked helping your peers organize their work or enjoyed researching sources for group projects. Or maybe you liked working on a team than alone. Use that as a starting point.
What am I good at? Early on in your career, you will have many bourgeoning skills. These are skills that you are good at now and can get even better at with more practice. Think about stuff you are progressively getting better at. Getting to use and improve skills that you’re already good will energize you, and provide you with a feeling of recognition and usefulness.
Would this role provide growth and learning that I can use later? Research shows that what scholars call “ability development” (i.e. getting better at what you do) brings with it greater happiness, satisfaction, and meaning.

As an organizational studies professor at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto, Canada, I get the opportunity to help my students with various aspects of their career development. In the process, I’ve noticed two common threads. First, most of my students are not only eager to enter the world of work, but also to be excellent at what they do. Second, they want their post-graduation job to be loaded with purpose .

Stephen Friedman is an Adjunct Professor of Organizational Studies and a Senior Faculty of Executive Education, at The Schulich School of Business, York University in Toronto. He teaches and writes about leadership development, organizational behavior, complexity science, career development, human resource management, workplace inclusion, and mental health.

Is Social Business Good...

Is Social Business Good Business? Case Study As companies become more dispersed in the global...

Is Social Business Good Business?

As companies become more dispersed in the global marketplace, businesses are turning increasingly to workplace collaboration technology, including tools for internal social networking. These tools can promote employee collaboration and knowledge sharing, and help employees make faster decisions, develop more innovative ideas for products and services, and become more engaged in their work and their companies.

Adoption of internal enterprise social networking is also being driven by the flood of email that employees typically receive each day and are increasingly unable to handle. Hundreds of email messages must be opened, read, answered, forwarded, or deleted. For example, Winnipeg, Manitoba–based Duha Group, which produces color paint samples and color systems for paint companies across the globe, was able to eliminate 125,000 excess emails per year by adopting Salesforce Chatter social collaboration tools. Managing Director Emeric Duha, who used to receive 50 emails each morning from Asia, Europe, and Australia, now has a Chatter feed of everything going on in the company.

Another driver of enterprise social networking is “app fatigue.” In order to collaborate, many employees have to log on to numerous apps, creating additional work. Contemporary enterprise social networking systems often integrate multiple capabilities in one place.

Recent studies have found that collaboration tools could be effective in boosting efficiency and productivity, while enabling users to make better business decisions. The products also expanded the potential for innovation. Not all companies, however, are successfully using them. Implementation and adoption of enterprise social networking depends not only on the capabilities of the technology but on the organization’s culture and the compatibility of these tools with the firm’s business processes. The technologies won’t provide benefits if they are applied to flawed business processes and organizational behaviors. Digital collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Chatter, Yammer, Zoom, and WebEx added to email, texting, and messaging may enmesh employees in too many interactions, leaving even less time for indepth individual thinking and problem-solving.

When firms introduce new social media technology (as well as other technologies), a sizable number of employees resist the new tools, clinging to old ways of working, including email, because they are more familiar and comfortable. There are companies where employees have duplicated communication on both social media and email, increasing the time and cost of performing their jobs. BASF, the world’s largest chemical producer with subsidiaries and joint ventures in more than 80 countries, prohibited some project teams from using email to encourage employees to use new social media tools.

Social business requires a change in thinking, including the ability to view the organization more democratically in a flatter and more horizontal way. A social business is much more open to everyone’s ideas. A secretary, assembly line worker, or sales clerk might be the source of the next big idea. As a result, getting people to espouse social business tools requires more of a “pull” approach, one that engages workers and offers them a significantly better way to work. In most cases, they can’t be forced to use social apps.

Enterprise capabilities for managing social networks and sharing digital content can help or hurt an organization. Social networks can provide rich and diverse sources of information that enhance organizational productivity, efficiency, and innovation, or they can be used to support preexisting groups of like-minded people that are reluctant to communicate and exchange knowledge with outsiders. Productivity and morale will fall if employees use internal social networks to criticize others or pursue personal agendas.

Social business applications modeled on consumer-facing platforms such as Facebook and Twitter will not necessarily work well in an organization or organizational department that has incompatible objectives. Will the firm use social business for operations, human resources, or innovation? The social media platform that will work best depends on its specific business purpose. Additionally employees who have actively used Facebook and Twitter in their personal lives are often hesitant to use similar social tools for work purposes because they see social media primarily as an informal, personal means of self-expression and communication with friends and family. Most managers want employees to use internal social tools to communicate informally about work, but not to discuss personal matters. Employees accustomed to Facebook and Twitter may have trouble imagining how they could use social tools without getting personal.

This means that instead of focusing on the technology, businesses should first identify how social initiatives will actually improve work practices for employees and managers. They need a detailed understanding of social networks: how people are currently working, with whom they are working, what their needs are, and measures for overcoming employee biases and resistance.

A successful social business strategy requires leadership and behavioral changes. Just sponsoring a social project is not enough—managers need to demonstrate their commitment to a more open, transparent work style. Employees who are used to collaborating and doing business in more traditional ways need an incentive to use social software. Changing an organization to work in a different way requires enlisting those most engaged and interested in helping, and designing and building the right workplace environment for using social technologies.

Management needs to ensure that the internal and external social networking efforts of the company are providing genuine value to the business. Content on the networks needs to be relevant, upto-date, and easy to access; users need to be able to connect to people who have the information they need and would otherwise be out of reach or difficult to reach. Social business tools should be appropriate for the tasks on hand and the organization’s business processes, and users need to understand how and why to use them.

For example, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center had to abandon a custom-built enterprise social network called Spacebook because no one knew how its social tools would help people do their jobs. Spacebook had been designed and developed without taking into consideration the organization’s culture and politics. This is not an isolated phenomenon. Dimension Data found that one-fourth of the 900 enterprises it surveyed focused more on the successful implementation of collaboration technology, rather than how it’s used and adopted.

Despite the challenges associated with launching an internal social network, there are companies using these networks successfully. One company that has made social business work is Standard Bank, Africa’s largest financial services provider, which operates in 33 countries (including 19 in Africa). Standard Bank has embraced social business to keep up with the pace of twenty-first-century business. The bank is using Microsoft Yammer to help it become a more dynamic organization.

Use of Yammer at Standard Bank started to take off in 2013, when the bank staged an important conference for its executives around the world and was looking for a collaborative platform for communicating conference logistics and posting content such as PowerPoint presentations. Many agencies and consultants who worked for the bank used Yammer and liked the tool. Once conference participants saw how intuitive and useful Yammer was, they wanted to use it in their own operations. Usage exploded, and the Yammer social network grew to over 20,000 users just six months after Standard Bank adopted the Enterprise version. Belinda Carreira, Standard Bank’s Executive Head of Interactive Marketing, is also reaching out to departments most likely to benefit from enterprise social networking.

Standard Bank has over 400 Yammer social groups. Many are organized around projects and problem-solving, such as finding credit card solutions that work well in African countries. Yammer has become a platform for listening, where employees can easily share their concerns and insights. Yammer is also used for internal education. Yammer enables trainers to present more visual and varied material than in the past, including videos from the Internet. In some locations, the Internet may be down for half the day, but Standard’s employees are still able to access Yammer on their mobile phones.

Carreira notes that successful adoption and use of a social tool such as Yammer will hit roadblocks without proper planning and organizational buy-in. Many factors must be considered. Carreira recommends that Yammer implementors work closely with their organization’s IT department, risk and compliance teams, human resources, communications department, and executive leadership across the organization. In addition to internal resources, Standard Bank drew on expertise provided by Yammer and Microsoft.

Northwards Housing, a nonprofit organization providing affordable housing services in Manchester, England, has an open organizational culture, which encourages two-way communication and information transparency. Northwards has 340 employees, who do everything from rent collection to scheduling repairs and cleaning maintenance. The organization wanted a way of exchanging information internally and with its customers that was easy to use and did not require much time for technical updates. Northwards introduced Yammer in 2012 and now has 85 percent of employees engaged with the network.

Steve Finegan, Northward’s Head of Business Effectiveness and Communication, believes executive support was critical to the network’s growth. The Northwards CEO regularly participates in discussions, posts links to news stories of interest, and publishes a blog. The organization’s executive directors, who were initially skeptical about Yammer’s benefits, now actively post content on the network and answer questions.

Sources: “Standard Bank,” media.featuredcustomers.com, accessed February 12, 2020”; “Building a Better Enterprise with Yammer,” Microsoft.com, accessed February 12, 2020; “Duha Group Innovates by Inviting Their Customers into the Manufacturing Process Using Salesforce,” www.salesforce.com, accessed March 26, 2020; Ethan Bernstein, Jesse Shore, and David Lazer, “Improving the Rhythm of Your Collaboration,” MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall 2019; Margaret Jones Cordelia Kroob, “The Growth of an Enterprise Social Network at BASF,” www. simply-communicate.com, accessed March 12, 2018; Paul Leonardi and Tsedal Neeley, “What Managers Need to Know About Social Tools,” Harvard Business Review, November–December 2017; and Dimension Data, “2016 Connected Enterprise Report,” 2016.

Case Study Questions

Identify the management, organization, and technology factors affecting adoption of internal corporate social networks.

Compare the experiences implementing internal social networks of the organizations described in this case. Why was Standard Bank successful? What role did management play in this process?

Should all companies implement internal enterprise social networks? Why or why not?

Glenna Pfannerstill Verified Expert

1226 Answers

1) Management:

Whether it were young or old employees, teaming up and doing business in more traditional settings generally require an incentive to utilize social software. Nevertheless, majority of the companies are not arranging for incentives to the employees, there are just 22 % of the users of the social software, who accept as true that the technology is beneficial and essential to their job.

Organization:

Those companies that have attempted to arrange the internal social network have discovered that the employees are accustomed to do business in a certain manner and overcoming the organizational inertia can be difficult to achieve. Approximately half of the survey respondents said that internal social networks had a “very little impact” on employee’s retaining, the speed of making decision or the lessening of meetings.

Technology:

To upsurge the motivation of adopting the social networking technologies, comfort of use and augmented job efficiency are more significant than the peer pressure. Most of the IT professionals contemplate their own internal social networks are merely average or below average and the biggest cause is low adoption rates of the employees. The content on the networks must be pertinent, up-to-date and tranquil to access. Users favor to use the network that is more user-friendly instead of difficult to reach.

2) NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is the instance who was unsuccessful in executing the internal social network. They set up a custom-built enterprise social network known as Spacebook, and it is to benefit small teams to work together shorn of e-mailing the larger groups. Spacebook contained within user profiles, group workspaces like wikis, discussion forum, file sharing and group creation. But, spacebook was unsuccessful, and it was as a result of not enough focus on people and the network’s not taking into reflection on the organization’s culture and politics. The employees do not comprehend and do not understand how the network would benefit them to do their jobs.

In the meantime, Red Robin is the one who was successful in executing the internal social network. Red Robin is a chain with 355 restaurants, about 20,000 employees working in it. They utilizes the social networking to provide their front-line employees who intermingle with the customers a greater voice in the company for the reason that the CIO of the company accepts as true that engaging the employees would upsurge employee loyalty and fetch them motivation to work. Red Robin is taking into contemplation on the employee’s comments and at all times recovers the company in view of that. Red Robin decided to try Yammer, which is a platform for people to generate conversations, perform status updates, upload and share files and set up workgroups for small project teams simply like Facebook. It permits the employees to communicate with the high management and obtain instantaneous feedback.

The management must be clear of what is required by the employees as they are the most vital assets to the company for the reason that they are the one working and fetching the company in the direction of its goal. Employee’s comments and feeling must be taken into contemplation for every decisions making. No matter how good the network and revolution is, if it is not eye-catching to the employees, it would not be successful.

3) Yes, as per my opinion, all companies ought to implement internal enterprise social networks. Internal social network is in point of fact a very beneficial tool for the companies to lessen expenses, time and expand productivity. People in the company can just share documents and information online and interconnect via this platform, and this benefit to save time and energy as compared to the traditional way which is to convey the hardcopy of the document manually and using phone call which will cost money. Companies ought to arrange for incentives to buoy up the employee to adopt the fresh system. I believe that if the employees are clear of what benefits they will obtain with the new system, they would be more willing to agree to take the changes.

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15 Inspiring LinkedIn Post Ideas (+ Examples) for Your Page

Written by by Mahnoor Sheikh

Published on April 23, 2024

Reading time 6 minutes

LinkedIn is one of the most effective channels for building brand awareness, connecting with customers and establishing thought leadership.

Moreover, with 4 out of 5 LinkedIn members driving business decisions, the network is rated #1 for B2B lead generation. As a marketer, you cannot afford to overlook LinkedIn.

But what types of content should you be posting on LinkedIn? In this article, we’ll explore various content formats that work well on the platform and provide post ideas and examples you can adapt for your own LinkedIn marketing strategy .

Why should you post on LinkedIn?

Using LinkedIn for business can benefit you in more than one way. Here are three reasons why you should start posting on LinkedIn regularly as a brand or employee:

Increase brand awareness

LinkedIn is a great platform to show off your expertise and values to a professional audience. Consistently posting high-quality content on LinkedIn can increase your brand’s visibility, especially if you’re using both organic and paid strategies.

The platform’s advanced targeting tools also ensure your posts are seen by the most relevant audiences. This translates into more followers, engagement and leads for your brand.

Expand your network

LinkedIn has over 1 billion members worldwide. This massive user base offers brands a huge opportunity to connect with industry peers and thought leaders as well as potential customers, employees and partners.

Join hundreds of conversations happening on LinkedIn by posting about trending topics, engaging with other posts, asking questions and offering unique insights and opinions. You can also join LinkedIn groups and contribute to articles to establish authority and build your network.

Develop trust and relationships

By consistently providing value to your audience through informative, authentic and engaging content, you can establish yourself as a reliable and trustworthy source of information.

This trust can help build stronger relationships with your followers, who may be more likely to do business with you or recommend your brand to others.

15 LinkedIn post ideas and examples

Below, you’ll find creative LinkedIn post ideas to help you establish a strong brand presence on the platform and grow your following. We’ve also included real-life examples from top brands to inspire you.

1. Poll your audience

Polls are an excellent way to encourage interaction, spark conversations and gather opinions and preferences. They’re also great tools for collecting feedback and analyzing customer sentiment around your brand, products or services.

An example of a LinkedIn poll as a LinkedIn post idea.

Image source

LinkedIn allows you to customize the visibility and duration of your polls so you can gather timely and relevant insights. You can also view poll results as a percentage or number of votes, and share them with your audience.

2. Ask questions or solve problems

Ask thought-provoking questions or offer actionable insights or solutions to help your followers overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

This does two things:

It builds your credibility and positions you as an expert
It boosts engagement (likes, comments and reposts)

An example of a LinkedIn post from Sprout Social asking a question.

3. Share a post with your thoughts

Share ‘hot takes’ and posts with your thoughts, opinions and experiences on LinkedIn, much like status updates. It’s an excellent way to strengthen your personal brand and drive engagement on your posts.

Don’t be afraid to go against the grain and put your unique perspectives out there. Editing coach Erica Schneider does this often.

An example of a LinkedIn post sharing thoughts.

Encourage your audience to share their insights as well in the comments to spark a healthy debate.

4. Announce product launches

Want to generate buzz around a new product you’re rolling out? Share a LinkedIn post about it. Highlight key features, benefits and use cases relevant to your audience.

Include eye-catching images or videos that show your product in action to boost the impact of your launch post. Here’s HubSpot announcing a new product in partnership with TikTok with a short and captivating promo video.

An example of a product launch LinkedIn post from HubSpot.

5. Celebrate company wins and milestones

Sharing your company’s achievements and success stories on LinkedIn can help you improve your brand’s reputation, attracting more leads and talent in the process.

An example of a LinkedIn post from Sprout Social celebrating a win.

When people see how well your company is doing in terms of growth, innovation and impact, they’ll naturally want to associate with your brand. Recognizing and rewarding your team’s hard work is also a great way to boost morale and can significantly improve employee productivity and retention rates.

6. Share upcoming events

Hosting a webinar or speaking at an event? Share an update about it on LinkedIn to expand your reach and drive more registrations and attendance.

Here’s Sarah Corley from Sprout Social sharing that she’s hosting an upcoming webinar. This is a win-win for Sprout as this extends the post’s reach beyond Sprout’s LinkedIn followers to Sarah’s network on the platform.

An example of LinkedIn post by a Sprout Social employee sharing about an upcoming webinar.

7. Post videos

Video is one of the most engaging content types on social media, including on LinkedIn. Leverage the power of video to stand out and show your brand’s personality.

Create short-form or long-form videos , such as product tutorials, testimonials or behind-the-scenes glimpses into your company culture. Here’s Mailchimp sharing its community service activities with a LinkedIn video.

Make sure you optimize your videos for mobile and add subtitles as most people scrolling through their feeds might not have sound on.

8. Share different visual content formats

Don’t just stick to text posts or share video after video. Mix it up by using a variety of different formats, especially visuals. For example, you can share charts, infographics and case study cover images when promoting your content on LinkedIn.

Using different visual formats helps your posts stand out in the feed and makes your brand seem more interesting and less monotonous.

At Sprout, we like to switch things up regularly. Here’s how we picked out a statistic from our industry trends report and shared it as an image on LinkedIn. We also provided context and a link to download the full resource in the caption.

An example of a visual statistic post on LinkedIn by Sprout Social.

9. Create carousel posts

Carousel posts allow you to share multiple images, videos or slides in a single post, making them ideal for storytelling, step-by-step guides or showcasing different aspects of your brand.

While LinkedIn carousel posts are no longer available as an organic posting option, they can still be used as an ad post type.

You can also create carousel-like posts by uploading PDFs with multiple pages optimized for size. Here’s how Miro does it to visually showcase its product’s newest features.

An example of a LinkedIn carousel post from Miro highlighting the product's new features.

10. Create newsletters for your audience

LinkedIn allows you to create newsletters where you can regularly content like tips, insights and resources around specific topics.

Subscribers are notified whenever you publish new articles, and anyone on LinkedIn can find, read and share your content. This makes newsletters a great way to establish thought leadership as well as build community and engagement around your brand.

Here’s an example of a LinkedIn newsletter by Gretchen Rubin called ‘Work Happier’, where she regularly publishes articles on workplace productivity and happiness.

11. Write thought-provoking articles

Formerly known as LinkedIn Pulse, the platform’s publishing feature helps brands and professionals share long-form content with their audience directly on LinkedIn.

Share insightful articles on trending topics that matter to your business to spark conversation and engagement, demonstrate your expertise and build authority.

Users can leave comments on your articles, so encourage readers to share their thoughts and respond quickly to any feedback. Finally, incorporate relevant visuals to break up the text and write SEO titles and descriptions to rank your content on search.

12. Repurpose your content for LinkedIn audiences

If you have existing content on other social media platforms or your website, you can repurpose it for LinkedIn by making a few tweaks. Share summaries or key takeaways from your recent blog posts. Or turn individual statistics from your research report into visuals.

Here’s how we repurposed our Post Performance Report blog post into a carousel post on LinkedIn.

An example of a carousel LinkedIn post from Sprout Social repurposed from a blog post.

13. Give customers the spotlight

Share customer stories, testimonials and user-generated content on LinkedIn to show your appreciation and build trust with potential buyers. Tag featured customers in your posts to expand your reach and encourage them to share your content.

Additionally, repost positive reviews and mentions as well as any photos or videos that show customers using your product. Here’s how we do it at Sprout.

An example of Sprout Social reposting a customer's post on LinkedIn.

14. Job openings and opportunities

Got a vacancy? Find the right fit faster by sharing job opportunities on LinkedIn. Craft clear and compelling job descriptions that summarize key responsibilities and highlight the perks of working at your company. Use LinkedIn’s job posting features to target specific locations, skill sets or experience levels.

Get creative with your job postings to encourage more people to apply. Here’s how Sendlane keeps their job postings interesting and true to their brand voice.

An example of a job posting on LinkedIn from Sendlane.

15. Host a LinkedIn Live session

Did you know Live streams on LinkedIn see 24x more comments and 7x more reactions than native videos? Hosting live events is a great way to boost engagement on the platform and connect with your audience in real time.

An example of a live event post on LinkedIn from Sprout Social.

Note: Users are currently unable to stream directly on LinkedIn. You can stream live video on the platform using a third-party broadcasting tool like Zoom, Vimeo or Restream.

Leverage LinkedIn posts for marketing

Posting on LinkedIn should be a top priority for your brand, especially if you’re targeting businesses or selling to a professional audience.

Use the LinkedIn post ideas and examples above to fuel your strategy. Need an extra hand? Check out these LinkedIn marketing tools to accelerate your growth on the platform.

LinkedIn Content Ideas FAQs

Share original insights, experiences and expertise to provide value to your audience and spark conversations. Showcase your brand’s personality, celebrate achievements and share engaging visual content that resonates with your target audience. Aim to inform, inspire and connect with your network through authentic and relevant posts.

Content that performs well on LinkedIn tends to be professional, informative and thought-provoking. Posts that tell a story, evoke emotion , solve a problem or encourage interaction, such as polls and questions, often receive high engagement.

To create engaging content on LinkedIn, understand your target audience, use storytelling techniques and incorporate visual elements like images, videos and infographics. Additionally, encourage participation by asking questions, seeking opinions and responding to comments.

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Small-time investors in Trump’s Truth Social reckon with stock collapse

Some trump supporters who invested in his social media company have seen their share values plunge -— and see it as a test of faith.

Jerry Dean McLain first bet on former president Donald Trump’s Truth Social two years ago, buying into the Trump company’s planned merger partner, Digital World Acquisition, at $90 a share. Over time, as the price changed, he kept buying, amassing hundreds of shares for $25,000 — pretty much his “whole nest egg,” he said.

That nest egg has lost more than half its value in the past two weeks as Trump Media & Technology Group’s share price dropped from $66 after its public debut last month to $22 on Tuesday. But McLain, 71, who owns a tree-removal service outside Oklahoma City, said he’s not worried. If anything, he wants to buy more.

“I know good and well it’s in Trump’s hands, and he’s got plans,” he said. “I have no doubt it’s going to explode sometime.”

For shareholders like McLain, investing in Truth Social is less a business calculation than a statement of faith in the former president and the business traded under his initials, DJT.

Even the company’s plunging stock price — and the chance their investments could get mostly wiped out — doesn’t seem to have shaken that faith. The stock plunged 14 percent on Tuesday, and the company has lost nearly $5 billion in value since its market debut .

As a business, Trump Media has largely underwhelmed: The company lost $58 million last year on $4 million in revenue, less than the average Chick-fil-A franchise, even as it paid out millions in executive salaries, bonuses and stock .

And in two years, Truth Social has attracted a tiny fraction of the traffic other platforms see, according to estimates from the analytics firm Similarweb — one of the only ways to measure its performance, given that the company says it “does not currently, and may never, collect, monitor or report certain key operating metrics used by companies in similar industries.”

But for some Trump investors, the stock is a badge of honor — a way to show their devotion beyond buying Trump merchandise, visiting Trump golf courses or donating to Trump’s presidential campaign.

Trump Media spokeswoman Shannon Devine said in a statement that “Truth Social has created a free-speech beachhead against Big Tech for a fraction of the start-up and operating costs that the legacy tech corporations incurred, while having no debt, more than $200 million in the bank, and the support of hundreds of thousands of retail investors who fervently believe in our mission.”

Trump Media has boasted that it has benefited from a flood of “retail investors” — small-time and amateur shareholders betting their personal cash. Its merger partner, Digital World Acquisition, said its shares were bought by nearly 400,000 retail investors, and Trump Media’s chief executive, Devin Nunes, told Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo on April 7 that the company had added over 200,000 new ones in the previous couple of weeks.

“There’s not another company out there that has retail investors like this,” said Nunes, who this year will receive a $1 million salary, a $600,000 retention bonus and a stock package currently worth more than $2.6 million.

In an interview last month with conservative commentator Sean Hannity, the former Republican congressman recounted a recent discussion with Trump in which the men celebrated having “opened up the internet and kept it open for the American people.”

“I’ll never forget the conversation we had,” Nunes said. “He said, ‘You know, once we’re all dead and gone, this will last forever.’”

Many of Truth Social’s investors say they’re in it for the long haul. Todd Schlanger, an interior designer at a furniture store in West Palm Beach who said Trump had been one of his customers, said he’s invested about $20,000 in total and is buying new shares every week.

Schlanger said he now watches his stock performance every day hoping for positive signs. In a Truth Social post last week, he encouraged “everyone who supports Donald Trump and Truth [Social to] buy a share everyday” and asked, “Do you think we have hit bottom?” (The stock has slid about 35 percent since that post.)

He suspects the recent drops in share price have been the result of “stock manipulation” from an “organized effort” to make the company look bad. There’s no proof of such a campaign, but Schlanger is convinced. “It’s got to be political,” he said, from all the “liberals that are trying to knock it down.”

That range of emotions is on full display on Truth Social, where thousands of mostly anonymous accounts have flocked to meme-filled investor groups, one of which is emblazoned with a computer-generated image showing Trump pumping his fist on a Wall Street trading floor.

Some accounts there have recently encouraged traders to keep investing in a fight they said was about “ good vs evil ” — a way to defend Trump from the liberal elites laughing at him and, by extension, them. The user @BaldylocksUSMC said “the fight has been long and hard on most of us” and that “this stock is not for the weak,” but that one day they would triumph over critics who were “brainwashed beyond repair.”

After the billionaire media mogul Barry Diller called Trump Media a “scam” stock bought by “dopes,” one account, @Handbag72, claimed to have bought more shares, arguing Diller didn’t “get it” or was “at risk of [losing] $$$$.” The next day, the account shared a 2021 blog post from the investing forum Seeking Alpha saying Truth Social could be worth $1 trillion in the next 10 years.

But there are also flickers of uncertainty and disenchantment, with some saying they faced thousands of dollars in losses or had “ risked [literally] everything .” One user who had posted “Tired of WINNING yet?” earlier this year when the stock spiked posted that the recent losses were “painful to stomach.”

“Come on DJT, every time I buy more, the price drops more,” the user @bill7718 wrote . “When will it be the BOTTOM!!” (He posted a chart Thursday showing the stock rising slightly alongside the caption, “moving!!” The price has since gone back down.)

The user @manofpeace123, who said they bought shares at $65 and that 71 percent of their portfolio was DJT stock, said on Wednesday that investing was a way of telling Trump, “I believe in you and I stand with you through good times and bad.” But a day later, the user added : “can’t help but feel sad. … feel like I’m trying to catch a falling knife.”

Another account, @realJaneBLONDE, posted on April 7 that she was “NOT panicked NOT worried” before, two days later, posting a message to Trump and congressional Republicans urging them to make it “illegal” to bet against or short-sell stocks.

“Sick of MY investment money being stolen!!” she wrote . “They’re stealing peoples money and you’re allowing it!!”

Some users said they were “ baffled ” by the stock’s ups and downs, and one asked for advice on how to tell her husband she didn’t want to sell. One user posted a meme image saying, “If you’re worried about your Money, Remember This, DJT stock is about FREE SPEECH & Without FREE SPEECH Money won’t mean much.”

But other users saw such questions as displays of unacceptable doubt. When the user @seneca1950 asked whether anyone was concerned that the company’s upcoming plans to issue tens of millions more shares would sink the stock price, two accounts criticized the account for spreading “FUD” — fear, uncertainty and doubt.

“Are you a Fudster,” wrote a user named “Jesus Revolution 2024.” Wrote another, called Rabristol: “You must be short with no way out!”

In moments of apparent despair, some users work to lift one another up by arguing that they are enduring the same kinds of “deep state” attacks that had long shadowed Trump himself. When user @BingBlangBlaow said they were embarrassed to be so “deep in the red” and questioned why “everyone [was] acting like everything is fine,” Chad Nedohin, a Canadian investor and prominent cheerleader of the stock on Truth Social and the video site Rumble, responded , “No [one’s] fine with it, but we are DJT now. The deep state is making their run at Trump … and us.”

The user, however, posted afterward that the argument left him unconvinced. “I’m tired of blaming the deep state,” he said . Later, he added , “You would think that the ‘biggest political movement of all time’ would want to support the man leading it and get much better numbers than” this. (The accounts did not respond to messages and offered no way to contact them.)

Carol Swain, a prominent conservative commentator in Nashville who previously taught political science at Vanderbilt University, said she invested $1,000 in Trump Media stock earlier this month, at $48 a share, over the objections of her financial adviser, who predicted the stock would dive.

“If I lose it, fine. If I make a profit, wonderful. But at the end of the day, I wanted to show my support,” she said. “There’s such an effort to destroy him and strip his wealth away, and so much glee about it. I would like to see him be a winner.”

She, too, suspects stock manipulation, arguing that “the people who hate Donald Trump would do anything to try to hurt him.” As for Truth Social itself, she said she posts there only sparingly and prefers X, where she has 35 times as many followers. “I have always wanted not to just preach to the choir,” she said.

McLain, the tree service owner in Oklahoma, said he believes the stock could “go to $1,000 a share, easy,” once the media stops writing so negatively about it and the company works through its growing pains. The company’s leaders, he said, are being “too silent right now” amid questions about the falling share price, but he suspects it’s because they’re working on something amazing and new.

McLain is an amateur trader — he invested only once before and “lost [his] butt” — and said he hasn’t talked to his family about his investment, saying, “You know how that is.” But he believes the Trump Media deal is a sign he is “supposed to invest,” he said.

“This isn’t just another stock to me. … I feel like it was God Almighty that put it in my lap,” he said. “I’ve just got to hold on and let them do their job. If you go on emotion, you’ll get out of this thing the first time it goes down.”

Razzan Nakhlawi contributed to this report.

Many cities are fighting the urban 'doom loop' by turning empty offices into 24/7 social districts

North American downtowns are struggling as remote work dominates the white-collar workforce.
A University of Toronto study shows a gradual uptick in downtown foot traffic.
Downtowns are looking to transition into mixed-use districts and ease their dependence on offices.

As remote work cements its grip on the white-collar workforce, North American downtowns are working to fight off a downward spiral.

Many are attempting the transition from office-only districts to mixed-use neighborhoods with new residents and businesses. But breathing new life into areas dominated by half-empty office buildings is proving challenging.

A newly updated report from the University of Toronto analyzing anonymized cellphone data shows the largest North American downtowns have generally seen a gradual uptick in foot traffic over the past year.

Many cities are working to turn vacant offices into homes, give restaurants and other businesses tax breaks to move downtown, and otherwise turn office districts into vibrant neighborhoods. But it takes time.

"Downtowns are going through this painful transformation to 24/7 social districts from being office districts," said Karen Chapple, the director of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto and a coauthor of the downtown-recovery study.

Watch: Consumers are "rebalancing" spending priorities in response to inflation, says Mastercard's head of marketing and communications

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This research article is an attempt in understanding the social business model innovated and implemented by a social enterprise with an objective of understanding the process of social value creation (SVC) and mitigation of socio-economic problems from the perspective of multiple stakeholders. ... Farmers in good numbers are ready with their ...
Case Study 1 Social Business
Case Study: Social Business: Full Speed Ahead or Proceed with Caution? Danielle Lahm Walsh University. Social Business Social business is the use of social networking platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and internal corporate social tools (Laudon & Laudon, 2019). These enterprise social networks become the primary communication channel for noticing, deciding on, or acting on ...
Social Business Case Studies
Founded in 2011, Ruby Cup is a worldwide leader in eco-friendly, menstrual health and hygiene products. Through its business model, based on the " buy one, donate one " principle, the company is able to provide women in fragile communities with access to reusable, cost-effective menstrual solutions and educational content.
Social Business for Sustainable Development: Cases from ...
The second social business case study (Nursing College: NC) is about a nursing college which provides nursing education to the deprived family members' daughter. In Bangladesh, there is a severe shortage of nurses and midwives, with 0.58 health workers and 0.3 nurses and midwives per 1000 people (WHO 2009). With a vision to open training ...
Social Business Founders' Values and Their Implementation: A Study of
1 We follow the definition of social business suggested by Yunus (Citation 2011) that 'Social business: is a non-loss, non-dividend, investor-owned organisation, where 100% of its resources are for social good', which sets more stringent conditions than social enterprises, ... Case Study of Social Entrepreneurs' practice in Hong Kong'.
Social enterprise
A New Way to Scale Social Enterprise. Social enterprise Digital Article. Jonathan Soros. A new type of security, called "mission equity," caps investor returns so the company's financial ...
Social business as an entrepreneurship model in emerging economy
Analyzing a range of social business interventions in a developing country, Bangladesh, through the lens five key aspects demonstrates that social business is the most efficient way to sustainably maximize the social benefits and minimize specific social issues poverty of the people affected.,This study discusses the scopes of adopting SBM for ...
How Companies Succeed in Social Business
These case studies illuminate the differences between "social media for social's sake" and practical use cases that drive real business value. How Companies Succeed in Social Business delivers specific strategies, detailed tactics, true best practices, and actionable answers to these and other crucial questions about both strategy and tactics:
What Is A Social Enterprise?
Put simply, a social enterprise is a cause-driven business improving social objectives and serving the common good. Social enterprise models are a smart, savvy way to combine the best of traditional nonprofits and traditional businesses. For example, Greyston Bakery is a for-profit company with an open hiring policy, often employing formerly ...
Why focusing on social impact is good for business
Doing good can actually help companies succeed. Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan provides a clear example of what is possible when business leaders decide to prioritise social impact. One might argue larger companies are better positioned to invest the necessary funds to redesign their businesses, while smaller businesses and start-ups struggle to make social impact part of their business ...
Social Business Explained: Examples of Social Business
Here are five different social business examples that I think are great cases. 1. Cracking through a large corporate culture: IBM [PDF] IBM employs about 400,000 employees around the globe. Their internal culture wasn't as collaborative as you might expect. This case study details how they implemented one of their internal projects called ...
The growth of social enterprises
A social enterprise hopes to make money, but it makes a lot more than that for the people involved, and the sector is growing as governments and big business search for social impact. Skip to main ...
15.14: Case Study- Social Entrepreneurship at Tom's Shoes
While there is no universally accepted definition of social entrepreneur, the term is typically applied to an individual who uses market-based ideas and practices to create "social value," the enhanced well-being of individuals, communities, and the environment.Unlike ordinary business entrepreneurs who base their decisions solely on financial returns, social entrepreneurs incorporate the ...
Social Enterprise: What It Is, How It Works, and Examples
Social Enterprise: A social enterprise is an organization that is directly involved in the sale of goods and services to a market, but that also has specific social objectives that serve as its ...
The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility
This report reviews the most notable research on the topic and provides practical examples of CSR initiatives that are also good for the business and its bottom line. The Search for a Business Case: A Shift in Perspective. Business management scholars have been searching for a business case for CSR since the origins of the concept in the 1960s.
Ch 2- Is Social Business Good Business.pdf
Review and analyze the Chapter 2 Case Study "Is Social Business Good Business?" and address the following in a minimum of four slides: Identify the management, organization, and technology factors. Q&A 1. Define the problem described in this case. What are the management, organization, and technology issues raised by this problem?
Embracing Social Good: A Vital Strategy For Today's Business ...
A study by PwC revealed that CEOs are aware of this variable, with 64% considering corporate social responsibility essential for long-term business success. Stakeholders, including customers ...
Solved Review and analyze the Chapter 2 Case Study "Is
Operations Management questions and answers. Review and analyze the Chapter 2 Case Study "Is Social Business Good Business?" and address the following in a minimum of four slides:Identify the management, organization, and technology factors affecting adoption of internal corporate social networks.Compare the experiences implementing ...
Case Study: Social Entrepreneurship at Tom's Shoes
While there is no universally accepted definition of social entrepreneur, the term is typically applied to an individual who uses market-based ideas and practices to create "social value," the enhanced well-being of individuals, communities, and the environment.Unlike ordinary business entrepreneurs who base their decisions solely on financial returns, social entrepreneurs incorporate the ...
Question: Is social business a good business? case study
Question: Is social business a good business? case study. Is social business a good business? case study. Here's the best way to solve it. Powered by Chegg AI. Social business is a type of business that aims to create a positive impact on society while also ge... View the full answer.
Case study 2-Is Social Business Good Business
College of the North Atlantic - Qatar. 25Documents. Go to course. 26. Final-ethics - Computing Ethics and Society INFS1301 --- final exam revision Q&A. Computing Ethics and Society100% (1) 10. Week4-Quiz - ggggggg.
The State of Social Enterprise
<p>This report provides a comprehensive synthesis of the global state of social enterprise, using data from more than 80 countries gathered between 2013 and 2023. It aims to inform policy-makers and business leaders about the underestimated contribution of social enterprise towards global GDP, employment and the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to uncovering important insights, this ...
World Book Day: Good Reads About Sustainability And Business ...
AFP via Getty Images. World Book Day, celebrated globally on April 23rd, to promote reading and publishing, is a perfect occasion for reflection and learning, especially on topics that impact our ...
Your Career Doesn't Need to Have a Purpose
As an organizational studies professor at the Schulich School of Business in Toronto, Canada, I get the opportunity to help my students with various aspects of their career development.
Is Social Business Good Business? Case Study As companies...get 7
Contemporary enterprise social networking systems often integrate multiple capabilities in one place. Recent studies have found that collaboration tools could be effective in boosting efficiency and productivity, while enabling users to make better business decisions. The products also expanded the potential for innovation.
15 Inspiring LinkedIn Post Ideas (+ Examples) for Your Page
Here's Sarah Corley from Sprout Social sharing that she's hosting an upcoming webinar. This is a win-win for Sprout as this extends the post's reach beyond Sprout's LinkedIn followers to Sarah's network on the platform. Image source. 7. Post videos. Video is one of the most engaging content types on social media, including on LinkedIn.
Truth Social investing is about faith in Trump, not business
10 min. Jerry Dean McLain first bet on former president Donald Trump's Truth Social two years ago, buying into the Trump company's planned merger partner, Digital World Acquisition, at $90 a ...
City Downtowns Fight Urban Doom Loop With New Social Districts
Many cities are fighting the urban 'doom loop' by turning empty offices into 24/7 social districts. Eliza Relman. Apr 22, 2024, 2:00 AM PDT. The Stratosphere is viewed from downtown on August 13 ...