Good Company

CHAPTER 5Goodness Matters

A growing body of evidence shows that companies can do well by doing good. But that’s only part of the story in the world taking shape. The individual trends outlined in Chapters 2, 3, and 4—when taken together—indicate that goodness is rapidly becoming necessary to doing well.

What’s more, the convergence of the trends we’ve identified calls for a comprehensive response. Many companies during the past decade have launched disparate initiatives such as becoming an employer of choice, reducing carbon footprints, and beefing up compliance efforts. But firms that aim to succeed in sustainable ways must move to become good companies through and through.

This chapter summarizes some of the best available hard-nosed evidence ...