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  • 1.  Happiness as Business Purpose? Conference at the OECD, Paris Nov. 7, 2014

    Posted 08-01-2014 12:33

    Dear colleagues [ apologies for cross-posting]

    I am happy to invite you to an exploration of the power of :

    Happiness/Well-being as business purpose.

    A conference co-hosted by the Humanistic Management Network and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

    November 7, 2014 in Paris at OECD headquarters.


    Featuring a trialogue of leading academics, practitioners and policy makers, including representatives of HEC Paris, John Lewis Partnership, Ashoka, B-Lab, B-corporations, CSV initiative (Michael Porter), Common Good Economy, Danone (tbc), OECD, and many more

    For more detail here: http://www.amiando.com/ORBCTAW


    -------------------------------

    In recent years well-being has occupied a central role not only in the popular press but also in the statistical and policy agenda of many countries of the world. So far most of the efforts to provide better measures of well-being or to implement policies for well-being have been confined to academic and policy circles, while the corporate sector has been less involved in this discussion as well as in implementing this agenda. However, firms have a key role in shaping people's well-being, as they produce most of the goods and services that individuals enjoy. In addition, firms provide the social environment for many employees and the quality of the working environment has a capital influence on people's quality of life.

    On the other hand, business as usual is facing a legitimacy crisis as their traditional purpose of maximizing profits or shareholder value is deemed insufficient for current times. Corporate Social Responsibility measures are aiming to increase lost legitimacy, but they seem to be only partly successful. At this Conference, we will examine whether well-being of stakeholders can become an alternative business purpose; one that legitimizes business activity within society AND with other stakeholders including investors. 

    Such a focus would represent a paradigm shift in how we think about the purpose of business. Serving the common good requires firms to ensure that they can balance a multitude of stakeholders' not only in financial terms but also in psychological, social and environmental terms. In this Conference, we especially wish to explore opportunities and the potential of business to deliver on well-being at societal, organizational and individual levels. These opportunities may positively affect the sustainability of business models and allow firms to grow and prosper faster and longer over time.

    --------------------------------------------------

    The Conference program is geared towards a balance of interactive elements and presentations to facilitate the exchange between management practitioners, policy makers and academics. The day will see key note speeches, panel discussions and highly interactive breakout sessions to form an informative and engaging program.


    For more information on program and registration go here: 

    http://www.amiando.com/ORBCTAW

    Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions or comments.

    For the OECD, Romina Boarini,

    For the Humanistic Management Network, Michael Pirson




  • 2.  Happiness as Business Purpose? Conference at the OECD, Paris Nov. 7, 2014

    Posted 08-02-2014 01:57

    Titel

    In recent years well-being has occupied a central role not only in the popular press but also in the statistical and policy agenda of many countries of the world. So far most of the efforts to provide better measures of well-being or to implement policies for well-being have been confined to academic and policy circles, while the corporate sector has been less involved in this discussion as well as in implementing this agenda. However, firms have a key role in shaping people's well-being, as they produce most of the goods and services that individuals enjoy. In addition, firms provide the social environment for many employees and the quality of the working environment has a capital influence on people's quality of life.

    Business as usual is facing a legitimacy crisis as their traditional purpose of maximizing profits or shareholder value is deemed insufficient for current times. Corporate Social Responsibility measures are aiming to increase lost legitimacy, but they seem to be only partly successful. At this Conference, we will examine whether well-being of stakeholders can become an alternative business purpose; one that legitimizes business activity within society AND with other stakeholders including investors. 

    Such a focus would represent a paradigm shift in how we think about the purpose of business. Serving the common good requires firms to ensure that they can balance a multitude of stakeholders' not only in financial terms but also in psychological, social and environmental terms. In this Conference, we especially wish to explore opportunities and the potential of business to deliver on well-being at societal, organizational and individual levels. These opportunities may positively affect the sustainability of business models and allow firms to grow and prosper faster and longer over time.

    --------------------------------------------------

    The Conference program is geared towards a balance of interactive elements and presentations to facilitate the exchange between management practitioners, policy makers and academics. The day will see key note speeches, panel discussions and highly interactive breakout sessions to form an informative and engaging program.

     

     

     

    Time

     

    08:30 - 17:30

    Registration

    9:00 – 9:10

    Welcome address

    Martine Durand, Chief Statistician and Director OECD Statistics Directorate

    Michael Pirson, Professor and Partner, The Humanistic Management Network

    09:10 – 09:55

    Opening keynote with Q&A

    Yannis Georgellis,  Kent University: The organization as facilitator of individual happiness (employees,customers, suppliers, investors)

     

     

    Well-being as objective function for business?

    10:00 – 11:00

    Panel discussion with Q&A:

    The organization as facilitator of individual happiness ( employees, customers, suppliers, investors)

     

    Academia: Yannis Georgellis,  Kent University: The organization as facilitator of individual happiness (employees,customers, suppliers, investors)

    Practice:

    Jane Burgess, Partners Councellor, Member of the Board, John Lewis Corporation: Employee happiness as business goal that works.

    Christophe Fauconnier, In8motion:The perspective of shared value creation: benefits for all stakeholders

    Harry Hummels, Professor and Liaison Global Impact Investing Network: Investing for the common good

    Policy:  Sandrine Cazes (OECD) – OECD project on Job Quality

    11:00 – 11:30

    Coffee break

    11:30 – 12:30

    Panel discussion with Q&A: Moving from Shareholder Value Maximization to Stakeholder Well-being maximization

    Academia: Georges Blanc, Professor of Strategy, HEC Paris

    Practice:

                    Emmanuel Marchant, Danone Group (TBC): Experiences with Social Business

                    Arnaud Mourot, Ashoka France: Social Entrepreneurs as trailblazers for a new economy

    Policy: Marcello Palazzi,  B-Corp: B-Corporation as new organizational form to facilitate well-being

    12:30 – 13:30

    Lunch

    13:30 – 14:15

    Keynote Presentation with Q&A

    Economy for the Common Good: Christian Felber, Author and Founder of the Common Good Economy Initiative

    14:15 – 15:15

    Panel discussion with Q&A: Creating and Strengthening the Ecosystem

    Academia: Well-being or thriving as alternative measure of success

    Practice: Christian Felber, Arnauld Maurod, Marcello Palazzi

    Policy: Karen Wilson, OECD Social Impact Investment Project

    15:15 - 15:30

    Coffee break

    15:30 – 17:00

    Moving the agenda: Well-being as business purpose.

    Interactive breakout session including reporting back to full group

    World Cafe formats around three issue areas

     1) the role of academia and next steps

     2) the role of practice and next steps

     3) the role of policy and next steps

    17:15 - 17:45

    		 Closing Comments

     

    		 

    17:45 – 19:00

    Cocktail



    On Fri, Aug 1, 2014 at 6:33 AM, Michael Pirson [Staff/Faculty [BUS]] <pirson@fordham.edu> wrote:

    Dear colleagues [ apologies for cross-posting]

    I am happy to invite you to an exploration of the power of :

    Happiness/Well-being as business purpose.

    A conference co-hosted by the Humanistic Management Network and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

    November 7, 2014 in Paris at OECD headquarters.


    Featuring a trialogue of leading academics, practitioners and policy makers, including representatives of HEC Paris, John Lewis Partnership, Ashoka, B-Lab, B-corporations, CSV initiative (Michael Porter), Common Good Economy, Danone (tbc), OECD, and many more

    For more detail here: http://www.amiando.com/ORBCTAW


    -------------------------------

    In recent years well-being has occupied a central role not only in the popular press but also in the statistical and policy agenda of many countries of the world. So far most of the efforts to provide better measures of well-being or to implement policies for well-being have been confined to academic and policy circles, while the corporate sector has been less involved in this discussion as well as in implementing this agenda. However, firms have a key role in shaping people's well-being, as they produce most of the goods and services that individuals enjoy. In addition, firms provide the social environment for many employees and the quality of the working environment has a capital influence on people's quality of life.

    On the other hand, business as usual is facing a legitimacy crisis as their traditional purpose of maximizing profits or shareholder value is deemed insufficient for current times. Corporate Social Responsibility measures are aiming to increase lost legitimacy, but they seem to be only partly successful. At this Conference, we will examine whether well-being of stakeholders can become an alternative business purpose; one that legitimizes business activity within society AND with other stakeholders including investors. 

    Such a focus would represent a paradigm shift in how we think about the purpose of business. Serving the common good requires firms to ensure that they can balance a multitude of stakeholders' not only in financial terms but also in psychological, social and environmental terms. In this Conference, we especially wish to explore opportunities and the potential of business to deliver on well-being at societal, organizational and individual levels. These opportunities may positively affect the sustainability of business models and allow firms to grow and prosper faster and longer over time.

    --------------------------------------------------

    The Conference program is geared towards a balance of interactive elements and presentations to facilitate the exchange between management practitioners, policy makers and academics. The day will see key note speeches, panel discussions and highly interactive breakout sessions to form an informative and engaging program.


    For more information on program and registration go here: 

    http://www.amiando.com/ORBCTAW

    Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions or comments.

    For the OECD, Romina Boarini,

    For the Humanistic Management Network, Michael Pirson





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