Connecting Profit with Purpose: How to create a world-changing business

by Phil Preston

Overview

Philanthropic gifts and corporate social responsibility programmes are admirable, but they fall short of driving the change at scale that we desperately need today.

What if you could play a role in turning this around? You can, and you can start right now. It’s about applying a simple set of principles to connect profitable business with social purpose.

This is an easy to read book with a practical roadmap for (re)building trust and creating high-performing, sustainable businesses.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781925921847
Publisher:	Phil Preston Pty Ltd
Publication date:	03/25/2020
Pages:	202
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.43(d)

About the Author

When Phil Preston left his corporate career to explore the challenges faced by grassroots community members and not-for-profits, he found an astonishing level of disconnection between business and society.

He also noticed that philanthropy and corporate social responsibility initiatives have limited impact, so when he stumbled across Michael Porter and Mark Kramer's 'shared value' concept he went all in. In 2013 he was invited to Boston to help form a network of global practitioners, and subsequently increased his focus on harnessing the power of business for positive societal change.

Phil is a strategist, facilitator and speaker who resides south of Sydney with his wife, adult children and manic dog, Gizmo. He is an enthusiastic trail runner in his spare time.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

SECTION I Overcoming competing interests 7

Chapter 1 Increasing tensions 9

Chapter 2 What’s already been tried? 23

Chapter 3 A shift in purpose, on purpose 39

SECTION II Creating shared value 49

Chapter 4 The new frontier for competition 51

Chapter 5 A new lens for innovation 65

Chapter 6 Beyond corporate social responsibility 79

Chapter 7 Unpacking strategies 87

Chapter 8 The role of government and not-for-profits 93

SECTION III Finding your opportunities 105

Chapter 9 Mindset: Your ticket to play 107

Chapter 10 Identifying your opportunities 117

Chapter 11 Development and implementation tips 133

SECTION IV Your action plan 155

Chapter 12 Taking the next step 157

Acknowledgements 163

Appendix: Challenging the concept 167

Endnotes 173

Index 183

About the author 194

Editorial Reviews

‘The role of business in society is radically changing. Commitment to a social purpose is becoming a competitive advantage, and corporate leaders who want to master this approach need to read this book. Preston sets out a clear, actionable and persuasive approach to creating shared value, filled with examples of companies of all sizes and from all parts of the world, that have created meaningful social change in ways that have also created success for their companies and themselves. Whether you are a senior executive or just starting out in business, you will benefit from Preston’s guidance and experience.’

- Mark R. Kramer, Co-Founder & Managing Director of FSG and Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School

‘An important read, which addresses the most critical corporate endeavour of our time: How business can accelerate social progress, profitably. Using a shared value lens, Preston heroes storytelling to provide a pathway for sustainability which is accessible yet disruptive.’

- Helen Steel, CEO, Shared Value Project

From the Publisher