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Synopsis
Demonstrating the benefits of becoming a repsonsible company in the global economy, this guide provides a seven-step solution to successfully manage the opportunities and risks relevant to your company. Empowering individual managers to share the benefits of globalization, it shows how the "soft" issues of management are now the 'hard" issues, and how they impact on the bottom line.
From the Author
We are under no illusions that our objectives in writing this book are ambitious. On one hand, we hope to aid individual mangers as they struggle in an age of uncertainty to build successful and rewarding careers. On the other, we want to show how through individual actions they can make a difference to some of the world's ostensibly intractable problems. For us, the front line in the struggle to overcome inequality, poverty, disease and pollution is not formed by the rows of masked protesters in Seattle, Genoa, or Washington, but by the legions of front line managers who every day contribute to the creation of wealth.
Tough times lie ahead for business, thanks to the cumulative effect of a global economic slowdown, disruption caused by war in Afghanistan and shrinking consumer confidence. This combination of circumstances has created a challenging operating environment not only for senior business leaders, but also for front-line managers.
We finished writing Everybody's Business in August - a month before the tragedy of Sept 11th and its aftershocks reverberated around the world. You will understand that we are wary of making spurious links for the sake of making the work 'topical'. On reflection, there are some significant points to make.
One of the consequences of the attack has been the increased uncertainty in the markets and a deepening of the pace and depth of economic downturn. The issues discussed in Everybody's Business are not for 'fair weather' only. Indeed the message that 'what happens to society matters to business' is perhaps even sharper at time of economic decline. We devote a significant section of the book to what companies can do who are restructuring - for example by downsizing - to minimise pain and maximise chances for ex-employees and local communities to get back on their feet.
We have seen tremendous examples of corporations in the US and overseas rallying to support the immediate needs that employees and others directly impacted by the disaster. Companies can make an important contribution in support of disaster relief' - whether a tragedy like Sept 11th or natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes . For example they have robust communication and distribution systems, and access to goods and products, which need to be moved rapidly to disaster sites.
We have argued that as business is the principal motor for growth in the world it is in its best interests to try to ensure that the fruits of increased trade liberalisation and globalisation are shared not just by a few but by many. Poverty and social exclusion can provide ideal conditions in which dissallusionment and lack of basic human rights breeds extremism, or provides ideal conditions in which fanatics can find shelter. By maximising the role business plays in development, by working on the ground and at a public policy level, companies can help to the world's development agencies and governments address these conditions.: There are 60,000 multinationals operating in the world, if only 20 or 30% of those were operating on the principles laid out in Everybody's Business it would make a significant impact on the development agenda.
In some places in the world, business operates side by side with conflict - we are thinking particularly of firms in the extractive sector who operate in parts of the world where ethnic differences often erupt in violence, or in which company operations or employees become the target of dissent. There are very practical steps that companies can take to prevent conflict and help resolve it - there is a very sound business case for peace.
One of the great assets companies have, which they have not really yet woken up to, is their ability to be the carrier for positive messages about the importance of tolerance to ethnic origin or religious belief. Think for a moment, what institutions of the 2Ist Century have within their boundaries the most diverse group of peoples? Transnational or Multinational corporations. Yes, national governments have access to, interaction with and represent diverse populations. But transnational companies can reach an extraordinarily broad network of stakeholders around the globe - employees, suppliers, customers - with information and positive messages about respect for diversity. Indeed, some companies in the wake of Sept 11th have gone out of their way to ensure employees or customers of Arabian origin and of Muslim faith are ensured fair and unbiased treatment. We would like to see more companies recognising the contribution they could make to increased tolerance through the power of their global networks and their communications networks.
Last but not least, there has been a re-examining by many people working in companies about what is 'important' to them. The desire to get a better balance between work and life has been given a shot in the arm. And some employees have been asking what more they can do, having given blood or made a donation. We hope that mangers, by reading the examples laid out in the book, will recognize that by virtue of their jobs they have enormous to influence how their companies can positively impact the lives of many individuals and communities in need. One of the reasons we called the book Everybody's Business, was the believe that everyone has the responsibility to help tackle some of the world's seemingly intractable problems, and that every manager has the potential to make a positive contribution from their place of work.
David Grayson and Adrian Hodges, November 2001
| Some reviews... |
| "In Everybody's Business, sceptics who saw corporate social responsibility as nothing but a management fad are witness to its graduation to a mature and crucial management discipline." Jim Wolfensohn - President of The World Bank |
| "a well-researched, thoughtful and excellently produced publication" Digby Jones - Director General, Confederation of British Industry |
| "This book is intensely readable" Andrew Gowers - Editor - The Financial Times |
| "This is a book for the boardroom, as well as for managers aiming for the boardroom. It is packed with powerful illustrations as well as sound principles which apply in companies big and small, global and local. Easy to read and everyone will find something of real commercial value which can be practically applied to the benefit of their stakeholders." John Neill, CEO, Unipart |
| "A must-read for any global business manager. It belongs on the bookshelf next to 'The Lexus and The Olive Tree' - only it goes one important step further. It doesn't just repeat the laments about globalisation, but it presents the opportunities of corporate citizenship and offers concrete initiatives which business managers can employ." Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce |
| "Grayson and Hodges take on a jargon-filled subject with enthusiasm and make it accessible" Will Mapplebeck, Business Editor, The Journal, Newcastle |
| "We have bought the book and love it!" Geraldine Skinner, CEO, The Prime Minister's Community-Business Partnership of Australia |
| "The most thoughtful, comprehensive and practical presentation on corporate moral responsibility on the shelves. Deserves to be read by anyone serious about doing well and doing good." Richard Steckel, social marketer, author of "Filthy Rich and other Non-Profit fantasies" -Denver, Colorado |
| Everybody's business should be on everybody's desk. You will have to search high and low to find a more succinct, accessible and well-illustrated book mapping out the terrain that makes business today everybody's business. Grayson and Hodges have teamed up with Dorling Kindersley to produce a breakthrough business book:... I have already sent a copy of Everybody's business to our CEO, and I would implore you to do the same with this great roundup of global problems. Sean Blair Founding Director Nowhere Group, RSA Journal Winter 2002 |
| " Everybody's Business is a have-to read for those in business who see globalisation leaving people behind, and want to know what they can do about it. Bright managers who want to get ahead should get a copy!" John McGrath, Chairman, The Boots Company plc |
| "This handbook provides a unique, practical resource for managers at all levels to consider the wider social, environmental and economic impact of our business operations." Rod Eddington, Chief Executive, British Airways |
| "This book should be read, used and ruthlessly plagiarised to get its message integrated into the warp and weft of 21st century business." Tim Hollins - previously Head of Group Social Investment for Shell International |
| a delightfully readable book Antonia Swinson - Scotland on Sunday |
| .....It's dawning on more and more companies that social and environmental issues could pose a considerable risk to their continued commercial success. For a brilliant insight into this area, it's worth looking at "Everybody's Business" by David Grayson and Adrian Hodges. It's by far the best guide to corporate social responsibility that has been produced, managing to be both comprehensive and instantly accessible, and to move easily from global issues to local application; from potential problems to practical solutions. One of its key strengths is the systematic way in which it explains the huge variety of risks that companies face if they ignore corporate social responsibility. It's impossible to do justice here, to the wide range of examples the authors provide, but a handful will offer a flavour..."EXTRACT FROM "GOOD BUSINESS" BY STEVE HILTON AND GILES GIBBONS - PUBLISHED MAY 2002 |
| An excellent contribution to an important area of focus for business the world overAmelia Fawcett, Managing Director and COO (Europe) Morgan Stanley International |
| 'Business leaders from every country face the task of translating the effects of globalism into benefits which can be widely shared. Everybody's Business offers a well presented view of the challenges facing all organisations and some of the possible solutions they might adopt.' Paul Walsh - CEO, Diageo |
'An immensely valuable wake-up call for business. Everybody's Business
for further information see the review in Mallen Baker's newsletter No 16 |