by Henning Meyer, Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Business Research and Professor Simon Deakin, Director of Centre for Business Research. Podcast conducted by Boni Sones, Policy Associate of the CBR.
At a recent seminar Henning Meyer, a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Business Research at the University of Cambridge and Managing Director of the consultancy firm New Global Strategy, presented his research: Creating Shared Value Operationalising CSV beyond the firm.
Henning also serves as a Research Associate at the London School of Economics’ Public Policy Group and is founder and Editor-in-Chief of Social Europe, a digital media publisher focused on new and pioneering answers to issues in economics, politics and employment & labour. Previously Henning Meyer was John F. Kennedy Memorial Policy Fellow at Harvard University and a Visiting Fellow at the School of Industrial and Labour Relations at Cornell University. He studied Politics, Economics and Business at Trier University, London Metropolitan University, the University of London and Oxford University.
There is now a widespread understanding of values such as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), but CSV is a less well known concept although it is fast rising up the agenda for both businesses and governments as they struggle to contend with complex social problems. New technology has allowed companies to straddle the World and base themselves anywhere, perhaps cherry picking which rules and regulations to abide by. At the same time consumers and voters are demanding higher standards in relation to health, the environment, issues such as taxation, workers’ rights, equal pay and discrimination. Governments and businesses can be called out when they are found to be adopting standards which are not approved of.
In this special podcast Henning discusses with Simon Deakin, the CBR Director and Professor of Law at the University of Cambridge, some of the topical issues surrounding the adoption of CSV values at a corporate and government level. They are interviewed by Boni Sones, a CBR journalist and policy associate.
Henning said: “At the very least if you are engaged socially it will have a brand reputation benefit that is not paper thin and will be valuable in the long run. You are creating intangible assets that are closely linked to trust and closely linked to the reputation of particular companies which could be a real differentiator in terms of market.”
Deakin said: “In the Western model there will continue to a separation of the role of governments and the role of the corporate sector but I think what governments can do is encourage types of corporate compliance which are more socially beneficial and useful and they can be much more forthright in penalising anti-social behaviour. Governments have the means to do this, and this requires action between States to create international standards such as on tax avoidance and disclosure. I think we will increasingly see initiatives of this sort come forward, and the creation of a virtuous circle between corporate compliance and profitability. It’s important that discussions of these type take place inside business schools and law faculties and departments of politics.“
Listen to the podcast
Henning Meyer a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Business Research at the University of Cambridge and Managing Director of the consultancy firm New Global Strategy, presented his research: Creating Shared Value Operationalising CSV beyond the firm.
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