Capitalism and business are on the threshold of a profound transformation. Call it a paradigm shift. Consumers, employees, investors and society are demanding increasing levels of social engagement and environmental responsibility from the companies they do business with. Research clearly indicates that Americans, and consumers worldwide, increasingly expect companies to invest in social good, to serve the community in ways beyond the products and services they provide.

Companies that respond to these expectations and connect with their stakeholders on the level of shared values and purpose benefit from greater loyalty and higher engagement.

“A growing body of evidence demonstrates that Conscious Capitalism outperforms the traditional profit-driven shareholder model of capitalism, even when using conventional performance metrics. It also delivers numerous other benefits with significant implications for the health and sustainability of the enterprise and the environment in which it functions.”

– The Conscious Capitalism Institute

“Businesses must reconnect company success with social progress. Shared value is not social responsibility, philanthropy, or even sustainability, but a new way to achieve economic success. It is not on the margin of what companies do but at the center. We believe that it can give rise to the next major transformation of business thinking.

A growing number of companies known for their hard-nosed approach to business – such as GE, Google, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Unilever, and Wal-Mart – have already embarked on important efforts to create shared value by re-conceiving the intersection between society and corporate performance. Yet our recognition of the transformative power of shared value is still in its genesis. Realizing it will require leaders and managers to develop new skills and knowledge – such as a far deeper appreciation of societal needs, a greater understanding of the true bases of company productivity, and the ability to collaborate across profit/nonprofit boundaries.”

– From “How to Fix Capitalism and Unleash a New Wave of Growth,” by Michael Porter & Mark Kramer, Harvard Business Review, January 2011.

“Eighty-four percent of Americans believe their ideas can help companies create products and services that are a win for consumers, business and society; yet, only half (53%) feel companies are effectively encouraging them to speak up on corporate social and environmental practices and products.”

- 2010 Cone Shared Responsibility Study