Category: Public Policy
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Defying Financial Gravity
Eric Ries’ book, Incorruptible, centers around the challenge of mainitaining a purpose. The (mostly) villain of the piece is the way business is currently done, specifically how it is funded. He calls this financial gravity. So how do we go about defying financial gravity without having to watch dubious movies? Financial Gravity What then is…
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Shareholder Primacy Is Baffling
I must confess I wasn’t sure when I approached the new Eric Ries book. From what I had seen he seemed a bit like a self-help guru for entrepreneurs. My assumption was completely unfair. He has an important book, Incorruptible, aimed primarily at founders. it details how they can create and, critically maintain, great companies…
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EVs Are Politically Divisive
One challenge with moving to more sustainable technology is that EVs are politically divisive. In the US whether you drive an electric vehicle (EV) is seen as a political statement. Nicole Sintov and colleagues investigated this back in 2020. Symbolic Attributes Matter It is important to understand, as pretty much every marketer does but occasionally…
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Business And Social Progress
At its heart this blog is about business and social progress. Business is part of society, so we should want business to be making the world better. It can do so, but that isn’t the same as saying it does so and will always do so. My final post on Kate’s Marvel’s Human Nature book…
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Social Media Calls For Boycotts
Social media calls for boycotts are relatively common. While many calls are not especially impactful few brand managers want to be facing a bunch of people shouting about boycotting their brand. Like a lot of social media engagements call for boycott can get pretty intense. Interestingly, and I guess this is predictable from the way…
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Greenhushing By Private And Public Companies
It is easy to conclude that companies totally changed with the election of Donald Trump. I’m pleased to say that isn’t true as Neil Hawkins and Kelly Cooper, writing last fall in the Harvard Business Review, showed late last year. Of course, some business leaders abandoned what were previously said to be deeply held commitments…
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Value Others When You Are Powerful
Today’s blog looks back to a classic text in ancient history which is also used in international relations. The message often taken is a brutal one, that the powerless must submit. Another way of looking at is more positive; that you should value others when you are powerful. When Athens Was Powerful Thucydides was an…
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You Are What You Buy
A lot of people worry about increased polarization in society. The concern is that as we share fewer common experiences we are less likely to be empathetic to the needs of those who we share less common ground. This can be seen in politics but it echoes in business. Why would you want to buy…
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Run By Engineers Or Lawyers
Is it better to be run by engineers or lawyers? Dan Wang poses this question in his book Breakneck which tracks how China is confronting the future. The horrors of being run by engineers suggest that we really need lawyers, but is the US overdoing it? The Rise Of China One of the challenges with…
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Sustainability Must Be Socially Focused
Dan Wang’s Breakneck delves into the transformation of China in recent generations. He moved to Canada when he was young and had a very different life than he would have had if he stayed in China. In a personal assessment, he gives examples good and shocking of how China changed over time. In doing so…
