Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire

If we want to reimagine capitalism as a system that does not destroy the planet and destabilize society, this must be enabled by corporations changing the way that they operate. Henderson’s Reimagining Capitalism gives us some principles for thinking about how to do this. A long-time innovation scholar, Henderson draws on her knowledge about how to succeed at organizational change to propose a more purpose-driven model of corporate action. Using numerous case studies of companies that have (partially) succeeded and those that have failed, she animates a number of principles for change. To start, such a model will require new… show more.

The rise of the selfish society was given massive impetus by Milton Friedman’s 1970 dictum that the sole responsibility of business was to maximise profits for shareholders. ‘Greed is good’ spread through business schools, and by the 1990s their students had risen to the boardrooms, - a corporate contagion. Reimagining Capitalism is therefore heartening in its message, its timing, and its provenance. Its message is the categorial refutation of Freidman: when profit becomes the purpose, instead of simply necessary for the sustainability of a larger purpose, it blights lives and ruins businesses. Its timing coincides with the American Business Forum… show more.