Business Frontiers

Business operates at the frontiers of society – seeking out new territories to explore and exploit, imagining fresh new ways to meet age old needs, innovating the artefacts that become the legacy of civilizations, reinventing the rituals which shape acceptable social behaviour, and changing the way we spend our precious time. But what happens when the landscape itself changes? As the world globalises, power is shifting – from the plush boardrooms to dusty streets, from the financial market casino to the internet connected community, from the annual general meetings to the mass activist campaigns, from the office towers of the North to the crowded pavements of the South. Business faces its greatest challenge yet. Confronted with the triple imperatives of social responsibility, environmental sustainability and economic justice, business will need to adapt or die. Those companies that manage to discard the obsolete business models from the last century and embrace the new paradigm will survive and thrive. Those who fail to register or admit that the climate has irrevocably changed will join the dinosaurs in the museum of business history. Contents PROLOGUE - Reflecting on Responsibility INTRODUCTION - Feeling the Tension BUSINESS PARADIGMS Transforming Business: The Power of Perception Community Business: Embracing True Service Holistic Business: In Search of Synergy Lessons of Nature: Productivity through Interdependence Afrocentric Business: A Southern Perspective ECONOMIC JUSTICE Beyond Growth: Measures of Progress Ethical Investment: Money With Values Community Economics: Local Empowerment Sustainable Economics: Beyond the Predatory Economy Ecological Economics: Grassroots Reform in South Africa SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Sustainability Gaps: Challenges that Remain Beyond Greed: From Accounting to Accountability Sustainable Companies: Shapeshifting Business Greening Business: A Post-Apartheid Scorecard Corporate Sustainability: A Ten Year South African Review CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY Hearts and Minds: The Corporate Battle Developing Countries: Exploding the Myths Work and Social Responsibility: Quest for Meaning CSR in Africa: A Unique Definition? Corporate Citizenship: Is South Africa World Class? FUTURE VISIONS Future Images: Beyond the Information Age Corporate Sustainability: Scenarios for the Future Corporate Social Responsibility: An Agenda for the Future Sustainable Business Futures: Ten Predictions Ubuntu Capitalism: A South African Vision PERSONAL INSPIRATION Human Ecology: A Scottish Odyssey Connecting Earth and Sky: Remarkable Stories Para-Ecology and Ecokinesis: Frontiers of Environmental Science? Tree of Life: Roots, Shoots and Fruits Quest for Gold: A Parable EPILOGUE - The Poetry of Business Author Profile