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Private/Business

People, Planet, Profit – The Triple Bottom Line

How is the Private/Business sector making a difference?

While government and nonprofit organizations are more traditionally associated with public service, the private sector has an expanding interest in the societal impact of their operations. Not only are they monitoring and improving their own environmental impact but also proactively contributing to communities both nationally and worldwide. More companies, from the small-town to the multi-national, are redefining business and its role in society in what is known by many names -“socially conscious business”, “socially responsible business, “corporate citizenship” and “corporate social responsibility” – the idea that private businesses have a responsibility to not only their financial stakeholders but also to the communities they work in and to the employees that work for them.

Is this not simply blurring the lines between government, nonprofit, and business? Socially conscious businesses are not trying to confuse who they are. These businesses do not have the role of oversight that government has, or the role of nonprofits and NGO’s to put all revenue back into public service. The private expansion of service is neither an encroachment of moral values nor a misrepresentation of financial ones, but a new vision for a bottom line that includes not only profit but also community welfare and environmental sustainability. The philosophy behind socially responsible business is that individuals in today’s business environment hold multiple roles. An employee is more than just an employee, but a member of a community. The market is more than just a place to do business, but a place to live and a place with the power to make change. At the end of the day, these businesses are there to make a profit but now with a broader understanding of the inter-connections that weave society and their power to make a positive impact.

Common Myths dispelled by Socially Responsible Business

  • Careers that “do good” only exist in nonprofits, government, healthcare, and education.
  • Corporate America only cares about its bottom line – profit.
  • Businesses can’t make money and serve society at the same time.
  • Corporate recruiters are only interested in applicants with a business or engineering degree. 

Dispel the Myth and Learn More about Socially Responsible Business

Good Corporate Citizen
Key concepts of corporate social responsibility – definition, financial sense and responsibilities/competencies

Net Impact 
Net Impact is the leading network of professionals and students who believe business has the power to lead us to a more sustainable world. As Net Impact members, current and aspiring leaders find a community of other change-makers, learn latest trends in corporate responsibility and sustainability, and go out to change the world through business.

Boston College Center For Corporate Citizenship
Founded in 1985, the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship is a membership-based research organization associated with the Carroll School of Management. We are committed to helping business leverage its social, economic and human assets to ensure both its success and a more just and sustainable world.
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Social Venture Network
Web resources, books and organizations by industry

The Four Lens Strategic Framework
Framework for Social Enterprises

Engage with these Networks to Stay Up-to-Date

Resources for Getting Started in Socially Conscious Business

Career Paths

Job Search Resources

Graduate School Resources

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