A New Vision of Value: Connecting Corporate and Societal Value Creation

This article outlines how businesses can manage modern political risks, which now stem from a broader range of sources, including social media, local officials, and cybercriminals. It emphasizes four core competencies—understanding, analyzing, mitigating risks, and responding to crises—and provides practical questions and case studies to help companies strengthen their ability to handle political disruptions.

This piece offers guidance for companies on how to protect civic freedoms and support human rights defenders. It outlines the normative framework, business case, and moral considerations for corporate engagement, emphasizing the importance of understanding the reality and severity of harms, the company's involvement, and the context in which they operate.

This study found that investors showed clear market interest in long-term plans—particularly those with specific, forward-looking disclosures on strategy, trends, and financials—while vague or missing information on governance and ESG weakened impact, highlighting the need for more accountable, investor-relevant corporate communication to counter short-term market pressures.

This report based on extensive empirical research shows that, while political extremes dominate public discourse, most Americans belong to an “Exhausted Majority” who feel overlooked and frustrated by polarization. It underscores the need to elevate voices that champion trust, empathy, and shared values.

This article outlines CEO activism and its influence, risks, and rewards. Authors reference research to assert that CEOs must strategically decide when and how to engage with social and political issues. The included playbook provides insight on how to go about engagement for positive impact. By raising awareness and leveraging economic power, CEOs can embrace transparency and accountability to their company values.

Outlines a structured framework for CEOs to disclose 3–5 year strategic plans—financial and non-financial—to long-term investors, helping align sustainability, purpose, and market-facing strategy while demonstrating material impact on stock performance and investor confidence.

This article examines how current economic and political upheavals reflect an ongoing misalignment between business and economies and acceptable societal outcomes. Encourages re-examination of long-held assumptions. 

This report provides historical context on how business–government dynamics have contributed to rising inequality and public distrust, and invites business leaders to rethink their role in helping restore trust and shape a more inclusive, sustainable capitalism.

This nonpartisan initiative aims to translate publicly available government data into clear, accessible insights on a variety of topics, including the economy, health, education, and government spending. By presenting information without spin, it aims to empower citizens, policymakers, and businesses to form their own conclusions, supporting the “third side” in polarized debates.

Summary of voluntary standard on reporting public policy management approach, including political contribution disclosures as is certified by the Global Reporting Initiative.

This report from the New America Foundation’s political reform program advocates for a voluntary public database that tracks the political positions and papers of advocacy groups, making it easier to track who is advocating for what when it comes to critical policy debates, demystifying the lobbying process. 

This article examines how past negotiations, or precedents, shape current negotiations by guiding strategy and providing tested solutions, while also potentially constraining new thinking. It offers practical insights for managers on how to create, apply, and navigate precedents effectively to influence outcomes.

Seeks to advance the rule of law by engaging responsible business to support the building and strengthening of legal frameworks and accountable institutions – serving as a complement to, not substitute for, government action. 

This article advocates for and examines the role of managers in weighing corporate political responsibility with traditional shareholder primacy when lobbying. Builds a strong case and suggests that companies consider whether the public is informed or has the necessary expertise.

Dominic Barton, Mark Wiseman, Laurence Fink, Richard Edelman, Henry M. Paulson Jr., Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Nicholas Carr, Nitin Nohria, Paul Polman, Whitney MacMillan, Greg Page, Chanda Kochhar, Kathleen McLaughlin, Doug McMillon, Adrian Orr, John D. Rogers, Lim Chow Kiat, Euan Munro, Charles Tilley, Lei Zhang, Michael Sabia, James P. Gorman, David Walker, Angel Gurría, Ronald P. O’Hanley, Donald Kaberuka, Julie Hembrock Daum, Edward Speed, Angelien Kemna

This report compiles insights from CEOs, investors, and regulators emphasizing how quarterly earnings pressure and misaligned incentives restrict long-term strategic thinking, and it proposes governance reforms to realign business purpose with sustainable, multi-stakeholder value creation.

Lays out core principles—transparency, integrity, accountability, and effectiveness—with practical examples to help professionals and organizations engage in ethical and responsible lobbying. 

This chapter introduces a “market failures” approach to business ethics, arguing that while profit is a core obligation, businesses also have a duty to avoid exploiting legal or structural gaps in the market in order to preserve trust, fair competition, and long-term legitimacy.

This report proposes a framework for integrating corporate value creation with societal outcomes, arguing that long-term business success depends on healthy economic, social, and environmental systems. It calls on companies to align strategy, governance, and performance measurement with broader system impacts, moving beyond short-term financial metrics toward shared value creation. 

This article links corporate political responsibility to a company’s broader ability to uphold commitments to customers, employees, investors, and communities—which are critical to building and maintaining trust. It summarizes research that shows that, despite the best of intentions, companies often struggle to keep track of their commitments and coordinate to fulfill them. It goes on to offer seven practical strategies to avoid gaps between word and deed, and help companies sustain critical relationships and reputation. 

This 60-page report elaborates on the “how” of engaging in meaningful climate policy engagement. Illustrative examples spanning the globe are grounded by five core elements of responsible policy engagement and three key actions to put said elements into practice.