Deeply
Responsible
Business
A Global History of Values-Driven Leadership
Book Review
Reviews and Endorsements
Chapter Descriptions
About Deeply Responsible Business
The global history of deeply responsible business leaders
Deeply Responsible Business offers an invaluable historical perspective, going back to the Quaker capitalism of George Cadbury and the worker solidarity of Edward Filene. Through a series of in-depth profiles of business leaders and their companies, it carries us from India to Japan and from the turmoil of the nineteenth century to the latest developments in impact investing and the B-corps. Geoffrey Jones profiles business leaders from around the world who combined profits with social purpose to confront inequality, inner-city blight, and ecological degradation, while navigating restrictive laws and authoritarian regimes.
He found that these leaders were motivated by bedrock values and sometimes—but not always—driven by faith. They chose to operate in socially productive fields, interacted with humility with stakeholders, and felt a duty to support their communities. While far from perfect—some combined visionary practices with vital flaws—each one showed that profit and purpose could be reconciled. Many of their businesses were highly successful—though financial success was not their only metric of achievement.
As companies seek to coopt ethically sensitized consumers, Jones gives us a new perspective to tackle tough questions. Inspired by these passionate and pragmatic business leaders, he envisions a future in which companies and entrepreneurs can play a key role in healing our communities and protecting the natural world.
Reviews and Endorsements
“Geoffrey Jones’ outstanding book provides a compelling and readable account of the long and rich history of businesses that conceived of their place in society as profitably benefitting their customers, workers, owners, communities, countries, and planet. Some might think this a new—or even controversial—idea, but its roots are deep and global. Being deeply responsible offers many benefits—but equally many challenges. Jones show how firms navigated their conflicting responsibilities. Not only business leaders, but also leaders in other sectors, will benefit from these insights, which are painfully relevant in our age.”
– Peter Tufano, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
– Christopher Marquis, author of Better Business: How the B Corp Movement is Remaking Capitalism
“A fascinating and important contribution. Jones profiles companies whose leaders, in one form or another, have promoted responsible business. He records their deep commitment to embedding humane values in their businesses and captures their considerable challenges and failures. In some cases, virtue signaling was not borne out by virtuous practices. The book argues that the simple presumption that responsible business is good business is simply not the case. Those who behave ethically are undermined by those who do not. Coordinated efforts across multiple companies are more likely to succeed, but ultimately it is government that must lay down the terms on which business needs to act. Insightful and informative.”
– Colin Mayer, author of Prosperity: Better Business Makes the Greater Good
Being deeply responsible offers many benefits-but equally many challenges. Jones show how firms navigated their conflicting responsibilities.
Peter Tufano, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Deeply Responsible Business, chapters’ overview
A Global History of Values-Driven Leadership
(Harvard University Press, 2023)
The book starts with a chapter entitled Profit or Purpose, which introduces the historical debates about the responsibility of business and introduces the concept of deep responsibility.
Chapter 1 · The Value of Human Dignity. George Cadbury and Quaker Capitalism.
Chapter 2 · Redistribution of Power. Edward Filene, Retailing and the Creation of Credit Unions.
Chapter 3 · Promoting Choice and Facing Dictatorship/ Robert Bosch in Imperial and Nazi Germany.
Chapter 4 · The Challenge of Newcomer States. J.N. Tata and Shibusawa Eiichi.
Chapter 5 · Educating Future Leaders. Wallace Donham, Harvard Business School and the Push for Ethical Capitalism.
Chapter 6 · Building a National. Addressing Disparities. Kasturbhai Lalbhai in Colonial and Independent India.
Chapter 7 · Modest Consumerism, Urban Blight, Tech Solutions and the Quest to Improve Society.
Chapter 8 · The Rise of Values-Driven Businesses. Anita Roddick and the Challenge of Growth.
Chapter 9 · Social Three-Folding. Biodynamic Farming and how to build a Flourishing Community.
Chapter 10 · From ESG to B Corps. Benchmarking and Scaling of Virtuous Practices.
Examines endeavors to build deeply responsible systems, including ESG investing, B Corps, the Economy of Communion, and the steward-ownership movement.