Research
From theory to business practice
Our work rests on academic research into strategy and sustainable development. These are the ideas that guide us.
Stakeholder theory & sustainable business
There was a time when Milton Friedman convinced companies that the social responsibility of business was to increase shareholder value.
Since 1984, Robert Edward Freeman has argued otherwise: “If you just look at financiers, you'll miss what makes capitalism tick. You have to look at the value for all stakeholders.”
The reason for our name
In 1997, John Elkington published Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business. The book asks companies to account for the three dimensions of sustainable development: environmental, social and economic. It sets out these challenges as seven resolutions every company should address.
The areas where we operate
We are committed to the United Nations framework of sustainable development topics and to the 17 SDGs. In our work with clients we draw on academic articles, news, symposia and conferences, accessed through our membership of a global network devoted to the subject.
Our aim is to show that academic recommendations work in practice, and to contribute to progress on the 17 SDGs. Where it makes sense, projects can also be funded through EU Community Funds or United Nations programmes.