LEADING
CHANGEFOR
Summer 2015
18 LeadershipFOUR LEADERSHIP LESSONS EVERY CHANGE AGENT NEEDS TO LEARN
Madeleine Blanchard
6 Around the WorldNIGERIA’S PEACEFUL 2015 ELECTION MAKES HISTORY
Ann Oden
22 Global Pro Bono THREE WAYS GLOBAL PRO BONO BUILDS BETTER LEADERS
Amanda MacArthur
34 Impact & InnovationCAN LEGISLATION FORCE COMPANIES TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE?
Alicia Bonner Ness
Forging a Pathway to Transformation
Editor In ChiefAlicia Bonner Ness
Executive PublisherAmanda MacArthur
Managing Editor, Design & Publication Manager
Melissa Mattoon
Cover IllustrationBratislav Milenković
(http://bit.ly/1I5Q0e5)
PUBLISHED DAILY AT: www.newglobalcitizen.com
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Today’s world demands individuals and organizations prepared to thrive in a globally interconnected network of challenges and op-
portunities. Greater social awareness and innovative approaches have allowed us to cross borders and cultural boundaries to create
shared value and understanding. The New Global Citizen chronicles the stories, strategies, and impact of innovative leadership and
global engagement around the world. This publication seeks to capture the ground-level impact of these approaches, providing an
avenue through which beneficiaries and implementers alike can showcase their impact.
Today’s transformed and increasingly interconnected world has spurred a revolution, ushering in collaborative approaches that address
complex challenges. The New Global Citizen elevates the ways in which individuals, corporations, and social enterprises champion a
better future for our world.
THIS IS THE WORLD OF THE NEW GLOBAL CITIZEN.
THIS IS YOUR WORLD.
S u m m e r 2 0 1 5ContributorsKarl Hofmann CEO, Population Services International
Ann Oden Nigeria Country Director, PYXERA Global
Hannah Romick Co-founder, Conscient Strategies
Lauren Kienzle Senior Program Coordinator, PYXERA Global
Madeleine Blanchard Co-founder, Blanchard Coaching Services
Deirdre White CEO, PYXERA Global
John Holm Senior Director, CAF America
Christian Bartley Principal, Faleiro
Laveen Naidu Former Executive Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem
Maia Wagner Senior Program Coordinator, PYXERA Global
Laura Asiala Vice President, Public Affairs, PYXERA Global
Harry Pastuszek Vice President of Enterprise & Community Development, PYXERA Global
Andrew Hoffman Professor of Sustainable Enterprise, University of Michigan
Leading for Change in a VUCA World
Today’s leaders must be pre-
pared to confront a world that
is volatile, uncertain, complex,
and ambiguous. These dynam-
ics are so consistently true that many
management experts now speak of
how to lead in a VUCA (“voo-cah”)
world.
Many aspire to lead better, but
what a leader needs to learn to man-
age this reality is not always clear. In
this issue of The New Global Citizen, we have searched the field of leader-
ship for models, lessons learned, and
shining examples that offer inspiration
and insight for leaders everywhere.
In these pages, we go inside the
outcome of the recent Nigerian election
as an unlikely example of leadership.
In Angola, we reflect on the attitude
needed to succeed in an environment
of constant change. And in Serbia, we
explore how leading social sector or-
ganizations are adapting to thrive in
the face of constraints imposed by the
country’s expected E.U. membership.
Karl Hofmann, the CEO of PSI, re-
flects on his own lessons in manage-
ment and their implications for lead-
ership in the 21st century. Madeleine
Blanchard, a best-in-class leadership
coach, shares a universal leadership
model that transcends culture. Laveen
Naidu, the former Executive Director
of Dance Theatre of Harlem, reflects
on how classical dance can become a
medium for better intercultural under-
standing. We explore how immersive,
cross-border pro bono service expe-
riences better prepare executives for
leadership in a VUCA world, and how
governments are using legislation to
encourage companies to prioritize so-
cial investment.
By using common language and
finding common cause, perhaps we
can minimize the downsides of a VUCA
world, and instead exploit the realities
of complexity and uncertainty to foster
growth and innovation.
Alicia Bonner Ness
Editor in Chief
INSIDE THE ISSUE
Many aspire
to lead better,
but what a
leader needs
to learn to
manage this
reality is not
always clear.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 52NGC
INSIDE THE ISSUETHE FOUR LEADERSHIP LESSONS EVERY CHANGE AGENT NEEDS TO LEARNMadele ine Blanchard
THREE WAYS COMPANIES BUILD BETTER LEADERS WITH GLOBAL PRO BONOAmanda MacArthur
CONNECTING THE GLOBAL HUMAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH DANCELaveen Naidu
THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF LEGISLATING SOCIAL GOODAl ic ia Bonner Ness
THERE IS ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED THE WORLD – WHY PRODUCE MORE?Harry Pastuszek
COMMENTAUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP FOSTERS A CULTURE OF POSITIVE CHANGE Kar l Hofmann
HAPPENINGSCAN SHARED VALUE SURPASS THE PROMISE OF CSR?Shared Value Leadership Summit
HAPPENINGSTHE IDEAS GLOBAL CHALLENGE ENABLES THE INVENTIONS OF THE BEST AND BRIGHTESTMIT IDEAS Global Chal lenge
HAPPENINGSHARNESSING THE SUPERHERO POWER OF HEALTHCARE INNOVATIONIPIHD Annual Forum
HAPPENINGSCOMPANIES THAT LEAD WITH CSR LEAD THE WAYWorld CSR Congress and
Char i t ies@Work Conference
BOOK EXCERPTCULTURE AND CLIMATE: GETTING THE SOCIAL SCIENCE RIGHT FOR CHANGEAndrew J . Hoffman
FEATURES
24
38
4
28
36
NIGERIA’S JOURNEY TO AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIPAnn Oden
LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP FROM ANGOLA’S OIL & GAS FRONTIERHannah Romick
AROUND THE WORLD
22
SERBIA’S E.U. BID THREATENS THE FUTURE OF ITS SOCIAL SECTOR Lauren Kienzle
6
10
14
32
18
44
42
50
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 NGC 3
“IT REALLY WASN’T ME—ALL CREDIT GOES TO MY GREAT TEAM.”
How often have we heard that line from a leader, or used
it ourselves? We admire that manager’s humility, and
assume anyone using that approach must be great to
work for. Right?
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell doesn’t think so. He used
to tell his senior staff at the State Department, “If your team did
all the work, then why do I need you?” He would say this with
a tinge of humor, but his point was clear: leaders need to lead,
and their contributions ought to amount to more than just the
sum of a team of followers, even if that team is high-performing.
Powell brought the U.S. Army culture—where he served for 46
years, ultimately as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—with him
to the State Department. He realized that one of the most chal-
lenging aspects of his new role would be to reshape the culture
of the department to serve his vision for American policy. And he
would have to dig in and take the lead, not simply rely on those
he had assembled around him. Changing the culture of an organi-
zation may be the toughest assignment any leader will confront.
Powell knew this and so did Alan Mulally, who took over Ford
Motor Company on the eve of the 2008 financial meltdown. As
Bryce Hoffman recounts in his 2012 book American Icon, Mulally
took his decades of experience building a culture of teamwork at
Boeing and slowly massaged it into the strong and independent
spirit of the American auto industry. He required that those who
had previously isolated themselves integrate into the collective.
That decision paid off; Ford was the only automaker to avoid
bankruptcy after the American economy collapsed. Collaborative
leadership and shared problem-solving won out over older models
of Detroit leadership.
I experienced the challenge of organizational culture change
directly when I assumed the leadership of Population Services
International (PSI) in 2007. Before I arrived, PSI had harnessed
the power of an individual-driven culture to fuel the organiza-
tion’s expansion in the decades since its founding in 1970. The
high-performing PSI staff, however, was proud of its iconoclasm
in a sea of cooperative NGO partnerships, where rewards often
favored showing up more than getting things done. PSI embraced
its cowboy reputation, anxious to wade in and do things while
others dithered in working groups.
But in 2007, expansion powered by a strong culture of individu-
alism was showing its limits. As the emphasis on collaboration in
the global health community grew stronger, PSI’s autonomy became
Karl Hofmann
Authentic Leadership Fosters a Culture of Positive Change
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 54NGC
an obstacle to growth, rather than an at-
tribute. Suddenly, institutional funders in
the realm of global health required active
partnering among grant recipients. One of
PSI’s leading donors, The Global Fund to
Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, began
gathering stakeholders and cooperating
implementers at the same table to decide
how to execute grants. Increasingly, major
donors like USAID expected large consortia
of NGOs to bid on larger projects together.
For PSI, a funding landscape that
rewarded collaboration over in-
dividual success challenged the
status quo. PSI’s staff had always
prided itself on the entrepreneurial
energy and independence at the
ground level, “where the health
happens.” Headquarters manage-
ment exercised relatively little
direction over country-level deci-
sions, which was considered an
organizational strength. But PSI
was growing as well, managing
even more programs in multiple countries
funded by multiple donors. The growth was
challenging PSI’s individualism, opening up
organizational risks and fatigue created by
perpetually reinventing-the-wheel, due to
the absence of effective organization-wide
systems. For instance, human resource sys-
tems varied widely across the countries in
which PSI worked and financial reporting
had not yet been standardized.
I termed this a mismatch between PSI’s
“muscle mass,” our field programs, and
our “skeleton,” or the procedures, poli-
cies, and systems needed to make that
muscle mass perform at its highest lev-
els. PSI needed to shift its culture toward
greater centralization and standardization,
without sacrificing its independence and
spirit of innovation.
We began by introducing a new en-
terprise resource planning system, with
change management components built in.
At first, this was badly received, but over
time PSI developed its own homegrown
approach using innovation tools that have
worked consistently. We began hiring with
a broader definition of the skillsets we
needed, rather than solely those typical
to global health. We inventoried our poli-
cies and procedures, built structures to vet
and approve new ones, and we rewarded
leaders who upheld these policies, actively
embracing a culture of collaboration. While
these changes did expand the organiza-
tion’s bureaucracy, it also led to more buy-
in. We overhauled our corporate mission
statement and embraced six refreshed
corporate values, which emphasized that
success comes from honest and pragmatic
work with others for long-term sustainable
impact.
These changes—toward collaboration
and away from individualism; toward stan-
dardization and away from bespoke sys-
tems everywhere—are incomplete and un-
even. And I must take care of course not to
push such changes too far, because there
is much positive energy in PSI’s legacy cul-
ture, which deserves to be nurtured. None-
theless, the organization’s cultural shifts
over the last eight years have enabled PSI
to double in size, expand its range, and
deepen its impact.
Across the public, private, and social
sectors, different leadership ideals pre-
vail—even practices that seem to be dia-
metrically opposed have been successful
in the right circumstance and context. In
the business world, influential leaders like
Elon Musk, the late Steve Jobs, and Jack Ma
have met with great success through top-
down approaches, while Sheryl Sandberg,
Paul Polman, and others have delivered
incredible results through collaborative
and shared-leadership models.
In government, a culture of
global insecurity and persis-
tent challenges often favor
executives willing to make
unilateral choices. Yet, the
complexity of today’s inter-
dependent world and the
need for collective security
can also favor more subtle
models of leadership such
as what the Obama admin-
istration informally termed
“leading from behind.” In the social sec-
tor, one can cite numerous examples of
successful and highly individual leaders
who have presided over strong growth and
impact, though the sector itself has often
embraced collaboration and shared ap-
proaches to challenges more consistently.
In reality, both Colin Powell and Alan
Mulally’s lessons on leadership hold true
in a complex landscape of leadership for
positive change. Leaders shape the future
of their organizations, more than just sim-
ply by building the right team, and the
absence of a strong and appropriate culture
can prevent an organization from achieving
its goals, no matter how adept its leader-
ship may be. Leading enduring approaches
to social impact demands patience, com-
mitment, and the wisdom to adapt to the
conditions the marketplace of the future
will reward.
COMMENT
Leaders shape the future of their organizations, more than just simply by
building the right team, and the absence of a strong and appropriate culture can prevent an organization from achieving its goals, no
matter how adept its leadership may be.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 NGC 5
Sometimes, the best thing a leader can do is admit defeat.
That’s what I Iearned from the 2015 Nigeria presiden-
tial election, which pitted incumbent Goodluck Jonathan
against former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari.
In the months leading up the election, Nigeria was in tumult.
Boko Haram was wreaking havoc in the country’s north. The vio-
lence was so bad that Jonathan postponed the February elections
until April. The heavy military presence in major cities, especially
those designated as flash points, had the country on edge. People
prepared for unrest by stocking up on food and other provisions.
Those who could afford to left the country for fear of violence. In
my home city of Calabar, an uneasy calm hung in the air. When
Buhari’s victory was announced, the first time in Nigeria’s history
that a sitting president had been voted out of office, the world
held its breath for the expected backlash.
Then, nothing happened. A collective sigh of relief could practi-
cally be heard across the region as Nigeria began its first peaceful
transition of power.
An Election to Remember
Nigeria’s democracy is still relatively young, and elections have
almost always brought controversy, often precipitating protests
and violence that destabilize the country for weeks. A democratic
civilian government was established just 16 years ago, replacing a
series of military dictatorships that ruled after the country gained
independence in 1960. Like many formerly colonized regions,
Nigeria has struggled to operate as a cohesive whole given the
Photo: Getty Images/Florian Plaucheur
Supporters of the main Al l Progress ive Congress at tend a ra l ly in Kaduna, Niger ia .
ern Christian, could reignite violence in the
north, similar to the 2011 riots.
This time, however, it was different.
Jonathan immediately conceded defeat,
accepting the end of both his six-year
presidency and the 16 years of leadership
of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of
any Nigerian,” the former president said in
a statement released after the election re-
sults were announced. “The unity, stability
and progress of our dear country is more
important than anything else.” Surprising
many, Jonathan asked his supporters to
accept the outcome and conveyed his best
wishes to Buhari, who was sworn into of-
fice at the end of May.
The 2015 election also offers some hope
that Nigeria’s irreconcilable religious di-
vides might yet be converted into a cul-
ture of national unity. Buhari, a Muslim,
secured northern support while also mak-
ing inroads in the southwestern states,
due to the formidable coalition that gave
birth to the APC. His campaign pledges, to
fight corruption and quell the Boko Haram
insurgency that has terrorized the country
since 2011, transcended geographic and
religious alliances.
Political Progress, Not Perfection
This election marked another important
step for the Nigerian political system: the
integration of technology into the polling
process as a way to prevent corruption.
The Independent National Electoral Com-
mission introduced the permanent voter
card, which used biometric data to reduce
the risk of ballot stuffing and fraud en-
demic in previous elections. With perma-
nent voter cards in hand, people felt more
certain their vote would count. This was
progress, but the process was far from
perfect. Many of the card readers did not
work as expected and voters had to wait
in line for hours to cast their votes. When
AROUND THE WORLD
NIGERIA MAKES HISTORY WITH PEACEFUL 2015
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
NIGERIA’S JOURNEY TO AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP
forced consolidation of different ethnic and
religious groups into a single nation under
British colonial rule.
In 2011, the presidential election di-
vided the country in half—by politics, ge-
ography, and religion—triggering a slew of
violence across the northern states that
left over 800 people dead. Many worried
that no matter what the result of the 2015
vote, violence would erupt somewhere.
A victory for Buhari, a northern Muslim
representing the All Progressive Congress
(APC), could disrupt the oil-producing Niger
delta. The re-election of Jonathan, a south-
Ann Oden
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 NGC 7
PDP
APC
ACN
2011
APC
PDP
O I LOil prices are falling and Nigeria’s economy has
failed to diversify to protect it from market shifts.
2015
S E C U R I T YThe Islamist extremist
group Boko Haram continues to terrorize
northeast Nigeria.
E C O N O M YInstitutionalized corruption, unemployment, and falling
oil prices threaten the Nigerian economy.
INFRASTRUCTUREMore than 50% of the
country has no electricity. Much of the infrastructure
is in need of repair.
REGIONAL RIVALRYThe country continues to be equally divided religiously, politically, and geographically.
M U H A M M A D U B U H A R IAll Progressives Congress (APC)
G O O D L U C K J O N A T H A NPeople’s Democratic Party (PDP)
PRESIDENTIAL E L E C T I O N2015
THE NIGERIAN
PDP
2.7 Million
In a historic election, Muhammadu Buhari became the first Nigerian to defeat a sitting president through a democratic election, putting him at the helm of Africa's largest economy.
The 2011 election results show a clear geopolitical divide in the country, with the predominantly Muslim north voting
for Buhari and the predominantly Christian south for Jonathan.
The 2015 presidential race was a rematch of the 2011
election. Voting results show a shift away from a clear
north-south divide.
With a GDP of
$509 billion,
Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy.
Nigeria produces
2.5 millionbarrels of oil per day, making it Africa’s largest oil producer.
With a population of
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa.
170 million,
APC
more votes than Jonathan.
Buhari received
Incumbent president
From the predominantly Christian and oil producing Niger Delta
Former military ruler and four time presidential candidate
From the predominantly Muslim north
Data sources: INEC Nigeria | CSIS | The World Bank | Afrobarometer | Al Jazeera
card readers failed to work altogether, polling stations resorted
to manual voting, causing unprecedented delays in the release
of results.
Some Nigerians claimed that these technical failures meant the
elections were still not free and fair. But Jonathan’s quick conces-
sion allayed these concerns. His
swift acceptance of defeat sur-
prised Nigerians and media across
the globe that predicted he might
try to exert his influence to stay in
power. Though he was not a per-
fect leader—his presidency was
clouded by accusations of corrup-
tion and weak responses to Boko
Haram—Jonathan’s willingness to
accede to the democratic process
was an important act of leadership for Nigeria and Africa. His con-
cession set a precedent for the continent’s political leaders and
may encourage more democratic transitions of power elsewhere.
In some ways, being the first Nigerian president successfully
voted out of office may be his greatest achievement. What’s more,
choosing to leave office graciously, and with a statement of peace
and purpose, reinforces that the country’s leaders should value
the good of the country more than personal gain.
Over the past decade, Nigeria has struggled to live up to its
full potential. Though it is Africa’s largest economy, faltering oil
prices have underscored the risks of fossil fuel dependence. The
Boko Haram insurgency, which has killed nearly 18,000 people and
which continues to gain traction in northern states, is growing.
As a country rich in both nat-
ural resources and determined
individuals, Nigeria is in a unique
position to lead the region, yet
to do so requires an authentic
leader who can overcome cor-
ruption, guarantee security, and
invest in strengthening the coun-
try’s economy and infrastructure.
Buhari is well-positioned to lead.
He has the trust of the people,
charisma, and an honest reputation. Yet, Nigerians will not easily
forget Buhari’s militaristic past, characterized by repressive and
unlawful governing tactics. While he has reconciled some of his
past indiscretions, being democratically elected President does
not automatically mean Buhari will be a good leader. Choosing to
lead collaboratively, transparently, and authentically will be critical
to enacting the positive political and economic change Nigerians
so desperately seek.
As a country rich in both natural resources and determined individuals, Nigeria is in a unique
position to lead the region, yet to do so requires an authentic leader who can overcome corruption, guarantee security, and invest in strengthening the
country’s economy and infrastructure.
A voter holds up his permanent voter card, which used biometr ic data to reduce the r isk of bal lot stuff ing and fraud.
Photo: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung | CC BY-SA 2.0
In Angola, like so many emerging markets around the globe,
change is constant and the challenges to quality of life
often seem insurmountable. The two most commonly used
words here are complicado and confusão—complicated and
confusion. In short, chaos reigns.
In 2002, Angola’s 27-year civil war came to an end, remov-
ing obstacles to commerce and reinvigorating the hope of a
people downtrodden by decades of conflict. Angolans were
ready to begin building toward a brighter future. Yet, despite
the country’s new peace and political stability, on any given
day, a weak infrastructure and a persistent culture of crony-
ism created obstacles to progress. Imports could be delayed
in port for months at a time. Rains flooded the streets. Rolling
blackouts struck different sections of the city for hours or days
at a time. Three times during my 18-month stay in Luanda,
trucks transporting goods across the country were sucked into
sinkholes that spontaneously collapsed in the middle of the
road, stopping traffic for hours.
Consistency drives performance everywhere, but in places
like Angola, consistency itself is a challenge. Successful leaders
in this environment demonstrate a steadfast vision, quietly
and patiently continuing onward no matter what obstacles—or
sinkholes—might erupt in their path. Anyone who interacts with
these leaders can spot their inner confidence, determined and
happy to achieve incremental progress toward their vision.
Doing Business in Angola’s Oil and Gas Sector Demands Patience and Adaptation
LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP FROM ANGOLA’S OIL AND GAS FRONTIER
Hannah Romick
Photo: Maia Wagner
AROUND THE WORLD
Hannah Romick
CAE Enterprise Center Helps Angolan Businesses Succeed
Eduardo Pembele, a tailor from Luanda, Angola, is a leader who
managed to keep his business running during the war. He’d lost
friends to disease, and over the years he, his family, and employ-
ees had to stop working for periods of time due to the conflict.
As the war ended, he was ready to reinvigorate his business.
Pembele wanted to compete for a contract from the oil and gas
industry, Angola’s leading industry quickly opening to outside
investment. But, he was unsure how to begin. He made his way
to the Center da Apoio Empresarial (CAE), a business development
center in Luanda founded in 2005 by a consortium of international
and local oil and gas operators to cater to the needs of smaller
Angolan companies seeking to win contracts from international
oil companies.
At the time, multinational companies were entering the market,
hoping to take advantage of the increased peacetime opportunities
in the country. Angola had become the second-largest producer
of oil and gas in Africa. But instead of hiring locally, many oil and
gas companies imported the goods and services they needed. This
meant that few Angolans benefitted directly from the increase in
investment.
To counteract that, the Angolan government and oil and gas
operators established agreements called local content require-
ments, which ensure foreign entities operating in a country make
meaningful investments in the economic capacity of the host
country. The intention is to leave a percentage of the profits
in-country, by purchasing a regulated amount of products and
services from Angolan companies.
This was a big opportunity for Angolan businesses, but despite
their enthusiasm, most were unprepared to compete. Many small
businesses were unaware of international health and safety stan-
dards. Large multinational corporations have arduous procurement
processes that small businesses the world over struggle to meet.
In Angola, structures are not up to international code and most
companies do not follow internationally accepted accounting prin-
ciples. They often didn’t know how to become part of an approved
buyers list. The risks of entering the sector are high and require
immense investment of money and time not only to undertake
a bid, but to successfully fulfill a contract once won—requiring a
capital output most Angolan companies aren’t able to afford. Even
for those that had the financial resources, the consulting services
to implement business improvements were in short supply locally.
CAE was established to aid in the fulfillment of local content
agreements. Businesspeople like Pembele came to CAE for assis-
tance, excited by the prospect of the immense wealth they could
gain from even one small contract.
Finding the Heart of Local Industry
I arrived in Luanda in the summer of 2006 as a member of
MBAs Without Borders, formerly the MBA Enterprise Corps, to
volunteer at CAE. During my year in Angola, I worked with the
oil and gas operator procurement teams to identify gaps in their
supply chain and to find local companies to fill them. We spent
the bulk of our time working one-on-one with Angolan companies
on completing a due diligence process to enable them to win
contracts. This process included confirming that a company was
at least 51 percent Angolan owned, had at least three years of
financial records, and was compliant with safety regulations in
their place of business.
Beyond the individual consulting, our eight-person staff led
training sessions on the procurement process, business eth-
ics, financial management, supply-chain management and other
sector-specific information for local businesses. We built relation-
ships with the banking sector so that our clients could access
more trade finance.
Pembele wanted his company to be part of the “gold rush,” but
he had never worked with a multinational corporation before. CAE
served as a much needed resource, providing him with services
and guidance as he sought to enter the oil and gas services market.
Beyond the high-level local requirements and business pro-
cess improvements, Pembele also had to ensure that the fabric
he used and the style of the coveralls he produced met the fire
standards regulated by the industry. To do so, he had to travel
to various locations around the globe to source the appropriate
material, not something the dressmaker had previously done for
his business. We would often meet at his shop to discuss his
Consistency drives performance everywhere. But in places like Angola,
consistency itself is a challenge. Successful leaders in this environment demonstrate a steadfast vision, quietly
and patiently continuing onward no matter what obstacles—or sinkholes—
might erupt in their path.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 NGC 11
progress towards meeting the international requirements and his
strategy for transitioning his business from a local tailor to an
international-standard uniform manufacturer.
As I began my work at CAE, Pembele instantly found a place
in my heart. There was something about his quiet, yet hopeful
demeanor that made me want to help him win one of the many
contracts open to local suppliers. Pembele was an innovative and
progressive leader. He recognized that the world around him was
changing and that those changes would affect the business he
was trying to run. He was ready to adapt his operations to meet
the new reality of operating in a global business space.
Embracing the Power of Change in the Face of Uncertainty
During my time in Angola, I learned one of the most important
leadership lessons of my career: few things in life are certain, but
the specter of change is constant. Many people think of leaders
as those who create a following, but in my experience, the test of
true leadership is being able to create a culture that allows people
to confidently navigate the uncertainty of change. A good leader
doesn’t tell me to do things. Rather, she helps me think through
a situation and determine the best way forward.
Pembele was an effective leader because of his openness to
change and uncertainty, which encouraged those around him to
follow his lead. He, like so many Angolans, was soft-spoken, but
his vision empowered his employees to move forward. By the time
I completed my year in Angola, he was awarded a small contract
to supply 100 coveralls to one of the largest operators in country.
It has been 40 years since Angola gained its independence from
Portugal, and 13 years since the end of the civil war. Approximately
30 percent of the population still lives below the poverty line.
Though the country is extremely dependent on oil—90 percent
of Angola’s nearly $10 billion exports come from the petroleum
industry—peacetime has brought with it more opportunities than
Pembele ever dreamed possible when we first met. Pembele
“graduated” the CAE process, expanding his business operation.
Like many other leaders, he continues to strive for a better future
for himself, his family, and his country.
Since I left Angola, I have dedicated my professional life to
helping others perform at their best. Having the CAE experience as
my foundation for business development, I returned to the United
States and became an executive coach. Being able to take the
lessons I learned in Angola and apply them across a spectrum of
industries and realities is something that I continue to treasure.
The road to Lubango, the
capi ta l c i ty of the Angolan
province of Huí la
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AROUND THE WORLD
E.U. MEMBERSHIP MEANS FIERCE REGULATIONS
AND DWINDLING FUNDS FOR SERBIAN NONPROFITS
Lauren Kienzle
Today, Belgrade is a diverse, con-
temporary city with pop-up res-
taurants and brick-walled cafes.
But just 20 years ago, the idea
of a modern Serbia poised for integration
into the European Union was unthinkable.
When Slobodan Milosevic came to power
in the mid-1990s, violence among different
religious and ethnic groups plagued the
region. Gas lines stretched for miles, medi-
cations ran low, and violence weakened
the region’s infrastructure and economy.
In Belgrade, the city’s historic café culture
quieted as people stayed indoors, avoid-
ing the military police on the hunt for
draft dodgers. NATO bombings of Belgrade
in the late 1990s, intended to induce the
end of the Milosevic regime, only added
to the uncertainty.
On October 5, 2000, nearly 500,000
protesters took to the streets of Belgrade
to oppose the results of an unlawful elec-
tion. They managed to oust Milosevic, who
stood trial in 2002 at the International
Criminal Tribunal for war crimes, including
genocide and crimes against humanity.
In jarring contrast to the rest of the city’s
renaissance, the remnants of the former
Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, cratered by
the NATO bombings in 1999, still stand in
the city’s center.
Serbians refer to the years of war
under Milosevic as “the bad years,” but
they are quick to point out how things
have changed since then. Though Serbians
will never forget their storied past, they
are ready for a better future.
In 2003, the country’s new leadership
began to negotiate the country’s path-
way to membership into the European
Union. By 2008, Serbia was on its way
to full E.U. membership with a Stabiliza-
tion and Association Agreement. This first
step provides some of the benefits of E.U.
membership, including freer access to
European markets. In exchange, Serbia
was required to fully cooperate with the
International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia. Four years later, the
country was confirmed as a candidate
for full membership. To secure this, the
country must reform labor laws, curb cor-
ruption, and generally bring its policies
Photo: Brums2009 | CC BY-SA 2.0
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 514NGC
AROUND THE WORLD
more in line with the standards of the European Union. Though
membership is expected to bring substantial economic benefits,
it also has some less obvious drawbacks.
Under new leadership, the country’s isolation from the interna-
tional community ended. Many NGOs, which had previously
been persecuted for their focus on democratization and human
rights, began to expand their activities, providing vital services
that the fledgling government struggled to offer. Over the past 20
years, the NGO community in Serbia has continued to grow with
the majority of its funding has come from EU grants. Today, Serbia’s
strong civil society continues to play a critical role in improving
the quality of life for the nation’s most vulnerable people.
But access to that support is quickly coming to an end. As
Serbia moves closer to EU integration, a decline in funding from
both the EU and other multilateral donors threatens the coun-
try’s thriving social sector. According to ForeignAssistance.gov,
assistance from the United States has been reduced by close to
70 percent in the past 5 years, from $54.8 million in 2010 to only
$16.5 million planned for 2015. Once, organizations like USAID, GIZ,
and international NGOs were important donors, making grants for
democratization and post-conflict projects. Today, they view the
country as a much lower priority and are directing their funds
elsewhere, leaving many of Serbia’s young grassroots groups
searching for new resources.
Beyond declining funding, EU integration poses additional
challenges for Serbian NGOs, including more stringent regulations
and due diligence requirements that organizations must meet to
be eligible for government grants. Higher compliance standards
may be easily met by larger groups but present challenges for
smaller grassroots organizations. The EU also focuses its fund-
ing on specific technical and service-oriented programs, which
narrows the types of organizations that can apply for grants and
further shrinks the opportunities for other organizations that may
not match this focus.
Increasingly, these groups are looking to fill the gap with
support from international and domestic companies that can sup-
port local nonprofits with their time, talent, and funds. The Ana
and Vlade Divac Foundation was founded in 2007 by former NBA
All-Star Vlade Divac and his wife to help care for and economi-
cally empower refugees. When it began, the Foundation received
almost 80 percent of its income from government grants. But five
years ago, they decided to focus on private-sector donors and
individuals. The Foundation recognized that it could benefit from
the business community’s acumen and best practices. They are
currently hosting a team of three IBM Corporate Services Corps
participants who are updating and streamlining the Foundation’s
budget systems. The Foundation has also taken advantage of a
capacity-building grant from the U.S.-based Mott Foundation to
expand its ability to fundraise and to strengthen donor relations.
Ana Koeshall, the Foundation’s director, says it can be more time-
consuming to build personal relationships with private donors, but
it’s essential given the increasing withdrawal of more traditional
multilateral donors. And, she acknowledges, she has it easier
than others. “Divac Foundation is somewhat unique in that it is a
private foundation with a famous founder,” she says. “So its brand
is easier to understand for private-sector or individual donors.”
Neven Marinovic, the Director of SmartKolektiv, a group that
promotes corporate social responsibility by applying business
strategies to social problems, says that nonprofits are struggling
to meet the requirements of this new reality. “The problem is from
both sides,” he says. “Civil society organizations aren’t commu-
nicating in a way that is usable for businesses, and businesses
don’t see an incentive to invest more meaningfully in a partner-
ship.” In some cases, NGOs are perceived as anti-government, a
legacy of their persecution under Milosevic, who painted them
as CIA-funded, anti-Serbian groups. Though the war is over, those
reputations haven’t faded. This presents a barrier to partnerships
with companies that might otherwise be interested in supporting
their work.
However, he does see a gradual trend toward private-sector
involvement in social-impact organizations. For one thing, civil
society is much more diverse than it was during the 1990s, mean-
ing companies wary of anti-government organizations can more
easily identify a non-political group. Nonprofits are also becoming
more innovative and capable of interacting with businesses. For
example, some social enterprises meld social impact with making
a profit, which might appeal to businesses. Finally, Neven says,
the private sector has realized the need for partnership to achieve
social progress. “Businesses are fed up with central government
partnerships and ministries,” he says. “So, they do not just turn
to civil society organizations, but also public institutions to help
get the job done.”
Biljana Djordjevic of the Trag Foundation agrees. She sees an
increase in local companies looking for a strategic way to en-
gage with their communities. Trag, a group launched to support
Serbia’s democratization during the NATO bombings, realized an
opportunity to help companies understand that corporate social
responsibility can be a sustainable model of doing business and
help create long-term community relationships. They have already
helped one company create a local corporate volunteer program.
Djordjevic says that nonprofits and businesses also tend to “speak
different languages”—businesses focus on the bottom line, while
social sector organization are more concerned with sustainable
impact. The Trag Foundation is currently helping nonprofits com-
municate and articulate their impact in a way that can be better
understood by the private sector.
To meet the funding gap, all nonprofits are going to have to
get better at this kind of communication. Serbian law is not de-
signed to encourage business partnerships with local nonprofit
organizations, and while strategic corporate philanthropy is be-
coming more common, Djordjevic noted, it will not fill the gap left
by withdrawing institutional donors. EU integration will open up
new funding opportunities specifically focused on sophisticated,
established groups, forcing grassroots organizations to explore
other options. As Serbia moves toward full EU membership, groups
like the Divac Foundation, SmartKolektiv, and the Trag Foundation,
as well as a growing number of socially-minded companies, will
play an important role in sustaining Serbia’s civil society. By fully
embracing the new realities of EU membership, Serbia’s social
sector can ensure the country’s continued economic growth and
its sustained political stability for years to come.
In jarr ing contrast to the rest of the c i ty’s renaissance, the remnants of the former Yugoslav Ministry of Defense, cratered by the NATO bombings in 1999, st i l l stand in the c i ty’s center.
S p o n s o r e d C o n t e n t
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S p o n s o r e d C o n t e n t
DEFINING A LEADERSHIP MODEL THAT TRANSCENDS CULTURES
Madeleine Blanchard
As an international leadership coach, I am familiar with
hundreds of leadership models and know there are
many ways to define “leadership.” A Google search for
the word yields hundreds of millions of results. Mis-
sives have been spoken and written on the topic by the likes of
Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Ernest
Shackleton. Peter Drucker, Ken Blanchard, Jim Collins, and Peter
Senge (and many, many others) have all conducted extensive re-
search on what makes an effective leader. New leadership gurus,
it seems, are crowned every day.That doesn’t mean, however, that there are no universal prin-
ciples. In 1993, the cultural anthropologist Dr. Angeles Arrien developed a new leadership model that provides clear guidelines for effective behavior across cultures and circumstances. Her theories are outlined in her book The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary. For her research, Arrien lived among indigenous peoples and studied how change-agents drew their power and wisdom. She found that no matter what their culture—peace-loving or warlike, matriarchal or patriarchal, agrarian or nomadic—all effective leaders followed
the same four principles:
1. Show up and choose to be present
2. Pay attention to what has heart and meaning
3. Tell the truth without blame or judgment
4. Be open to outcomes, not attached to them
These four principles have guided my own leadership and coaching style for more than 20 years. They provide an effective foundation for those who wish to build personal authority, be more effective with groups, and increase their followership—and they have astonishing staying power. Most effective leaders find little inspiration in competency models that focus on helping leaders overcome their own weaknesses. Even strength-based models tend to offer leaders a laundry list of behaviors that are overwhelming and hard to prioritize.
This model, in contrast, works regardless of language, corporate culture, or cultural background. It offers straightforward, simple principles that are easy to remember.
The Four Leadership Lessons Every Change Agent Needs to Learn
LEADERSHIP
1. Show Up and Choose to be Present
Arrien argues that choosing to be present is a way of extending respect. The word respect comes from the Latin word respicere, which means “the willingness to look again.” By being present, a leader agrees to take a new look rather than staying stuck in one view. In this way, a leader listens with the intent of being influenced rather than listening as a way to gather data to build an argument. This requires the discipline of detachment and flexibility to turn away from distraction and pay attention to what matters.
The concept of choice in this first requirement is an important distinction. Even in the face of innumerable external distractions, a leader can always choose to be present and pay attention. To assess yourself as a leader on this fundamental practice, consider the following questions:
• Do I choose to stop what I am doing to simply be present?
• Do I consciously turn away from my myriad distractions?
• Do I show respect through my willingness to take an-other look?
On hard days, if there’s just one thing leaders can do to shift their energy, it should be to choose to be present.
2. Pay Attention to What Has Heart and Meaning
Good managers pay attention to their people. They take the time to notice and reinforce when things are going well and ac-knowledge when things are hard. Check in with a simple “How are you doing?” and then listen carefully to the answer. This isn’t hard to do and it doesn’t take much time, but such attention is invaluable. Paying attention to “what has heart and meaning” means first understanding our own personal conviction and then listening for and understanding the same thing in others. In her book, Arrien writes:
“Where we are not strong-hearted is where we lack the courage to be authentic or to say what is true for us. Strong-heartedness is where we have the courage to be all of who we are in life. The word ‘courage’ is derived from the French word for the heart, coeur, and etymologically it means ‘the ability to stand by one’s heart or to stand by one’s core.’”
For a leader, the questions this prompts are many:
• Do I know what is true for me? Do I know what is true for the person I am talking to?
• What am I willing to stand by? What are others willing to stand by?
• Am I paying attention to what has meaning that is not being said?
• Am I saying all that needs to be said at any given moment?
Listening with the heart is a subtle action, but one that cre-ates a strong foundation for a really healthy working relationship.
3. Tell the Truth Without Blame or Judgment
Telling the truth seems easy enough—until, of course, it isn’t. Being fully honest means being open to judgment, and consider-ate of the circumstance. Being honest does not mean telling the truth at all costs. The outcome must be worth it. Arrien writes:
“Communication that carries integrity always considers timing and context before the delivery of content. . . . Direct communica-tion—giving voice to what we see without blame or judgment—means we must consider the alignment of appropriate word choice, tone of voice, and body posture.”
An effective leader must be direct in stating the truth, practic-ing detachment, objectivity, and use of a neutral voice (one that doesn’t carry emotional weight) in order to effectively “tell it like
NGC 19
it is.” Some leaders, especially humble ones, can be a little skittish about designating themselves the one with enough information, intelligence, and authority to tell the absolute truth. Often telling several different possible truths at any given moment can work better—unless the truth is staring you in the face and there is no equivocating, which is rare.
Leaders may ask themselves:
• Have all angles been considered?
• Am I saying everything that needs to be said?
• If not, what is keeping me from doing it?
• How can I do so appropriately?
One aspect of telling the truth without blame or judgment requires a level of authenticity which in turn requires that lead-ers reveal themselves. But the degree they do so will depend on the surrounding culture. Some say such openness should be very calculated and measured. Others say that it is easier to build trust when leaders “let it all hang out.” Each leader will have to experi-ment and decide for themselves, but in doing so, there are again some universal principles.
First, leaders must reveal enough of themselves to be relatable to those they lead. They must be willing to express vulnerability, sadness, or joy as is appropriate to the situation. Leaders can and should show emotion—both positive and negative—but they must also exhibit an observable demonstration of self-control. Secondly, a leader should never publicly show contempt or derision for a follower. This rule holds true across cultures: a leader may give positive feedback and praise in front of others or privately, de-pending upon the situation and the individual, but should always give negative feedback, criticism, or correction in private. Finally, leaders are called upon to pay attention and respond to a mas-sive amount of incoming information, so it makes the most sense to choose to respond to what has heart and meaning—to explore and expand on ideas that will make the most emotional impact.
Leadership is the ability to display courage in times of trouble, to envision direction
and change, and to create an environment in which all may flourish. Human beings the world over will respond positively to people who are wise, grounded, and care deeply for
their people.
4. Be Open to Outcomes, Not Attached to Them
In American football, sometimes the quarterback calls an au-dible. He goes up to the line of scrimmage, sees the other team in a position he wasn’t expecting, and then adjusts by unexpectedly calling a new play. In business, a leader has to be willing to do the same thing, deciding on a shift in strategy at the last possible second after seeing all options and obstacles.
Leaders often emphasize the importance of setting up account-ability and support, then applying fierce discipline to achieve the ends in mind. We set “SMART” goals that are specific, measurable, actionable, reasonable, and time bound, then break down all the needed actions and apply ourselves. We go, go, go, and we grit our teeth and thrash around when things don’t go the way we want. And through that action we get information—facts that inform us of what is real, and somewhere along the continuum between “stop right now, this is a terrible idea” and “this is exactly right.”
To stay open to outcomes, it’s important to recognize that sometimes we set the wrong goal. And if we pay attention to the information coming in, we might find something more ef-fective—more magical—than the goal we had previously set. So a leader has to be open to the notion that something could come along that’s an even bigger priority than the earlier goal—and be prepared to call an audible.
Leaders need to continuously check themselves:
• How important is the goal?
• Is the cost too high?
• Is this (still) the right thing?
You can decide what you want to create, but nothing is going to work properly if your desire is out of alignment with what the world, your customers, the economy, or the markets are telling you. So you have to listen and look for signs. They are always there.
We can’t expect leaders to constantly monitor themselves on how they rate on competency scales. But we can provide them with these four basic steps to use as a code—knowing that if they work hard to stick to them, they can’t go too far off course.
Leadership is the ability to display courage in times of trouble, to envision direction and change, and to create an environment in which all may flourish. Human beings the world over will re-spond positively to people who are wise, grounded, and care deeply for their people. Arrien’s research indicates these four practices—being present, attending to heart and meaning, telling the truth without judgement, and being open to outcomes— can substantially contribute to a leader being perceived as thoughtful, authentic, and powerful. With leadership principles that effectively transcend cultures, leaders are better prepared to forge the right strategies and reach a critical mass of support to make the most meaningful impact.
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Over the past five years, the
world of CSR has shifted. Where
once “conscious capitalism,”
“the triple bottom line,” and
“blended value” were seen as the har-
bingers of a new era, today these flashy
buzzwords and trendy themes representing
“catalytic change” and a “seismic shift in
social change” are increasingly received
with cynicism from an audience demanding
authenticity and transparency in the form
of tangible social change.
In this context, the Creating Shared
Value movement, an effort to unite the
public, private, and social sectors for pro-
found change has reached a pivotal point.
Spearheaded by Michael Porter and his con-
sulting firm, FSG, the movement will either
reach transcendent success, or become the
next buzzword, overpromising and under-
performing on its intended mission.
For decades, C-suite executives, con-
sulting firms, thought leaders, and leading
academics have been trying to solve the
precarious riddle that businesses can cre-
ate real shareholder value while also solv-
ing real social problems. In the proper con-
text, many view shared value as the answer
to this challenging equation. Shared value,
as defined by FSG, is the idea that business
can create both profitable businesses and
tangible social impact simultaneously.
Many companies are demonstrating
that this can be achieved. At the fifth an-
nual Shared Value Leadership Summit in
New York earlier this month, business lead-
ers in energy, finance, pharmaceuticals,
fast-moving consumer goods, and count-
less other industries gathered to share sto-
ries of how they make shared value work
for their businesses.
Sessions addressed a wide range of top-
ics, including identifying and tackling social
issues, solutions to youth unemployment,
the role of the investor in shared value, and
climate-smart agriculture. Many of the sto-
ries were truly inspiring, and most of them
relied heavily on partnerships crossing the
private, public, and social sectors. Lots of
the right words were said and promptly
tweeted: “growing inequality is a threat to
business,” “complexity is not an excuse for
complacency,” “the money I make should
be equal to the value I bring to others,”and
“values and models are shifting.”
It was hard to listen without feeling
that the world is changing, that business is
accepting that it must have a different role
in society, for a better world, shepherded in
by innovative partnerships among institu-
tions committed to mutual benefit.
At the same time, as we participated
and constantly debriefed over the course
of the two days, we found ourselves in-
creasingly questioning how real the idea
of shared value is and how much potential
it has to change the status quo.
While it is unquestionably a good thing
that some corporations are focused on cre-
ating social value in addition to business
value, we found a disconnect between
the right hand of a business conducting a
shared value approach, while the left hand
was engaged in the old model business
practices, in many cases creating societal
damage. For instance, how should a com-
pany that is seen as a shared value leader
for its responsible sourcing and support for
local farmers be judged for simultaneously
advocating for privatization of water? Is it
acceptable for the world’s biggest banks
to claim shared value for their work in en-
hancing financial literacy while they slowly
slip back into many of the practices that led
to the 2008 economic collapse? If a large
retailer is investing heavily in improving
the quality of education in the communities
surrounding its stores, should consumers
overlook that it is not paying a living wage
CAN SHARED VALUE SURPASS THE PROMISE OF CSR?
HAPPENINGS
The Creating Shared Value Movement Reaches an Inflection Point
Deirdre White and John Holm
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 522NGC
to its employees? Is it acceptable for the extractive industries to
tout their shared value achievements in the health arena, while
doing nothing to innovate on renewables?
The positive impact of improved solutions and honorable inten-
tions of those who have bought into the importance of creating
shared value is undeniable.
However, as leaders in the
social impact community, we
are obliged to ask, “Is shared
value enough?” Clearly, the
answer is, “No, not as it cur-
rently stands.” In order to be
truly effective, shared value
must be intrinsic and inte-
grated throughout the organi-
zations which espouse it, lest
it be seen as a way to detract
attention from their less sa-
vory practices. Shared value
needs to go deeper within
the corporations that claim to be the best in class.
At the same time, the practice needs to go broader. While
there is more buzz about shared value, and better understanding
of what it is, the number of new entrants into the space seems
rather anemic. The Summit participants—from business, nonprofits,
and government—represent the very same organizations as last
year and the year before. If each year it is still the same 75 or 100
companies that are developing shared value strategies, it won’t
be possible to address the world’s most pressing challenges as
comprehensively as is needed. The challenges are too big—and
too urgent—for shared value
to continue to be a boutique
product.
Certainly, we were not
the only two people who
have these questions and
thoughts, and the leaders
of the Shared Value Initia-
tive readily admit that these
are some of the tough issues
it needs to take on. No one
expects the corporate world
to change overnight—the
achievements on the shared
value front should be held up
as examples of how the role of business in society is evolving.
At the same time, if the shared value champions don’t start ask-
ing the tough questions, the initiative risks being perceived as
“shared-value-washing,” which would be a loss for both business
and society at large.
HAPPENINGS
If each year it is still the same 75 or 100 companies that are developing shared value strategies, it won’t be possible to address the world’s most pressing challenges as
comprehensively as is needed. The challenges are too big—and too urgent—for shared value to
continue to be a boutique product.
Image: Shared Value Leadership Summit 2015
Amanda MacArthur
Sending senior executives into emerging markets may not
be an obvious way to develop strong leaders, but many
top companies are doing just that. Once-marginalized
markets in the Global South are quickly becoming critical
revenue drivers for corporations. Business leaders with a nuanced
understanding of how these markets operate can be the difference
between a business’s stagnation and its continued growth. Yet
emerging and growth markets can seem opaque to many execu-
tives who have spent their careers in more established markets.
That’s why travel is so critical—the lessons learned on-the-ground
in growth markets can prove vital to understanding consumer
needs and demand in the future.
Travel abroad has long been recognized as a way for students
to expand their horizons. But in the business world, work-related
visits often insulates the traveler from their local environment.
Executives stay in international business hotels that could just
as easily be in Cleveland as in Mumbai. They are transported
from their hotels to modern office buildings by private drivers
and order hamburgers from room service for dinner. Meanwhile,
local consumers are traveling by rickshaw, drinking masala chai
from street vendors and confronting marketplace realities a global
executive would never see.
According to Bloomberg, the world’s fastest growing economies
in 2015 are China, the Philippines, Kenya, India, and Indonesia, all
of which forecast annual growth rates higher than five percent.1
While it is increasingly possible to hire strong local talent in each
of these countries (as it is in most emerging markets around the
world), a multinational company still requires leadership that un-
derstands the differences between American and foreign markets.
Failure to do can come at great cost, as General Motors quickly
Three Ways Companies Build Better Leaders with Global Pro Bon0
THE BEST BUSINESS LEADERS KNOW THE VALUE OF GLOBAL SERVICE
learned after launching the Chevrolet Nova in Latin America. In
Spanish, no va translates as “doesn’t go.” For reasons that would
have been obvious to a business leader with an understanding of
the local market, the car didn’t sell and was quickly discontinued.
Global pro bono programs—which allow employees to engage
their professional skills for a period of weeks or months within
social-sector and government organizations—are an increasingly
popular way for companies to introduce personnel to emerging
markets at the ground level. Participants in programs like IBM’s
Corporate Service Corps, SAP’s Social Sabbatical, and GSK’S PULSE
program come back from their experience reporting an increased
ability to understand client needs, a business’s role in society,
and a culture more generally. An employee base with a global
perspective is critical for the long-term health of the bottom line.
But without a similar experience for senior leadership, opportuni-
ties may be missed in the short-term. Global pro bono programs
are generally not available to senior executives who are simply
unable to be away from their responsibilities for an extended
period of time.
Companies have provided senior executives with a “ground-
level” glimpse of emerging markets through visits abroad and
brief meetings with high performing social entrepreneurs, lead-
1 Robinson, J. (2015, February 25). The 20 Fastest-Growing Economies This Year. http://bloom.bg/1SCt7Vt
GLOBAL PRO BONO
ing NGOs, or relevant government agencies. While such trips do
provide some insights into new markets for participants, they are
often missing a critical component—linking the experience and
learnings back to the company’s core business. Because they
are not asked to engage their professional skills, there can be a
tendency not to think about what they are observing and hearing
through a business lens. Developing living case studies—through
which executives travel to an emerging market and utilize their
professional skills in the service of a stated challenge (often posed
by an NGO)—facilitate both experiential and professional learning
objectives. Making the projects team-based and spending the
time up front to work closely with the local client organization to
develop the project and to prepare the team allows for a mean-
ingful engagement to be undertaken in as little as five business
days. Pro bono-based executive development programs enhance
participants’ leadership courage, strategic and systemic thinking,
and marketplace knowledge by exposing them to new and often
challenging environments.
Yet, successful programs are harder to design and execute than
they seem. Finding the right partner, emphasizing local insights
and stakeholder engagement, and creating structured opportuni-
ties for reflection are critical to a program’s success.
Find the Right Partners
Companies with global pro bono programs
consistently report that partnerships—both in-
ternal and external to the company—are key to
success.2 The same is true for programs that
target executives. While most executive devel-
opment programs are housed in the human re-
sources department, adding a global pro bono experience provides
the opportunity to partner with the company’s corporate social
responsibility team. This enables participants to explore the social
value of business as a strategic asset.
The most successful projects provide the opportunity for execu-
tives to actively engage their professional talents while learning
something new about their operating environment. It is critical
to select the right external partner that can serve as the living
case study. The selected organization should have a mission that
engages the company’s consumer segment and deals in similar
2.1.
2 Corporate Global Pro Bono: The State of the Practice, PYXERA Global, 2014
Strive to Develop Local Insights Through Effective Stakeholder Engagement
Working collaboratively with a team
of their peers in the field under difficult
circumstances, executives find practi-
cal opportunities to reflect, take on new
roles, and see the market from new van-
tage points. Walking through open-air markets to learn about
consumer purchasing preferences, speaking with patients with
non-communicable diseases at community clinics, examining
agricultural supply chains, and discussing infrastructure and
funding challenges with government officials contribute to a deep
understanding of the needs of a particular market. In contrast
to programs that simply ask participants to visit and observe, a
program with a pro bono component actively engages professional
skills, forcing participants to wrestle with local realities while
delivering business value. The depth of a pro bono engagement
affects participants at a deeper level that each carries back to
the business.
Perhaps the most important aspect of an executive program is
the opportunity to actively engage with a local community, espe-
Pro bono-based executive development programs enhance participants’ leadership courage, strategic and
systemic thinking, and marketplace knowledge by exposing them to new and
often challenging environments.
issues, such as health, technology, or education. By ensuring the
alignment of mission and issue, executives have the greatest
opportunity to capture insights that can inform their own future
business decisions.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 NGC 25
3.Internalization Comes From Reflection
For the experience to be
truly impactful, it should not
end once a participant steps
off the plane or presents their
findings. The best programs
provide opportunities for participants to reflect
during the experience, at its conclusion, and even
several weeks or months later. Doing so can also
help to reframe the experience through a business
lens. Some companies have an executive coach
travel alongside the team to assist as they seek
to internalize what they are seeing, hearing, and
experiencing. It is also helpful to have a third-party
guide who can provide objective context on the
intricacies of the local environment.
As business landscapes continue to change
globally, the demands on senior leaders similarly
expand. Introducing a global pro bono component
to talent development provides executives with the
insights to adapt their perspective to diverse chal-
lenges in order to improve business outcomes and
human well-being around the world. No company,
government ministry, or NGO can effectively ad-
dress global challenges on its own. Rather, progress
requires partnerships across sectors. With greater
understanding of the realities of emerging mar-
kets, senior executives are better prepared to create
meaningful and sustainable initiatives that more
effectively grow the business and improve lives.
• Have a goal for the experi-ence—a “road show” to projects will be impactful, but having the partici-pants personally engage their professional exper-tise as well will help to tie CSR back to business objectives.
• Be mindful of the limited time available to senior leaders to be engaged; design experiences to be mindful of their broader commitments and prepare the organization for the additional workload.
• A little bit of time spent on preparation with the participants will go a long way to making the experience even more impactful—set the stage in advance so significant time is not spent answer-ing basic questions.
• Design the experience so that the senior leaders have an authentic view of the community/issue you are engaging with.
• Internalization comes
from reflection, make sure
to include time and space
for this both during the
experience and after it is
completed.
cially stakeholders at the bottom of the pyramid, to
understand their needs and aspirations, if only for
a moment. Beyond market insights, experiencing
the realities of everyday people—not just the local
business elite—encourages participants to stretch
their listening and observational skills. Meeting with
social entrepreneurs, businesspeople, and govern-
ment officials will certainly provide great business
insight. However, if executives are asked to assess
how an NGO can better meet the healthcare needs
of rural farmers in Rajasthan, India, meeting with
those farmers directly can help them understand
how to improve an NGO’s operations, but also why
those farmers make other decisions. The average
consumer becomes a real person, not just someone
seen from the backseat of a taxi.
Designing an Executive Leadership Program
• Find the right partner(s)—not all initiatives are well-suited to an executive engagement; ideally, the partner’s purpose should align with the corporate strategy and the CEO’s interests.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 526NGC
S p o n s o r e d C o n t e n t
A Signature Initiative of PYXERA Global
@MBAsWB
“This is my o�ce.”
#ThisIsMyO�ce
Jessica Custer, an MBAs Without Borders Advisor in Kerala, India, brainstorms with the Kara Weaves sta� on ways to integrate the natural beauty of Kerala into the design of local artisans’ handwoven products to reach more consumers in new markets.
MBAs Without Borders sends business professionals into frontier markets to utilize and adapt the latest management tools and techniques to fuel economic growth.
Where will your next meeting be?
www.MBAsWithoutBorders.org
PASSION, SMARTS, AND MENTORSHIP DRIVE INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THROUGH MIT’S IDEAS GLOBAL CHALLENGE Christ ian Bartley
The IDEAS Global Challenge is both
a sustainable solutions competi-
tion and a mentorship program.
Over the course of a year, teams
develop an innovation plan. The winners
of the challenge—approximately 10 teams
each year—receive an additional 15 months
of guidance. In the past 14 years, 117 teams
have developed solutions to major health,
education, and energy challenges, among
other issues, which have been deployed
in 43 countries. Most impressive, over 50
percent of the winning teams have turned
their proposals into companies still in op-
eration today.
My first exposure to this program came
in 2011, when I was asked to judge. Hav-
ing served on panels at a variety of other
The IDEAS Global Chal lenge Enables the Invent ions of the Best and Br ightest
Photo: MIT IDEAS Global Challenge | Wen Zeng
HAPPENINGS
Beyond their passion, students were also eager to learn, genu-
inely curious, and open to areas of improvement that they had
not thought of. As judges, we were all surprised when we posed
a challenge they had not thought of, the students consistently
responded by asking us for advice, rather than trying to make
up an answer.
Framing the Challenge
The program begins with a Generator Dinner, an evening event
attended by 200 students who have an idea or skill they’d like
to share. Those with ideas have one minute to pitch the problem
they would like to solve. At the event I attended, a few students
proposed ways to use infrared satellite imagery to help identify
risks to vulnerable populations. Others had the skills to make
this vision a reality.
By the end of the night, a diverse team of people with back-
grounds in visual arts, engineering, urban planning, computer
science, and venture capital had come together to address the
challenge. Today, OpenIR is deploying this technology in Indonesia
to help with flood mapping, and is beginning to expand into other
ecologically vulnerable areas, as well.
Once a team is formed, they submit a scope statement to the
IDEAS staff for review. If selected, the team is now part of the pro-
gram. Over the next several months, they are mentored by IDEAS
staff, who connect them to people around the Institute and be-
yond. MIT alumni and the companies that support the IDEAS Global
Challenge also play a critical role in this phase as mentors, expert
resources, connectors, judges, and of course program funders.
The “speed mentoring” session, one of the most interesting
components of the challenge, brings fifty senior Bose executives
and engineers to MIT for one day. Each team has one minute to
pitch the global challenge they are working to solve and where
they need the most help. The Bose leaders assist the teams they
think they can help the most, rotating for a few 20-minute ses-
sions. Brian Mulcahey, the Director of Emerging Business at Bose,
helps coordinate the event. “None of my colleagues had experi-
ence in industries like farming, sanitation, and water quality,” said
Mulcahey, “yet they were amazed at how relevant and transferable
their Bose experiences were in helping these incredible students.”
In many respects, he said, the insight from the event goes both
ways. “We got as much out of the event as the students did.”
Finally, there is the competition. But like every component of
the IDEAS Global Challenge, the judging process is another oppor-
tunity for mentorship. Judges offer advice and guidance in their
notes, which are then shared with the teams. In addition, the
judges meet in person with teams at the Innovation Showcase, an
competitions from university level to Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur
of the Year program, I thought I had a fairly good idea of what I
was going to see. I was wrong.
The power of the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge, run out of MIT’s
Public Service Center, comes down to three factors: passion, techni-
cal expertise, and mentorship. Of course, students at MIT have no
shortage of intelligence and creativity. More powerful than any one
idea, however, was the driving force behind each of their projects,
the passion to address a critical need, and the drive to provide a
workable, scalable solution that truly makes a difference.
Students present thei r pro jects at the 2015 MIT
IDEAS Global Chal lenge Innovat ion Showcase.
NGC 29
evening poster session where they are encouraged to ask ques-
tions and offer their expertise.
Winning projects are announced at an awards ceremony a few
days after the poster session. A month later, the winning teams
attend a retreat. There, mentors from both MIT and supporting
organizations help the victors further develop their projects, ad-
dressing topics like financing, communications, strategy, and
operational planning. The winning teams are given the guidance
they need to succeed at both implementing their solutions, and
also building the organizational structures needed to support
those solutions long term.
The Challenge Makes an Impact
While not all projects continue for the long term, about 50
percent of the teams that come through the program continue to
advance solutions that are making a difference. One that I had the
privilege of judging early was Wecyclers, a solution to help encour-
age recycling, improve health, and create jobs in Lagos, Nigeria.
Founder Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, an MBA student, worked with
one of the labs on campus to design an inexpensive tricycle with
different receptacles to hold different types of recycled materials.
She worked with the local government in Lagos to create a system
whereby the “wecycles” can go from house to house collecting
recyclable materials. Households are rewarded with redeemable
points based on volume and quality of what is collected. People
who used to troll garbage dumps can now ride the wecycles,
generating income for themselves in a safer and healthier manner.
Not only has Wecylers met their original goal, they’ve surpassed
it. The company is still in operation today, and it’s growing. Wecy-
clers has over 80 employees and the Nigerian government wants
the company to grow faster. Bilikiss was also recently featured
in Fast Company magazine as an entrepreneur who is leading
change in a unique way.
Another IDEAS Global Challenge team, Essmart, has created a
cost-effective method to distribute technologies like solar lanterns,
portable water purifiers, and minimal smoke cooktops to rural
southern India. Today they reach 32,000 people through a network
of 1,000 rural shops. The founders, Diana Jue and Jackie Stenson,
were selected for the 2015 Forbes “30 Under 30” list.
I have now been involved in the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge
for nearly five years, and am continually impressed—by the stu-
dents, the staff, the process, and the companies who support
the program. From Dow to Qualcomm to GE Healthcare, from the
World Bank to USAID to the Embassy of Belgium, this is a program
that engages the best of the best. One of my fellow judges, Danny
Thomas, who is the associate general counsel for international
trade compliance at Emerson, recognizes that the program’s value
is not just the solutions the teams produce, but the innovation
immersion it provides for future high-potential leaders.
“How can you not be impressed and feel like you’re helping
make a difference? You meet and read projects by motivated people
developing innovative solutions to address complex issues that
really matter. Yes, some of these projects will make a difference
over the long-term,” he said. “But all of these students will be
making a difference over the long-term.”
With the experience of creating innovative solutions to tough
challenges under tight deadlines with resource constraints, MIT
students come through the IDEAS Global Challenge having learned,
having innovated, and having made a difference. These are stu-
dents who understand through their unique experiences the nexus
of passion, innovation, and social sustainability. They have the
skills, the network, and the resilience to try, fail, and try again,
ultimately contributing to a web of innovation that transcends bor-
ders and disciplines to change the world, one solution at a time.
Photo: MIT IDEAS Global Challenge | Wen Zeng
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 530NGC
S p o n s o r e d C o n t e n t
At John Deere, we believe our business success provides the means for being a productive member of society and fulfilling our higher purpose. That means supporting higher living standards for people around the world through a commitment to those linked to the land.
By focusing on solutions for world hunger through productivity training, value chain enhancement and access to water, we’re helping citizens from developing countries become food secure and live a better life.
Investing with Purpose
Holder’s stunning costumes. DTH was the
first performing arts company to break
the 30-year cultural boycott imposed on
South Africa by the international commu-
nity for its apartheid practices. There was a
heightened sense of presence, the moment
before an auspicious occasion. I can still
remember the opening trills of the flutist.
I do not consider myself a religious
person, but Holder’s chant imbued those
performances with a sense of ritual. In that
moment, each member of the Company
truly “represented something larger than
ourselves,” a favorite saying of DTH founder
Arthur Mitchell. This, coupled with Mitch-
ell’s larger-than-life vision for the transfor-
mative power of the arts, filled me with a
profound sense of purpose and strength
that night. A ballet company was changing
the world!
In breaking the cultural boycott, DTH
had the chance to christen the new Civic
Theatre. We danced in front of its first
multi-racial audience, with a multi-racial
orchestra and black conductor. To make the
occasion even more monumental, Nelson
Mandela was in the audience. For a South
African artist like me, few moments com-
pare to the deep honor and reverence I
felt that night.
In the five weeks leading up to the per-
formance, the company spent time teach-
ing, holding workshops, and interacting
with dance students, artists, and sponsors
in every corner of the country. We visited
townships where black children danced
barefoot on concrete floors and white acad-
emies where tights and ballet shoes on
sprung floors were the norm. I was struck
by how quickly the universal language of
I believe in God,
The maker of heaven and earth
And myself.
The whole world stinks
But I am beautiful,
I am gorgeous,
I am divine.
These words were repeated out
loud before every performance of
Dougla by the Dance Theatre of
Harlem (DTH). The ballet, created
by Geffrey Holder, depicts the marriage of
African and East Indian cultures in Trini-
dad. In September 1992, I stood on stage
with 25 other dancers at the Civic Theatre
in Johannesburg, South Africa, dressed in
CITIZEN DIPLOMACY
making and sharing art connected us to
one another. Though rhythm and gesture
meant different things to different people,
somehow they plucked the hidden strings
within each of us, enabling us to effectively
communicate.
This was not a revelation, only a re-
minder of the transcendent power of
dance. I had graduated from the University
of Cape Town Ballet School a few years ear-
lier and experienced what it was like to be
fully immersed with students of all races.
How quickly we bonded over the thing we
loved: dance. While at the University of
Cape Town, I taught ballet in an outreach
program started by the Company’s artistic
director, David Poole, in the neighboring
Black African townships of Gugulethu and
Langa. I experienced a tiny sliver of town-
ship life, not something many non-Black
South Africans had occasion to do. In a
country whose governance was built on
race, the issues underlying our differences
were always lurking. Yet, the experience of
racial exposure at the school in the town-
ships provided a window into what could
be possible with racial integration, while
the better part of the country was strug-
gling with the violence and inhumanity of
Apartheid.
Fostering Artistic Integration Across Cultures
Four years after my groundbreaking tour
of South Africa, the John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts in Washington,
D.C., commissioned a work for their
African Odyssey Festival. Arthur Mitchell,
South African DTH member Augustus Van
Heerdan, and I choreographed South
African Suite. The work was inspired by
our 1992 experience and was set to the
music of the Soweto String Quartet, four
black South African men playing original
compositions based on African tunes on
European instruments. It seemed a perfect
fit.
As part of the choreographic process,
we requested the musical scores. When
they arrived, we were surprised to see that
the five-line staff contained no musical
notes. There were a few symbols at various
intervals, but no way to understand the
phrasing, time signatures, or tempos. We
were scheduled to perform the ballet with
live accompaniment by the Soweto String
Quartet, who were to arrive a week before
the premiere. Needless to say, our musical
director was in a panic.
Performance Powers People-to-People Connect ions Around the World
Connect ing the Global Human Exper ience Through Dance
Laveen Naidu
DANCEDIPLOMACY:
Photo: Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 NGC 33
It turned out, the absence of a score made the group
even more in tune. The quartet had developed their own
musical language. Only two of them had extensive formal
classical music training, so they played together by ear.
This did not mean that there was no structure, replicable
model, tangible milestones, or any of those things many
of us have come to expect from music. The quartet made
extraordinary compositions because they understood each
other and their own code, both literally and figuratively.
The challenge in making a ballet with them was to learn
to be mutually understood.
Many people think of South Africa as a country divided
between black and white. Really, it is a multi-layered mix
of ethnicities, cultures, and backgrounds. It is home to
more than a million South African Indians, like myself. By
fusing music and dance styles, we were able to highlight
some of that complexity and transform certain perceptions
about what South Africa is, a representation of Nelson
Mandela’s “rainbow nation.” To reflect this, we added an
African conga drum and an Indian tabla to the score. The
ballet was created en pointe, typical for classical ballet, but
we also wove in elements of African dance, contemporary
movement, and Indian classical dance.
Working on South African Suite was a microcosm of
the power of changing perceptions at a single point in
time, a theme that continues to inspire me. Twenty clas-
sically trained dancers, a violinist, a violist, a cellist, a
classical bass player, a conga drummer, a tabla player,
three choreographers, not to mention costume, set and
lighting designers, a conductor, a host of technicians, no
score, and a world premiere coming up at the Kennedy
Center in short order. This was a small production by
ballet standards, but it contained all the ingredients for
success or disaster. And it begged a thousand questions.
Who should do what? Who can do what? How do people
interpret the world? How do they communicate?
Thankfully, the ballet was a rave success, delighting
audiences around the world as part of the Company’s
repertoire for several years. Though this was only one
experience of integrating performance across cultures
and media, I realized how important the mindset required
to do so would be for so many successful undertakings.
Bridging the Human Experience Through Dance
I soon realized the extent to which I would need to call
on everything I learned in those moments of integrated
creativity as I began my role as executive director of DTH,
which comprises a school that trains students ages three
to adulthood, standards-based arts education programs
delivered in schools, and a professional dance company.
Following severe financial strain in December 2004, the organization was
forced to lay off the professional company and shut its doors for seven
weeks, and I was asked to lead the recovery. Balance sheets, income
statements, cash flow, fundraising, marketing, facilities management,
and board meetings all quickly became a big part of my daily existence.
Changing leadership dynamics and broad external skepticism within the
New York arts community added to an already highly stressful internal
culture among students, dancers, and staff.
Together, an extraordinary team of staff and supporters resurrected
an iconic institution, culminating with the re-launch of the beloved DTH
Company in 2012, which is again touring. Together with its school and
outreach programs, the organization is inspiring audiences and changing
Discovering new connections takes courage and curiosity, and a willingness to explore the unknown.
Though doing so can be both fun and frustrating, it is almost always worth the effort.
34NGC
typically seen in ballet. Immediately following the pre-
miere and a standing ovation in Seattle, WA, an elderly
African American woman, urgently approached me. She
grabbed both my hands, visibly emotional. “You told my
story,” she said. “I have waited for 80 years, and a ballet
company told my story!” After a few minutes of conversa-
tion, I understood why she was so moved. It wasn’t that
the story was explicitly hers, but that the nuance of the
experience mirrored her own.
The success of all three works depended in large part
on the Company’s ability to develop a new language, a
new way of communicating, both verbally and physically.
As is the case for almost any successful creative endeavor,
the artistic process is both fun and frustrating, filled with
tension driven by deadlines, egos, personal insecurities,
and different points of view. Each person involved fo-
cuses on developing mutual understanding, attuning to
unfamiliar cues, deciphering differences in words and
meaning, letting ideas marinate, developing and solidify-
ing a shared vision, developing a clear execution plan,
making critical decisions, and allowing the co-creation of
the work to manifest.
Yet, in most cases, a final product—a book, a movie,
an iPhone—homogenizes the individual efforts that con-
tribute to its realization. In live performance art, each
individual action is preserved and repeated again and
again in perfect synchrony, and each performance offers
a different rendering of the same intent. The integrated
human power in performance triggers an individual’s
inherent cultural DNA and values, fostering people-to-
people connections through one’s unique experience of
each aspect of a performance. Discovering new connec-
tions takes courage and curiosity, and a willingness to
explore the unknown. Though doing so can be both fun
and frustrating, it is almost always worth the effort. With
a more subtle common understanding of the world, its
cultures, and its identities enabled by performance art,
people can come together more quickly to solve problems,
find solutions, and build common cause.
perceptions around the globe. Leading this resurrection was fun, frustrat-
ing, and fulfilling, a gift few ever receive.
In its new incarnation, DTH collaborated with the Cameroon National
Ballet, whose repertoire and dancers represent the 10 major provinces of
Cameroon and their traditional dances, showcasing Cameroon’s rich and
diverse heritage both at home and abroad. DTH Resident Choreographer,
Robert Garland, spent a week in Cameroon immersed in the local culture
and created beautiful work with CNB dancers that built on the traditional
dances using western concert dance structure along with contemporary
and ballet vocabulary. What resulted was a new and innovative way for
the Cameroonians to communicate with a western audience. The work was
performed at several high profile events in the United States including the
NAACP National Conference and a cultural celebration in New York hosted
by the Cameroon Minister of Arts and Culture and attended by a number
of international guests.
Each art form has a different way of igniting human connections. In 2013,
the Company’s Artistic Director Virginia Johnson, commissioned a new ballet
entitled Far But Close, in which a 24-minute dialogue between a man and
a woman that begins on the New York A train. A piano and electric bass
accompany a dance among two couples. The dance itself does not follow
or literally depict the spoken word; rather the choreography, music, and
words together with the dancers create a unique theatrical experience not
The Dance Theatre of Harlem’s performance at the Civic Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, broke the 30 year cultural boycott imposed on South Africa by the rest of the world for its apartheid practices. Nelson Mandela was a member of this first multi-racial audience.
Photo: Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives
NGC 35
Harnessing the Superhero Power of Healthcare Innovation
Maia Wagner
When one thinks of comic book superheroes, colorful
characters saving the world in spandex and capes
come to mind. But one afternoon in Washington,
D.C., I came across an entirely different kind of
comic book champion: Nia. Nia, whose name means purpose in
Kiswahili, is a friendly, motivated, adventurous student and the
dynamic superhero created by ZanaAfrica, a social enterprise-
hybrid-organization that provides affordable sanitary pads and
relevant health information to women and girls in East Africa.
On the pink and purple pages of the comic book, Nia and her
friends explain, in a fun way, what happens to a girl’s body dur-
ing menstruation, providing advice, encouragement, and loads
of information.
At the International Partnership for Innovative Healthcare De-
livery (IPIHD) Annual Forum, Megan Mukuria, the founder of Za-
naAfrica, explained why her project matters. In Kenya, 65 percent
of girls cannot afford sanitary pads, which results in extended
absences from school that hinder academic performance and limit
future opportunities. The Nia comic, which will be distributed in
sanitary pad back-to-school packets for young girls, is part of
a larger effort by ZanaAfrica to create opportunities for women
and girls to thrive as focused students, productive workers, and
informed mothers.
Mukuria, herself a visionary superhero, blew me away with
her idea. But even superheroes need help. She explained that
ZanaAfrica needs support in developing a long-term marketing,
communications, and design strategy. The ZanaAfrica team works
tirelessly on outreach efforts for all of their programs, but would
benefit from input on how to scale their idea, brand the campaign,
and deliver the product to have the greatest impact on women
The In t e rna t i ona l Pa r tne r sh ip f o r I nnova t i v e Hea l thca re Del ivery Cal ls for Corporate Investment and Expert ise
HAPPENINGSand girls in Kenya. How can our superhero package Nia’s message
to reach the girls who need it most?
IPIHD brought dozens of pioneers like Mukuria together with
businesses who could help answer these questions. During the
three-day forum, innovators, corporate supporters, foundations,
investors, and global health leaders discussed investment oppor-
tunities and new solutions to major global health issues. Social
entrepreneurs pitched impact investors and panels discussed
topics like empowering women, strengthening regional health
systems, and adapting new technologies.
Throughout the Forum’s activities, one common thread shone
through: the global health community lacks access to quality
talent and expertise, which is restricting the scalability of new
technology, products, and services.
“We need more corporate investment in terms of expertise,”
said Peter Gross, the Africa regional director of MicroEnsure, when
asked what big changes are necessary for healthcare transforma-
tion. He explained that the global health community needs to
learn from the Unilevers and Proctor & Gambles of the world and
ask, “How do we get a bar of soap into everyone’s hands across
the globe?”
Groundbreaking innovations alone cannot reach all of the indi-
viduals in need. To have that kind of scale and reach, small busi-
nesses and social enterprises pioneering novel health approaches
must collaborate with experts with critical expertise in delivery
method, marketing and communications, supply chain, and more.
The North Star Alliance, for example, builds health clinics out of
shipping containers at transit hubs across Africa. Executive Director
Luke Disney said that finding and training junior healthcare staff
is one of the biggest challenges he faces. The potential for creat-
ing talent exists, and experts who can spark talent creation are
available. How do we match these two groups together to foster
quality capacity-building and
sustainable access to talent?
Global pro bono, or corpo-
rate volunteerism programs,
have the ability to bring some
of the world’s top business tal-
ent closer to the innovators on
the ground. Professionals with
skills and experience in busi-
ness and operations lend those
capabilities to organizations in
underserved communities to
address their core business
challenges. For example, PYX-
ERA Global, in partnership with
the Public Health Institute, supports the implementation of the
USAID-funded Global Health Fellows Program II by matching corpo-
rate pro bono experts—Global Health Champions—with projects that
reflect and directly contribute to USAID’s global health priorities.
This direct link provides corporate professionals with the first-
hand insight of health-related needs and opportunities around
the world. And it helps NGOs build capacity and access talent.
Many effective organizations and social enterprises around the
world struggle to achieve optimal performance because they lack
access to talented healthcare professionals. One such organiza-
tion is Jacaranda Health, a company creating a self-sustaining and
scalable chain of clinics to provide reproductive health services
to urban women in Kenya. Jacaranda Health availed itself of two
Merck employees from the Merck Fellowship for Global Health.
The pair worked directly with the organization for three months
in Nairobi, developing a communications strategy, which included
creating a messaging platform and encouraging greater exposure
and outreach of the Jacaranda model in the global health space.
Both Jacaranda Health and the Merck participants emphasized
the impact this project had on the current success of Jacaranda
Health and on the participants, who now act as ambassadors for
these types of corporate investments.
The impressive network IPIHD has created will continue to
encourage the collaboration of public, private, and social actors
to invest in solutions that will bring lasting change to the world’s
most pressing health issues. The 4th Annual IPIHD Forum reminded
us all how important these types of collaborative initiatives are in
bridging the knowledge and skills gaps that persist in the global
health field. Through purposeful investment by global corpora-
tions, the healthcare industry can foster innovative ideas, allowing
global health’s superheroes to improve the lives of many around
the world.
The Nia comic, d istr ibuted by ZanaAfr ica, prov ides young g ir ls with essent ia l health information in a fun and interest ing way.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 NGC 37
Recent studies have shown that many companies are giv-
ing more generously to social causes than ever before.
Some, like Unilever, Coca-Cola, GSK, and others, have
begun to champion the notion that social and financial
profit can be achieved simultaneously. But even the most progres-
sive companies often sideline social investment and corporate
social responsibility, using them more to increase a company’s
brand image and awareness than to generate real social return.
In a survey of 26 multinational extractive companies, all but
two said their company’s success depended on society, but most
struggled to find ways to create a linkage between society and
their business. The two biggest obstacles were corporate structure
and the challenge of quantifying opportunity and cost—essentially
bureaucracy.
Yet, even as social investment has risen, the amount most
companies invest in social impact is well below one percent of
net profit. Some governments have wearied of corporations’ in-
ability to operationalize their commitment to meaningful social
investment. Ghana, South Africa, and India—three of the world’s
fastest growing markets—have legislated social mandates that
force corporations to incorporate a minimum social impact con-
tribution into their bottom lines. While CSR and local content
laws hold promise of being able to deliver social value, they also
come with drawbacks.
Alicia Bonner Ness
CAN LEGISLATION FORCE COMPANIES TO BE MORE RESPONSIBLE?
The Opportunit ies and Chal lenges of Legis lat ing Social Good
IMPACT AND INNOVATION
Ghana’s Jubilee Oil Fields Inspire Local Content Legislation
In 2007, Tullow Oil discovered West Africa’s largest offshore
oil deposit. The subsequently christened Jubilee Oil Field is es-
timated to hold more than three billion barrels of light crude,
extracted at close to 85,000 barrels a day.
As oil extraction got underway in 2010, the Ghanaian govern-
ment published recommendations that asked foreign oil com-
panies to prioritize local sourcing. But a year after operations
were up and running, few international oil companies had made
progress towards the government’s ambitious recommended
targets. Undaunted, the parliament took action, converting its
recommended guidelines into mandatory legislation.
The local content law, passed in 2013, lays out specific re-
quirements concerning local ownership, local sourcing, and
domestic employment. It requires oil companies to give locally-
owned businesses preference in procurement, even when those
companies aren’t able to offer the lowest price. In Ghana, foreign
corporate entities are required to meet specific local procure-
ment and employment benchmarks over a 10-year period. While
the legislation allows companies some leeway in local hiring in
their first few years of operation, companies are expected to
meet 80 percent of their staffing and procurement needs locally
within 10 years.
Prior to the legislated requirements, oil companies tended to
abandon their pursuit of local talent after a cursory search. Now,
the legislation requires them to fill at least 10 percent of their
supply chain locally in years one and two, reaching 80 percent
local sourcing by year 10. It also requires that companies invest
in developing talent where local abilities don’t meet demand.
Likewise, business owners were previously frustrated with the
lack of opportunity. Through a USAID-funded Supplier Develop-
ment Program, local businesses are building their capability
and improving their systems and processes to win contracts,
increasing local opportunity.
The legislation is part of a larger trend toward local content
legislation in countries rich with natural resources. Equatorial
Guinea, Kazakhstan, and Angola have all passed similar legis-
lation, mandating the use of local suppliers in procurement.
South Africa BBB-EE Law Seeks to Overcome the Inequality of Apartheid
Unlike Ghana’s local content law, South Africa’s Broad-Based
Black Economic Empowerment law was designed to overcome
a history of internal inequality. For almost half a century, South
Africa lived under an authoritarian regime that discriminated
against and oppressed the country’s Black African, mixed race
(Coloured), and Indian people. Under Apartheid, these popula-
tions had limited education and were eligible only for manual
labor or domestic service jobs.
Even after the end of Apartheid in 1994, changes in Black
African employment were painfully slow. In response, South
African’s political leadership decided to further encourage com-
panies to overcome the country’s discriminatory legacy. The
subsequent 2007 law allows companies to apply for Broad-
Based Black Economic Empowerment certification. To earn the
certification, businesses are evaluated across seven empower-
ment indicators: ownership, management, employment, skills
development, preferential procurement, enterprise development,
and socio-economic development. Each category is weighted
between 10 and 20 percent of the total score. The practice is
referred to by the African National Congress, South Africa’s big-
gest political party, as “positive discrimination.”
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 NGC 39
Ownership evaluates whether or not a company is more than 51
percent Black-African owned. Management and employment evalu-
ates the percentage of management positions filled and number
of employees overall who are Black African, with “black” defined
in the law to include Coloured and Indian as well. Preferential
procurement acknowledges how much of a company’s product
is sourced from Black-owned businesses. The scores for skills,
enterprise, and socio-economic development measure the amount
of money companies spend on contributing to these activities for
their employees and others in the communities where they work.
BBB-EE certification is not mandatory for a company to operate
in South Africa. But it is required to compete for any government
contract, which are almost universally awarded on the basis of
a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment score. This struc-
ture requirement has especially
strong implications for multina-
tional companies operating in
South Africa. Subsidiaries of those
companies would automatically
receive a “0” for ownership, a
loss of a full 20 points out of 100.
The law attempts to overcome
generations of discrimination
in schools and commerce. But
because of this legacy of dis-
crimination, many Black African,
Coloured, and Indian employees lack the skills, training, and
experience to serve as effective corporate leaders. While training
may overcome some of these gaps, it will likely take time for
the law to significantly affect the country’s most disadvantaged
populations.
India Mandates Companies Spend Two Percent of Profit on CSR
In April 2014, India became the first country in the world to
legislatively mandate CSR spending. The law requires all companies
operating in India to spend two percent of their net Indian profits
on CSR activities. It also specifies how funding efforts should be
planned and coordinated, including the internal management
committees companies should form to design and oversee their
CSR investments. The law is an ambitious attempt to ensure that
the financial returns of the country’s “tech boom” trickle down
to the less fortunate. Though it is not yet clear how the law will
be enforced, if all companies comply, it could triple the amount
companies currently spend on CSR.
As India’s economy continues to grow and the country forgoes
bilateral funding from DFID, USAID, and others, private sector social
investment will play an important role in improving the country’s
social welfare. It is easy to argue that a dramatic increase in CSR
spending is exactly what the country needs.
Forward thinking Indian corporations are eager to get onboard.
In April 2015, PYXERA Global hosted an event in Mumbai designed
to bring together private and social sector leaders together in a
meaningful dialogue about the law’s implications. Dr. Mukund
Rajan, Tata Sons’ Brand Custodian and Chief Ethics Officer, and a
Member of the Group’s Executive Council, spoke about his deep
belief in the power of companies to transform communities.
“In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stake-
holder in business, but in fact the very purpose of its existence,”
said Dr. Rajan, quoting the Tata Group Founder, Jamsetji Tata.
“Genuinely listening to the community needs is an important
step in the process of purposeful engagement.” Dr. Rajan noted
that his company for its part has
embraced a number of ways to
increase its social investment, in-
cluding encouraging employees
to use their skills to improve the
operational capacity of nonprof-
its.
While the government has
identified several key priori-
ties, no structure has been put
in place to strategically invest
funds. Companies are on their
own. What’s more, no systemization has been created to effec-
tively leverage the expected increase. Without enforcement and
strategic management, it will be difficult—if not impossible—for
the government to effectively measure the law’s impact on India’s
development. Some companies are critical of the law, claiming
it essentially constitutes an exorbitant social-welfare tax, but
without government administration and oversight, while others
appreciate that the companies are able to determine how to
invest their funds.
Some would suggest that all social impact legislation creates
market inefficiencies, forcing companies to allocate resources in
ways that are neither optimally efficient nor profitable. What’s
more, insisting companies spend more on CSR, technical training,
or talent development does not ensure the delivery of economic
benefit, especially in cases like Ghana and India that lack suf-
ficient oversight.
Still, legislating social good represents a new era of tri-sector
cooperation in which government, companies, and nonprofits are
incentivized in the strongest possible way to work together on
mutually beneficial goals. Specifying requirements legislatively
creates a clear business case that could reshape the business
environment around the world.
Still, legislating social good represents a new era
of tri-sector cooperation in which government,
companies, and nonprofits are incentivized in
the strongest possible way to work together on
mutually beneficial goals.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 540NGC
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Companies That Lead with CSR Lead the Way
World CSR Congress and Charities@Work Reinforce How Sustainable Business Can Foster Social Impact
Laura Asiala
“I AM THE BIGGEST BELIEVER IN RESPONSIBILITY—SOCIAL AND OTHERWISE.”
Many responsibly-minded lead-
ers and their organizations
the world over endorse this
view. Increasingly, conferenc-
es and gatherings in the social impact do-
main have focused on two key themes that
underlie the point. First, that responsible
action has to be at the very heart of an or-
ganization, its mission, and its operations,
and secondly, the recognition that respon-
sibility—literally “response-ability”—must be
spread across multiple sectors to address
the world’s most complex challenges.
H.E. Khaled Al Kamda, Director General
of the Community Development Authority
of the Government of Dubai, opened the
second day of the World CSR Congress in
Mumbai with this quote, which perfectly
captured the spirit and content of a gather-
ing of some 1,400 leaders from 130 coun-
tries. He went on to clarify and propose one
of the best definitions for corporate social
responsibility, or CSR, I had ever heard.
“This is not just merely about how much
you give, but how you act and react, how
transparent, how ethical, how much of your
work is really touching the people.”
In other words, CSR is not charity or an
afterthought, but a mindset that guides
the formation of effective and impactful
business strategy. Dwayne Baraka of Value
CSR agreed, emphasizing that CSR needs
to focus on core business, how companies
make money in the first place, not solely
on philanthropy.
“The obvious answer to ‘giving back,’”
says Baraka, “is to stop taking so much in
the first place.”
World CSR Congress Connects Minds to Create a Better Future
For the fourth year in a row, Dr. R. L.
Bhatia convened an impressive group of
leaders to recognize the “best of the best”
in social responsibility and to encourage
even greater commitment from those with
a fervent desire to discover the best use
of CSR. The two-day event explored several
facets of CSR, including sustainability, green
energy, water, social innovation, corporate
affairs, and nonprofits, with more than 100
awards presented for excellence across
each category.
Equally impressive was the distribu-
tion of leaders from across sectors and na-
tions: corporations, universities, govern-
ment agencies and authorities, and social
sector organizations engaged in spirited,
respectful and optimistic dialogue about
the ways in which the most challenging
issues facing the world can be addressed
in a holistic way.
Sally Uren, CEO of Forum for the Future,
outlined a dozen important business trends
that will encourage companies to adopt
CSR-driven business strategies. Long-held
notions of “cradle to grave” supply-chain
management, she observed, are being
disrupted by the momentum of a broader
movement toward a circular economy. Re-
newable energy of all varieties is becoming
increasingly prevalent, a potentially disrup-
tive force in the well-established infrastruc-
ture of fossil fuel-based economies. The
sharing economy, once on the fringe, has
broken into the mainstream, as companies
like Uber and AirBnB have disrupted es-
tablished markets, which has a significant
effect on traditional drivers of economic
growth and the production and delivery of
goods and services. Last, and perhaps most
importantly, shareholder values are gain-
ing ground on shareholder value, a trend
that underscores how socially-minded in-
vestments have become a chief concern
of investors committed to supporting both
responsible and profitable initiatives.
Uren challenged companies and their
potential partners to think of India’s new
CSR legislation, which mandates that com-
panies give two percent of their net prof-
its to charitable causes, as an opportunity
rather than an obstacle. By mandating
CSR investments, the Indian government
has given Indian companies a ready-made
Laura Asiala
HAPPENINGS“business case” for CSR. “Use the regulation to start your journey,”
said Uren, “to becoming a sustainable business by focusing your
CSR and sustainability activities for business value and positive
impact.” Being required to invest in CSR and shared value gives
companies a new incentive to discover ways they can also deliver
for the bottom line.
In my presentation to the World Congress, I shared how compa-
nies that support pro bono projects—which position highly skilled
corporate employees as pro bono consultants in underserved
markets—can lead to a “triple win” that delivers value to em-
ployees, companies, and communities around the world. Program
participants describe their experience as transformative leadership
and professional skill development opportunities. Local client
organizations are eager for the increased capability and capacity
they receive pro bono, which would otherwise be unaffordable.
And companies gain insight and relationships in new markets that
foster sustainable and inclusive businesses.
In India the projects in which companies can choose to invest
is not without limit; the Indian government has provided a tan-
gible list of appropriate issues corporations can support to meet
the requirements of the two-percent law. These include eradicat-
ing extreme hunger and poverty; promoting access to water and
sanitation; supporting access to education, increased livelihoods,
and employment through enhanced vocational skills; improving
health; empowering women and reducing child mortality; and
ensuring environmental sustainability. The priorities also endorse
support for social enterprise.
Fortunately, this list is quite broad. It’s difficult to think of a
company that might not be able to respond to at least one of
these needs in a way that is also strategic for their business,
assuming its leaders view CSR as an effective way to lead their
business forward.
Charities@Work Unites Employee Engagement with Corporate Citizenship
Half a world away, more than 50 CSR managers at leading U.S.
companies gathered for the annual Charities@Work conference, a
convening of corporations that have moved far beyond discussing
philanthropy—strategic and otherwise. The summit transcends its
name with a focus on what delivers impact: effectively engaging
employees in service opportunities that deliver meaningful value.
“Don’t get stuck on the name,” said Carol Cone, the Chair of
Edelman’s Business + Social Purpose, with a wry smile. “Here’s the
cool news: this is not a trend. Companies that succeed in building
a profitable relationship with the external world define themselves
through what they contribute.” Companies, she argues, no longer
face a black and white choice to be sustainable or not, but can
find ways of “generating long-term value for shareholders by
delivering value to society as well.” She pointed to the Edelman
Trust Barometer in which 81 percent of respondents indicate that
companies can pursue their self-interest while also doing good
work for society.
Everything old is new again. Where there is great need, there is
great opportunity. Corporate leaders have always known this, but
the challenge, as ever, has been to frame needs in ways that busi-
ness can address. Embedded within the Charities@Work summit
was just such an opportunity, with an introduction to the United
Nations post-millennial goals, the 17 Sustainable Development
Goals. Though they do not impose the same mandate as India’s
two-percent CSR law, the SDGs do provide an easy construct around
which companies can align and integrate their CSR programs.
Providing governments, companies, and social sector orga-
nizations with one set of goals around which to coalesce holds
enormous promise. IMPACT 2030, a private-sector led coalition
to use corporate volunteers as a way to address and accelerate
progress toward these goals, provides one clear way that compa-
nies can meaningfully contribute to their achievement. And even
those countries with different objectives, like India, have identi-
fied specific priorities that mirror at least eight of the SDGs. As
strategies that lead with responsibility become the norm, tactics
will differ from region to region, but the fundamentals will remain
the same. Not only must companies consider their issue of focus,
they must also evaluate their impact on all stakeholders, as well
as ways to leverage partnership and collaboration among sectors
to achieve real progress.
Back in India, Dr. Massouda Jalal, the former Minister of Wom-
en’s Affairs in Afghanistan, a former presidential candidate, and
the founder of the Jalal Foundation, summarized this approach
best during her keynote address. “If we want a better world,” said
Jalal, “we need to build a global army of supporters and challenge
the action which corrupts the foundations of the world we dream
about. We need to look at the issues holistically.” Her words were
echoed with enthusiastic nods by the hundreds of CSR leaders
gathered before her.
“I’m heartened that there is such a thing as corporate respon-
sibility,” Jalal observed. “I commend you for your social responsi-
bility—the heart of the corporate world which beats for the public
and making the world a better place to live.”
The obvious answer to ‘giving back,’ is to stop taking so much in the first place.
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 NGC 43
There Is Enough Food to Feed the World – Why Produce More?The Food Industry’s Fight to Feed the World Should Start with Post-Harvest Loss
Harry Pastuszek
Photo: Martina TR | CC BY-SA 2.0
ENTERPRISE
Do you remember the last time you were
hungry? Truly hungry. Maybe you’re like me
and most of the time food is an alluring
vice. It’s a great source of comfort and a
relief from the humdrum, a celebration of all that’s
good. A good meal is something that can make even
the most challenging of days fade into your mind’s
backwaters, but the next visit to the doctor’s office
shows unwelcome contributions to the bottom (or
waist) line.
Maybe you get “hangry” late in the afternoon
on a day when lunch doesn’t materialize. You lose
concentration, resulting in you offending colleagues
or family members, and reduced productivity. Imagine
a day like that ending not with leftover take-away,
but instead with a sleepless night spent comforting
crying, hungry children.
My work is focused on finding ways for people
to earn money with meaningful work and for small
companies to win business from large multinational
ones. I don’t often associate my performance met-
rics with people’s caloric intake. But as I’ve come to
understand the complexities of post-harvest loss—the
devastating effect of food lost after harvest—I’ve re-
alized that addressing this challenge is also one of
the greatest opportunities facing the food industry
worldwide.
There Is Plenty of Food to Feed the Planet
Fifteen years ago, the Millennium Development
Goals committed governments and aid agencies to
halving the number of people who are hungry by
2015. As with many MDGs, progress was made. But
most of those improvements occurred in countries
like India and China, where rapid economic advance-
ment lifted millions into the middle class.
In the world’s least developed countries, the story
is not so promising. Today, the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates
that about one billion people suffer from chronic
hunger. Many more are malnourished. Confronted
with a need to feed the hungry, it seems natural to
focus on increasing the volume of food production,
which aid agencies, multilateral institutions, and pri-
vate funders have worked in concert to do. Almost 95
peop l e su f f e r f r om ch ron i c hunge r, according to the Food and Agr iculture Organizat ion of the United Nat ions.
1billion
percent of all spending on food security is
focused on improving cultivation, enhanc-
ing productivity, and providing extension
services to improve farmers’ capacity to
grow and harvest more. The development
community is trying to grow its way out
of a hunger problem.
But such widespread hunger is not
caused by a shortage of food. The world
already produces more than enough food
to feed every person on earth.
Food Is Rotting Before It Gets to the Table
Tragically, much of that production—50
percent of all fruits and vegetables, 40
percent of roots and tubers, and 20 per-
cent of all cereals—is lost in substandard
storage or transit, or left on the farm, in
what is called post-harvest loss. And those
staggering statistics do not even take into
account what is wasted on the plate or
tossed away by consumers, nor the waste
of water, land, fertilizer, labor, and other
inputs that went into food production.
The impact of post-harvest loss on
food security has historically received
scant attention; donor focus has waxed
and waned. In the 1970s, the food crisis
helped to put some focus on mitigating
loss in the post-harvest value chain. But
as commodity prices began to improve,
attention returned to economic and tech-
nology-based fixes for enhancing agricul-
tural productivity.
Luckily, that’s beginning to change.
Organizations like the Rockefeller and Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundations are invest-
ing more in understanding the impact of
post-harvest loss and seeking innovative
solutions to the problem that are driven
by the private sector. Multinational cor-
o f a l l spend ing on food secu r i t y i s f o cused on improving cult ivat ion, enhancing product iv i ty, and prov id ing extens ion serv ices to improve farmers’ capacity to grow and harvest more.
%95of al l f ru its and vegetables are lost in substandard storage or transit , or le f t on the farm, in what is today cal led post-harvest loss .
%40
A farmer stands in f ront of h is improved wheat crop in Rajasthan, India .
porations, including Unilever, Coca-Cola,
and SAB Miller, have also implemented
programs to address the issue.
Multinational companies can play an
essential role in transforming post-harvest
loss into food security for the most needy.
They can provide a ready market for pro-
duce, contribute to improved agricultural
practices to ensure good quality, and ad-
just product offerings to take advantage of
local crops prone to heavy loss and waste.
To date, the power of multinationals to
T h e N e w G l o b a l C i t i z e n | S u m m e r 2 0 1 546NGC
address food loss has been best demonstrated in the bever-
age industry. SAB Miller, Africa’s leading beer producer, replaced
barley with cassava to make Eagle beer in Ghana and Impala
beer in Mozambique, taking advantage of the presence of a local
commodity rather than using a grain that was not domestically
grown. In both cases, the SAB Miller adjustment sought to create
a market advantage from a high-loss crop. Similarly, Coca-Cola’s
Kenya operation has started to use mango, an underutilized crop
prone to high losses, for its juice production.
Reducing crop loss to make beer and juice are hardly examples
of creating food security. Yet, these innovative, market-based
approaches can provide insight into reducing the loss of staples
and high-nutrition crops. Engaging the private sector in the fight
against post-harvest loss is exactly what is needed.
Innovation Is Needed on Market Linkages and Distribution, Not Production or Storage
Alleviating post-harvest loss requires reevaluating existing
markets for agricultural products, such as hotels, restaurants,
supermarkets, retailers, and processors. While they already handle
a lot of produce in any given country, they could do more to utilize
local foods in ways customers will buy and consume. For example
in Nigeria, more than 50 percent of the tomatoes harvested are
lost every year post-harvest. Yet many Nigerian hotels and super-
markets import nearly half of their fresh
tomatoes from other African countries like
South Africa and Benin, even though do-
mestic production can currently meet close
to 75 percent of domestic demand. What’s
more, the country spends close to $100
million annually on tomato paste imports.
Unfortunately, the inability to connect
producers with consumers exists across a
number of crops in many other countries as
well. Connecting farmers to new markets is
a critical part of reducing waste and spoil-
age, while selling to multiple outlets also
reduces a farmer’s market
risk. A market-led approach,
by definition, means identi-
fying consumer needs and
seeking to profitably meet
those demands. Historically,
market-driven food security
interventions have looked
only at primary markets or
those driven by large, mul-
tinational food and beverage
companies, without much
consideration for smaller, al-
ternative outlets. A focus on
what are sometimes referred
to as “secondary markets”
and harnessing them to provide quality,
nutritious food could make all of the dif-
ference in reducing loss and spoilage in
the value chain.
For instance, in the mangos-for-juice
example above, smaller processors could
invest in equipment to dry mangoes. While
Coca-Cola is buying mangos in bulk, it is
unlikely that all mangos produced will meet
their quality standards, or there may sim-
ply be more than Coca-Cola needs. Local
processors can take advantage of this
abundance by purchasing from farmers
who would otherwise lose those crops to
spoilage and in turn deliver highly nutri-
tious food to consumers, which results in
a win for all stakeholders. Coca-Cola has a
reliable supply of mangos, farmers benefit
from a ready and relatively stable market
for all their produce at the time of har-
vest; the local processors generate jobs and
profits, and the community has access to
nutritious dried fruit.
In fact, without a way to deal effectively
with abundance, a large buyer of produce
can actually make the problem of waste
worse. By encouraging greater production
without an ensured demand for the pro-
duce, many market-led interventions in
post-harvest loss have actually exacerbated
the problem, a classic case of “unintended
consequences.”
A second critical focus area for food
loss is storage. According to a study from
the World Food Programme that reviewed
maize production and storage in Uganda in
2013 to 2014, after 90 days of storage, 60
percent of all maize traditionally stored in
granary or polypropylene bags had spoiled.
In comparison, maize stored using five dif-
ferent new storage technologies (metal-
lic silos, plastic silos, super grain bags,
zero fly bags and grain safes) experienced
negligible spoilage. Appropriate technolo-
gies exist, and they are all relatively low
cost, particularly when compared with the
cost of food loss, and yet they are rarely
deployed.
In other words, two misconceptions
seem to waylay efforts to address the glob-
al food crisis: the first is the idea that we
need massive amounts of additional food
production; the second is that we need
to innovate for better storage to reduce
spoilage. There is enough food grown every
year to feed our growing planet, and cost-
effective, tested technologies are readily
available to improve storage. It’s time to
put them to work, and focus our innovation
effort on how best to get that saved food
into the hands of the hungry.
Is it possible to end world hunger in
15 years? That’s Sustainable Development
Goal 2, set to be ratified by the United Na-
tions in September. Recent
research into the scope of
the loss and spoilage issues
confronting agricultural
value chains suggests all the
pieces exist to achieve this
lofty goal; they just need to
be put in place. If 98 per-
cent of the world’s hungry
people reside in developing
countries, and most of the
food lost between field and
table occurs in these same
places, it seems only logical
to focus on saving food that
is already being produced,
rather than producing more.
This is a relatively simple statement,
not to be confused with an easy solution.
Challenges in infrastructure, logistics, mar-
ket access and information, food process-
ing practices, access to finance, and tech-
nology plague the food value chains around
the world. However, engaging the private
sector to address this challenge holds enor-
mous promise. When coupled with second-
ary market considerations, multinational
interventions have the potential to move
the needle on world hunger. By recouping
the more than 30 percent of food lost every
year around the world, perhaps those one
billion people suffering from chronic hunger
can instead experience the joy of going to
bed well fed.
There is enough food grown every year to feed
our growing planet, and cost-effective, tested
technologies are readily available to improve
storage. It’s time to put them to work, and focus
our innovation effort on how best to get that
saved food into the hands of the hungry.
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Architects of a better working worldAt EY, we believe that business can be a force for social good. That’s why we focus our corporate responsibility activities to grow the positive effects of entrepreneurs, develop future generations of talent, and build a more diverse and inclusive society. A better and brighter future starts with all of us.
Visit ey.com to learn more
S p o n s o r e d C o n t e n t
Culture and Climate: Getting the Social Science Right for Change
Science is standing in the way of ac-
tion for climate change–but maybe
not the way you think. In his lat-
est book, How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate, Andrew Hoff-
man, Ph.D. makes the case that it is
not a lack of physical nor biological
science preventing concerted action in
combatting climate change, but social
science. It turns out the “soft” stuff
is the “hard” stuff. Again.
Hoffman asserts there is scientific
consensus that the global climate is
changing and that humans, in part, are
causing it. He demonstrates that point
in several ways, including reports from
the United Nations Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, endorsed by
nearly 200 scientific agencies around
the world including the scientific agen-
cies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom,
and the United States.
However, there is no social con-
sensus on climate change. Couple that
with a demonstrable political divide
and what we have is gridlock. Hoffman
notes, “The challenge in improving the
form of public and political debate is
not simply scientific in nature; at this stage
it is as much about the communication of
science as it is about the science itself.”
Hoffman isn’t arguing for less scientific
research, but he is making a broad call to
recognize that it is insufficient. At its heart,
the great divide is the product of contrast-
ing, deeply entrenched worldviews, through
which science is viewed. In his book, he
calls for a holistic approach. This includes
understanding the “cultural schism before
us” and the organized movements which
seek to resist change, including the role
of media. Most interestingly, he gleans
lessons from two examples of significant
historical cultural change. Hoffman exam-
ines the debate over cigarette smoking and
cancer, which was also marked by a strong
difference between scientific consensus
and social consensus. The second analogy
is the debate over the abolition of slavery,
as a way to demonstrate the sheer magni-
tude of the cultural shift required to deal
with climate change.
The key point is this: the gulf we face
with regards to positive movement with
regards to climate change cannot be over-
come with simple logic or more scientific
evidence. We cannot beat—by words
or deed—people into changing their
point of view. “Trust is the subtext
you will read throughout the book,”
he writes. “Before asking people to
consider changing their worldview, you
must begin by gaining their trust.”
The following is an excerpt of the
book.
Climate change has been trans-
formed into a rhetorical contest more
akin to the spectacle of a sports
match, pitting one side against the
other with the goal of victory through
the cynical use of politics, fear, distrust
and intolerance. No wonder the public
is confused. But how did an issue like
climate change become so toxic, so
caught up in what we call the culture
wars? Why has it joined sex, religion,
and politics an issue people try not to
discuss in polite conversation?
…
Social scientists view the public
understanding of climate change not as
a lack of adequate information but as the
intentional or unintentional avoidance of
that information. That avoidance is rooted
in our culture and psychology and can be
summarized in four central points.
We all use cognitive filters. While physi-
cal scientists explore the mechanics and
implications of a changing climate, the
social scientist explores the cultural and
BOOK EXCERPT
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cognitive reasons why people support or reject their conclusions.
What social scientists find is that physical scientists do not have
the final word in public debate. Instead, we interpret and vali-
date conclusions from the scientific community by filtering their
statements through our own worldviews. Through what is called
motivated reasoning, we relate climate change through our prior
ideological preferences, personal experiences, and knowledge. We
search for information and reach conclusions about highly complex
and politically contested issues in a way that will lead us to find
supportive evidence of our preexisting beliefs.
Our cognitive filters reflect our culture identity. We tend to
develop worldviews that are consistent with the values held by
others within the groups with which we self-identify. In what Yale
University lawn and psychology professor Dan Kahan calls cultural
cognition, we are influence by group values and will generally
endorse the position that most directly reinforces the connections
we have with others in our social groups. It is not necessarily that
we reject scientific conclusions in this process, but that they are
weighted and valued differently depending on how our friends,
colleagues, trusted sources, or respected leaders value and frame
these issues. We are the product of our surroundings (both cho-
sen and unchosen) and gravitate towards opinions that fit with
those of the people with whom we identify. As such, positions
on topical and controversial issues like climate change become
part of our cultural identity.
Cultural identity can overpower scientific reasoning. When
belief or disbelief in climate change becomes connected to our
cultural identity, contrary scientific evidence can actually make us
more resolute in resisting conclusions that are at variance with
our cultural beliefs. Research by sociologists Aaron McCright from
Michigan State University and Riley Dunlap from Oklahoma State
University found that increased education and self-reported un-
derstanding of climate science corresponds with greater concern
among those who already believe in climate change but less con-
cern among those who do not. Kahan and colleagues have found
that “members of the public with the highest degrees of science
literacy and technical reason capacity…were the ones among whom
cultural polarization was greatest.” In short, increased knowledge
tends to strengthen our position on climate change, regardless of
what that position is. Instead, the key to engaging the debate is
addressing the deeper ideological, cultural and social filters that
are triggered by this issue.
Our political economy creates inertia for change. We cannot
discuss the social processes that guide our thinking without also
considering the economic, political, and technological realities
that are both the enactment of our values and a source of inertia
to changing them. First, there is a vast physical infrastructure
around fossil fuels and the lifestyle they create, which cannot be
replaced easily. Second, there are strong economic and political
interests that are threatened by the issue of climate change (many
of them controlling the infrastructure just mentioned). As a result
they have adopted strategies to confuse and polarize the debate
in order to protect their interests. Efforts to change cultural views
on climate change must include changing the vast institutions
and infrastructure of our economy and must be prepared to deal
with resistance from those who benefit from them.
These four points form the central thesis of this book. The
debate over climate change in the United States (and elsewhere) is
not about carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas models; it is about
opposing cultural values and worldviews through which that sci-
ence is seen. Those cultural values create a pattern of shared basic
assumptions that tell us the correct way to perceive, think and feel
in relation to problems and situations we face. They furnish us
with the guidelines for practical action, providing us with a road
map, if you will, a way of understanding how the world works,
how it ought to work, and how we behave within it. As a result,
when different groups view the same science through opposing
cultural lenses, they see something very different.
…
Battle lines drawn, the social debate around climate change
is now devolving into a “cultural schism” in which opposing
sides do not debate the same issues, seek only information that
supports their position or disconfirms the other’s and begin to
demonize those who disagree with them. With time, our positions
become relatively rigid and exclusive, thickening the boundaries
between cultural communities. In essence, we begin to identify
the members of our group (or tribe), and therefore those whom
we trust, on the basis of their position on specific issues, like
climate change. In his book, The Honest Broker, Roger Pielke Jr.,
professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado,
compares the extremes of such schisms to “abortion politics,”
where those opposing abortion frame it as an issue of “life,”
those favoring as an issue of woman’s “choice,” and where each
side invokes broader logics around religion, family, and freedom
to support its views. With time, Pielke warns, “no amount of
scientific information…can reconcile the different values.” Extreme
positions dominate the conversation, the potential for discussion
or resolution disintegrates, and the issue become intractable.
This book seeks to avert this outcome by calling attention to
its reality, to the process that make it happen, and to the tactics
that can be used to change the discourse.
From HOW CULTURE SHAPES THE CLIMATE CHANGE DEBATE by Andrew J. Hoffman. (c) 2015 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Jr. University. All rights reserved. By permission from Stanford University Press, www.sup.org. Published in paperback and digital formats.
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