Christine Arena - Cause for Success: 10 Companies That Put Profit Second and Came in First

When you Google success the first hit should be Cause for Success!This is a rare book profiling interesting leaders, packed with useful knowledge, and well written and edited. Read it. Keep it close.

In the face of mounting evidence of a world in disequilibrium, the compelling stories in Cause for Success inspire hope. They are stories of visionary leaders who are redefining normal in the business world, creating and nurturing companies that serve society. They remind us that it really is within our power to walk more lightly on this earth.

Cause for Success makes a compelling case that the great companies of the future will be companies that have integrated the motive for profit with the imperative to care about their community and the environment. The common good and private gain are not contradictions but complements for skillfully navigating an integrating world.

An inspiring, compelling, and highly readable set of stories about courageous corporate executives who have demonstrated beyond any doubt that social responsibility and a commitment to sustainability not only make the world a better place but also drive a better bottom line. This book will excite you about the powerfully positive role that corporate America is capable of playing in these perilous times.

Cause for Success demonstrates the power of innovation and leadership. CEOs who recognize the true costs of unfair or unsafe business practices to communities and the planet and who therefore commit themselves to a better way have actually built highly profitable and widely respected companies. By examining several well-known and widely regarded examples, the author effectively argues that it is in fact the commitment to do the right thing that has differentiated these companies and driven their success.

The way that businesses are run has a profound impact on the lives of pretty much everyone in the world, including those in the poorest countries. Christine Arenas book shows through the use of inspirational examples that companies and their leaders can establish a powerful new role for business in society. Cause for Success is an important call to arms for all business executives to recognize the vital responsibility they have in this world.

Copyright 2004 by Christine Arena

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Cover design by Mary Ann Casler
Interior design by Tona Pearce Myers

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Arena, Christine.
Cause for success : ten companies that put profits second and came in first : how solving the worlds problems improves corporate health, growth, and competitive edge / Christine Arena.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-57731-457-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Social responsibility of businessCase studies. I. Title.
HD60.A74 2004
658.408dc22

First printing, November 2004
ISBN 1-57731-457-3

Printed in Canada on 100% postcosumer waste recycled paper

A proud member of the Green Press Initiative

Distributed to the trade by Publishers Group West

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Introduction: The Rise of the High-Purpose Company
Winning corporate responsibility strategies
and what sets them apart

Chapter 1: Changing Face
How challenged multinationals transform
into model corporate citizens
Interface BP

Chapter 2: Rooting Values
How ethics enable the growth of a new breed of business
Eziba Stonyfield Farm

Chapter 3: Cooperating
How top brands thrive by integrating cause partnerships
Avon Timberland

Chapter 4: Trading Fairly
How standing up for justice garners competitive advantage
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters The Body Shop

Chapter 5: Need Cycling
How industry leaders profit by serving the worlds poor
The Grameen Bank Hewlett-Packard

Epilogue
Why corporate evolution is mandatory and what you can do

Cause for Success was not an endeavor I undertook alone. Michael Banks was my right hand. He was instrumental in getting the project off the ground, in keeping it afloat for over a year, and in helping me identify and recruit the very best corporate leaders to participate. Michael supported the project more than anyone else and for his assistance I am hugely grateful.

Marcia Polese, my cousin and esteemed business colleague, planted the seed for this book back in 2001 when she asked me the Po Bronson-esque question: What do you want to do with the rest of your life? My response and the subsequent guidance she offered led me to create the original book proposal. Without her encouragement, I may have never done so.

I was deeply honored to interact with this renowned group of corporate executives whom I consider heroes. Despite their schedules and professional obligations, these leaders patiently endured my in-depth interviews and follow-up conversations. In presenting their stories, each conveyed a devotion and passion I had not expected. To each of the following people, I would like to express my sincere hope that this book effectively portrays the enormity of your achievements. You are the trendsetters of twenty-first century business: Ray Anderson, Lord John Browne of Madingley, Dick Sabot, Amber Chand, Gary Hirshberg, Andrea Jung, Jeffrey Swartz, Bob Stiller, Anita Roddick, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and Debra Dunn.

Numerous other people within the participating companies and related organizations were extremely helpful in enabling me to obtain and arrange the interviews, in responding to additional questions, and in providing me with critical documents and data. These people include Buddy Hay, Linda Sutton, and Janet Admunsen at Interface; Chris Mottershead, Nick Butler, and Heather Kingston at BP; Roddy Gow at Gow & Partners; Deborrah Himsel, Kathleen Walas, and Laura Castellano at Avon; Robin Giampa and Kate King at Timberland; Alan Khazei at City Year; Diane Davis and Betsey Stanford at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters; Steve McIvor, Helen Cocker, and Karen Bishop at The Body Shop; Alex Counts and Rob Sassor at the Grameen Foundation; and Liz Saiz and Kelly Ames at Hewlett-Packard.