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Reset: Business and Society in the New Social Landscape
As consumers, our access to―and appetite for―information about what and how we buy continues to grow. Powered by social media, we scrutinize the companies behind familiar products and are disappointed when their actions do not meet our expectations. With citizens acting as 24/7 auditors of corporate behavior, one formerly trusted company after another has had their business disrupted with astonishing velocity. Control of the corporate narrative has shifted to engaged stakeholders in the new social landscape, requiring a radical change to company practices.
James Rubin and Barie Carmichael provide a strategic roadmap for businesses to navigate the new era, rebuild trust, and find their voice. Reset traces the global decline of trust in business at the same time that the public’s expectations for business’s role in society are rising. Today, businesses must bridge this widening gap, which requires strategic solutions anchored in a critical outside-in understanding of the stakeholder footprint of the business model. C-suite executives who proactively mitigate the negative social impacts inherent in their business models, strategies, and operations can find win-win solutions that not only benefit both their business and society, but also enable sustainable growth in the challenging new social landscape. Rubin and Carmichael offer case studies of reputations lost and found, suggesting fundamental strategies to mitigate risk and build the corporate brand. Reset is an essential guide to navigating the pitfalls and taking advantage of the opportunities of the reset.
James Rubin and Barie Carmichael provide a strategic roadmap for businesses to navigate the new era, rebuild trust, and find their voice. Reset traces the global decline of trust in business at the same time that the public’s expectations for business’s role in society are rising. Today, businesses must bridge this widening gap, which requires strategic solutions anchored in a critical outside-in understanding of the stakeholder footprint of the business model. C-suite executives who proactively mitigate the negative social impacts inherent in their business models, strategies, and operations can find win-win solutions that not only benefit both their business and society, but also enable sustainable growth in the challenging new social landscape. Rubin and Carmichael offer case studies of reputations lost and found, suggesting fundamental strategies to mitigate risk and build the corporate brand. Reset is an essential guide to navigating the pitfalls and taking advantage of the opportunities of the reset.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published January 9, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 5, 2018
Reset and reboot our corporate attitudes to help navigate the rocky, beneficial road that social media and the broader social landscape offer us – this is the aim of this fascinating book.
The authors note that consumers are not just looking at the products and services that a company may offer and being vocal about them – they are also looking at the company, being de facto auditors of corporate behaviour and more. They are not afraid to call a company out either, whether motivated or not. A wise company, going forward, will be advised to be prepared to deal with this, whether they are ‘doing wrong’ or not. Lead the pack, rather than react afterwards.
It all made for an interesting read, a consolidation of thoughts and good practice brought up-to-date and presented in an easy-to-read package. Gone are the days when you may be able to defend your company with a cute veneer of social responsibility to create a feel-good impression. Engagement can be intense, it can be a double-edged sword too, yet the potential is there for beneficial feedback and intense customer loyalty when handled right.
The book gives an engaging and accessible look at the issue, helping scope it out for the recalcitrant or reluctant, whilst polishing it up for those who are already on-board. A strategic plan of action (or mere enhancement) can be then generated and implemented. It is both a positive resource and a book for doing. It is written with a clear academic focus and tone, but it does manage to ‘sit on two stools’ fairly well, giving a great mixture of context, history and, of course, forward-looking information.
It is certainly a book that deserves the reader’s focus, on many levels, due to its depth, complexity and sheer amount of relevant and engaging content. Slightly better internal accessibility and signposting may have been desirable, just to make the book even harder to put down on readability grounds, but this is a small wish and not by any means a reason not to consider its immediate purchase.
The authors note that consumers are not just looking at the products and services that a company may offer and being vocal about them – they are also looking at the company, being de facto auditors of corporate behaviour and more. They are not afraid to call a company out either, whether motivated or not. A wise company, going forward, will be advised to be prepared to deal with this, whether they are ‘doing wrong’ or not. Lead the pack, rather than react afterwards.
It all made for an interesting read, a consolidation of thoughts and good practice brought up-to-date and presented in an easy-to-read package. Gone are the days when you may be able to defend your company with a cute veneer of social responsibility to create a feel-good impression. Engagement can be intense, it can be a double-edged sword too, yet the potential is there for beneficial feedback and intense customer loyalty when handled right.
The book gives an engaging and accessible look at the issue, helping scope it out for the recalcitrant or reluctant, whilst polishing it up for those who are already on-board. A strategic plan of action (or mere enhancement) can be then generated and implemented. It is both a positive resource and a book for doing. It is written with a clear academic focus and tone, but it does manage to ‘sit on two stools’ fairly well, giving a great mixture of context, history and, of course, forward-looking information.
It is certainly a book that deserves the reader’s focus, on many levels, due to its depth, complexity and sheer amount of relevant and engaging content. Slightly better internal accessibility and signposting may have been desirable, just to make the book even harder to put down on readability grounds, but this is a small wish and not by any means a reason not to consider its immediate purchase.
March 8, 2024
Interesting and informative!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews