There’s a growing body of evidence proving that a higher purpose than profit will be the driver of company success. Here’s a selection of research reports and articles to get you started!
Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRocks Global Letters to CEO’s
In 2018, Larry Fink’s letter to CEO’s entitled “A Sense of Purpose” hit the headlines and made the leaders of our business sit up and take notice. It was followed by his equally compelling letter in 2019 entitled “Purpose & Profit”.
Read the 2018 letter and the 2019 letter
Greenbiz: Is this the end of Corporate Social Responsibility?
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) doesn’t cut it any more. In fact, leader companies are putting distance between themselves and this approach. They don’t find it to be relevant to their growth or business models. Read more
North Star: Purpose-driven leadership for the 21st Century
This global CEO study by Leaders on Purpose of 16 of the world’s most purpose-driven leaders is well worth a read. Purpose is the North Star and the foundation of strategy while driving healthy workplaces and cultures. Read more
7 Trends on Purpose in 2018 & Beyond | Article by Carolyn Tate
There’s no denying it, ‘purpose’ is the hottest word in business right now. It’s the topic being explored in boardrooms and lunchrooms around the globe. Leaders are asking why do we exist as a company beyond making a profit? How do we solve world problems instead of add to them? What is the real legacy we are creating? Read here
The Guardian | The workplace is killing people and nobody cares | Article by Dylan Walsh
Jeffrey Pfeffer has an ambitious aspiration for his latest book. “I want this to be the Silent Spring of workplace health,” says Pfeffer, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “We are harming both company performance and individual well-being, and this needs to be the clarion call for us to stop. There is too much damage being done.”. Read here
The Guardian | Is everything you think you know about depression wrong? | Article by Johann Hari
This article written by author of Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions shows that the root cause of our depression may be that our deep psychological needs for purpose, meaning and connection are not being met. Read here
Boston Consulting Group | Purpose has the power to transform cultures
A report by BCG that includes some great models on how to unearth, articulate, embed purpose into the company culture. Read article
The Guardian | A firm sense of purpose aids sleep
A Guardian story reports on US research of more than 800 people showing that a strong sense of purpose and meaning in life aids sleep. Read article
PwC | Connecting the dots: how purpose can join up your business
More than a buzzword – nine out of 10 CEOs tell us they have a clearly stated and defined purpose, which helps to shape their strategies, culture and deliver success in difficult and uncertain times. Read research.
Deloitte | Winning over the next generation of business leaders
Millennials feel that most businesses have no ambition beyond profit, and there are distinct differences in what they believe the purpose of business should be and what they perceive it to currently be. Read research.
EY Beacon Institute & HBR | The Business Case for Purpose
The core insight about this notion of “purpose” is that meaning matters—not just in an abstract sense, but in terms of today’s business metrics. Read research.
EY Research| Putting our minds to it. Addressing the invisible risk of mental health.
A report on the mental health issues facing the Australian workforce with some link to purpose being important for mental wellbeing at work. Read research
Imperative/Linkedin | 2016 Purpose Workforce Index
The largest global study done on the role of purpose in the workforce. People are increasingly looking for jobs that give them personal fulfillment; and companies are seeing that purpose-oriented employees are more productive and successful. Read research.
PwC: Putting Purpose to Work | 2016 Study of purpose in the workplace
Companies are slowly waking up to the necessity of embedding a deeper sense of purpose in their leadership and management. Read research
Gallup| The Worldwide Employee Engagement Crisis
The world has an employee engagement crisis, with serious and potentially lasting repercussions for the global economy. Just 13% of the world’s employees are engaged and it hasn’t changed since 2012. Read research.