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Exxon CEO Claims to Know What's Good for Humanity
Yesterday, CEO of ExxonMobil Corp, Mr. Rex Tillerson arguedthe following to his shareholders when defining the relentless pursuit of oil production: “What good is it to save the planet if humanity...
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CIBC Run for the Cure OR Run from Prevention?
This year, CIBC celebrated its 17th anniversary as the title sponsor of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure. In 2012, they raised over $3 million in support. CIBC’s homepage...
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Business' Role in Social Problems: Villain or Hero?
Business strategy scholar Michael Porter recently presented a TED Talk entitled “Why business can be good at solving social problems”. While I admire his optimism, he tends to ignore some very...
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The Reinvention of Shoppers Drug Mart
Shoppers Drug Mart is no doubt an iconic brand here in Canada. With over 1200 retail outlets across the country, Canadians can count on this leading drug store retailer to provide us with the vital...
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Thank You Menchie's for Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle
Just the other day, I took my family to Menchie’s, a new frozen yogurt franchise, among a growing number of self-serve frozen dessert locations popping up in and around the greater Toronto area. While...
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I’m Starving!
Last Thursday afternoon, having forgotten my lunch at home, I spent an hour trying to find something to eat. I walked and drove up and down a number of streets in a small corner of the GTA, passing by...
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Tim Hortons: Hiding Behind A Façade of Corporate Citizenship
Tim Horton’s is an iconic Canadian brand, known for its doughnuts and signature coffee that I’ve recently learned is a top secret recipe known only by three people. Indeed, it’s critical for Tim...
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Student Stress in Business Schools: For What?!
This week my students wrote their midterm exams. The exams only take up half of the class, so I used the rest of the class to discuss the topic of stress in the workplace. No doubt the onslaught of...
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The Paradox of Corporate Philanthropy
I sympathize with companies that do their best to demonstrate to society that they are good corporate citizens. In the past, the norm was for companies to contribute to any possible charity to...
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8 Struggles of the Conscious Consumer
It’s hard to be a conscious consumer!We all know that higher prices prohibit us from consuming sustainably. But the barriers facing the conscious consumer go well beyond costs and need to be...
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Uber: Supply and Demand Versus Fairness
Why is it that an explosion of complaints ensues when Uber’s price “surges” during something like the Toronto Commuter Crisis yesterday? After all, the price increase is only a reflection of the most...
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How to Evaluate Corporate Sustainability Reports
In today’s business environment, there has emerged an unprecedented expectation on companies to provide explicit information on their performance across the triple bottom line. Consumers, employees,...
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5 Business Strategies for Sustainability
The term sustainability or corporate social responsibility has grown increasingly prevalent in corporate boardrooms and on executive agendas. In a study of 766 CEOs worldwide, KPMG concluded “that...
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Volkswagen and Reductionist Business Thinking
I’ve had some time now to reflect on the Volkswagen scandal having now discussed the topic on TVO here in Canada. During my interview on the program, I was asked whether I was surprised by their...
View ArticleExploiting Consumer Irrationality
In 1974, two economists published an article that has had profound implications for our understanding of how people make decisions in their everyday lives. Nobel Prize winners Amos Tversky and Daniel...
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Putting the "Public" Back into "Publication"
Let’s talk about the academic publishing industry. Or, as I like to refer to it, knowledge hoarders!I’m an academic. It is my job to publish researchin reputable journals to contribute to knowledge,...
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TD Complicit in North Dakota Pipeline Controversy
Recently, protesters chained themselves to a TD branch to protest the bank’s funding of the controversial North Dakota oil and gas pipeline. The pipeline is meant to transport natural gas from U.S....
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Moral Licensing - The Dark Side of Philanthropy
There is a growing trend associated with the relationship between business and civil society that has sparked some interesting discussion. Consider the following:Growing Power is an NGO that works...
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Canadian Banks: The Golden Halo is Starting to Crack
CBC’s recent revelations about employee aggressive sales behaviour at the big banks represent a significant crack in the golden halo that has mysteriously persisted over top the Canadian banks. But...
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RBC Chief Exec Almost Hit By Bus!!
Recently, RBC CEO David McKay showed increasing concern about an out of control housing market in Toronto and Vancouver, citing the need for government regulation to slow the trend.LOOK OUT FOR THE BUS...
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Ontario Minimum Wage Increase. Good or Bad?
The flurry of news and commentary regarding Ontario’s wage increase has been dizzying not only because of the amount of commentary but because of how definitive people seem to be despite the stark...
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Facebook's Debacle - Denying Responsibility
Facebook’s recent debacle represents another example of a business that is quite apologetic for not considering that they might have a broader responsibility beyond their investors. As Zuckerberg, in...
View ArticleInstitutional Theory
Why do people behave the way they do in any given society? Better yet, why do organizations and the people within them behave the way they do? This is, no doubt, a complicated question, responded to...
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My Grandparents: A Challenge to the Western Food System
With my grandmother passing recently, I've decided to repost a story I wrote about how important it is that her very sustainable approach to food must not die with her. Here is the post:At seven years...
View ArticleMy Blog Has Moved
Dear Readers,I've established a new personalized website. All my past blogs and upcoming new blogs will be posted there. The website is at www.organizingforsustainability.comLooking forward to seeing...
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