“In a sense, African entrepreneurs run profit ecosystems rather than business units. These ecosystems interact with other ecosystems in a culturally elaborate manner that can produce extreme robustness, resilience, and flexibility.”
(via @HBR from @echoinggreen)
“Time-crunched employees are increasingly looking to their jobs to provide opportunities for the good deeds that they don’t have the hours for outside of work, and companies are responding…Data from the Center for Talent Innovation (CTI) shows that the vast majority of college graduates want to amplify their commitment to good causes through their employer. According to the Deloitte Volunteer Impact Survey (PDF), Generation Ys who frequently participate in their company’s volunteer activities are more likely to be very proud to work for their company, feel very loyal, and are very satisfied with the progression of their careers. In fact, for many recent college graduates, a robust corporate social responsibility (CSR) mandate makes a crucial difference in where they choose to work, with 77% of respondents in a recent study (PDF) indicating that “a company’s commitment to social issues is important when I decide where to work.”
(via @HBR)
“When times are good, businesses tend to stick with what’s working. “It’s served us well so far,” goes the reasoning, “so why mess with success?” We fall into ruts where we don’t question whether the approach we’re using is truly the best one—we just work to push it further. It’s during these periods that needless layers are piled on: product lines expand, often without good reason; processes become more detailed and entrenched; project teams grow larger; and more people are involved in approving and completing every task. Companies, like households, accumulate stuff in times of abundance.”
Scarcity forces focus…
(via @HBR)
“So what can entrepreneurs in the developing world do? Follow the model of most South African companies — incorporate your business in Europe or the U.S. and run it from your own country. Doing so positions you to legally tie your assets to highly-liquid funding environments, and your exit path will be expanded. What’s more, if you incorporate in these markets, it will be easier for investors to help you find buyers, who naturally will prefer U.S. and European companies compared to say, African companies, because indigenization policies in some markets make it difficult for foreigners to own controlling stakes in companies. Understanding how your investors can exit is important if you want to raise funds easily. Just keep in mind that incorporating internationally requires collaboration; you can’t work in silos. To succeed as an entrepreneur in a developing country, you need to look for partners and expand your footprint.”
(via @HBR)
“We need to teach our youth that they can help people; that they can lead; that they can make lasting and important change in their communities and across the globe. Society, employers, educators, and parents need to recognize that our kids’ successful personal and social development must start with a mastery of several complex skills — empathy, teamwork, leadership, and change making.” (via @HBR)
How are we equipping our youth to view business and life as opportunities to impact social issues our global community faces? How are we inspiring them to recognize their potential in ways that go beyond simply financial return? What organizations do you know that are doing this?
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