Firms of Endearment

This new edition of Firms of Endearment continues to break important new ground in understanding the power of capitalism to transform our world for the better. In the first edition, the authors gave us an introductory quantitative analysis, and a set of rich stories that made the analysis make some sense. Now, they take a giant step forward. They give us a proof of possibility, grounding a new story of business in solid economic analysis and practical management thinking.

R. Edward Freeman, University Professor, The Darden School, University of Virginia

Todays greatest companies are fueled by passion and purpose, not cash. They earn large profits by helping all their stakeholders thrive: customers, investors, employees, partners, communities, and society.

These rare, authentic firms of endearment act in powerfully positive ways that stakeholders recognize, value, admire, and even love. They make the world better by the way they do businessand the world responds.

They have created radically new rules. This extensively updated book will help you master those new rules, learn from their newest experiences, build your great firm of endearment, change the world, and succeed on every level that matters.

• Build a high-performance business on love (It can be done. Well prove it.)
• Help people find the self-actualization theyre so desperately seeking
• Join capitalisms radical social transformationor fall by the wayside
• Dont just talk about creating a happy, productive workplace: do it
• Honor the unspoken emotional contract you share with your stakeholders
• Create partner relationships that really are mutually beneficial
• Build a company that communities welcome enthusiastically
• Help all your stakeholders win, including your investors

Business has enormous potential to do good in the world. Much of the good is currently being done unconsciously simply by creating products and services that people value, providing jobs, and generating profits. However, business can also be done much more consciously, with higher purpose and optimal value creation for all major stakeholders, while creating cultures that optimize human flourishing... Firms of Endearment points the way that all businesses should aspire to emulate and ultimately transcend. I am grateful to the authors for their landmark contribution...

John Mackey, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Whole Foods Market

Contains Dozens of New & Updated Case Studies Chosen through a Rigorous New Selection Process



Doing good is great business. In industry after industry, todays best companies have discovered thisand theyre leaving their short-sighted competitors in the dust.
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