To progress or not to progress? That is the question

The last two decades have seen a dramatic increase in corporate power by way of deregulation, new communications and technologies that allow companies to undertake more extensive operations as well as exploit economies of scale, and increased access to capital. It is almost as if the fate of the planet is in the hands of seemingly impersonal institutions that are motivated by corporate profits more so than the welfare of the planet. Corporate scandals have shown that corporate profit is not enough for the long-term success of businesses in an international world economy. Because of heightened awareness success is tied to how organizations are evaluated by their surroundings and how closely they adhere to certain progressive standards.

But how progressive can they be? While it is easy to look to organizations as our hail Mary’s to a better tomorrow, it is inordinately simplified. True progress, the kind that counts for something and is not just a quasi-masked attempt at increasing shareholder value and goodwill, comes from a myriad of initiatives. Government legislation, politics, corporate practices, all the way down to the sub-unit levels of society, are all required for progress. It is going to take a more coordinated and synchronized effort to make social and ecological progress, beyond just “progressive business”