Publications
Publications
- August 6, 2020
- Harvard Business Review Digital Articles
Companies Must Go Beyond Random Acts of Humanitarianism
By: Frank Cooper and Ranjay Gulati
Abstract
Any organization can write a check or mobilize resources when confronted with a crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic or a social movement such as Black Lives Matter. But corporate crisis response becomes much more meaningful when stakeholders know that the organization has been applying itself in similar ways and as part of its primary business over time for society’s benefit, and that it will continue to do so far into the future. Put simply, a well-defined organizational purpose should drive any actions you take. For example, PayPal has declared that it wants to democratize financial services and it was one of the first non-banks to offer Paycheck Protection Program loans. Mahindra Group, the Indian conglomerate, has a single-word purpose: “Rise.” It has devised many different ways to provide aid during the pandemic, from offering its resorts as healthcare facilities to using its IT infrastructure to monitor virus outbreaks.
Keywords
Citation
Cooper, Frank, and Ranjay Gulati. "Companies Must Go Beyond Random Acts of Humanitarianism." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (August 6, 2020).
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