Cause for Success: 10 Companies That Put Profit Second and Came in First [Paperback]

Christine Arena (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2004

Stung by corporate scandals, many companies have begun integrating terms like sustainable business, conscious capitalism, and corporate citizenship into their annual reports. Is it mere greenwashing or are businesses today really mending their ways? Can corporate social responsibility become the new gold standard in business? In Cause for Success, Christine Arena finds reasons to be optimistic while she examines new business paradigms for doing good and translating that good into profit. From Hewlett-Packard to British Petroleum to Stonyfield Farm and the Grameen Bank, the book profiles two case-study companies per chapter, exploring radical ideas about why ethics-driven companies are today's business trendsetters, how standing up for social justice garners competitive advantage, the bottom-line benefits of serving the world's poor, the potential business rewards of philanthropic partnerships, as well as how some of the worst corporate citizens have become some of the best.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An important call to arms for all business executives to recognize the vital responsibility they have in this world." -- Philip Rowley, president of AOL Europe

"An important call to arms for all business executives." -- Philip Rowley, president of AOL Europe

"Arena raises our sights and expectations. Cause for Success is a cause for cerebration as well as celebration." -- Richard D. Parsons, chairman and CEO of Time Warner

"I loved this book. It will help all leaders redefine success in ways previously overlooked in traditional business analysis." -- Jonathan S. Lavine, managing director of Bain Capital

"Presents fascinating insights into a new paradigm for business success in the twenty-first century." -- Bradley Abelow, global head of operations of Goldman Sachs

"This is a rare book packed with useful information. Read it. Keep it close." -- John O'Neil, president of the Center for Leadership Renewal

"This is a rare book. Read it. Keep it close." -- John O'Neil, president of the Center for Leadership Renewal

From the Publisher

Stung by corporate scandals, many companies have begun integrating terms like "sustainable business," "conscious capitalism," and "corporate citizenship" into their annual reports. Is it mere greenwashing or are businesses today really mending their ways? Can corporate social responsibility become the new gold standard in business? In Cause for Success, Christine Arena finds reasons to be optimistic while she examines new business paradigms for doing good and translating that good into profit. From Hewlett-Packard to British Petroleum to Stonyfield Farm and the Grameen Bank, the book profiles two case-study companies per chapter, exploring radical ideas about why ethics-driven companies are today’s business trendsetters, how standing up for social justice garners competitive advantage, the bottom-line benefits of serving the world’s poor, the potential business rewards of philanthropic partnerships, as well as how some of the worst corporate citizens have become some of the best.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: New World Library (October 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577314573
• ISBN-13: 978-1577314578
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,146,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Movement towards a hopeful future, November 9, 2004

By 

D. Speck (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cause for Success: 10 Companies That Put Profit Second and Came in First (Paperback)

Christine Arena's "Cause for Success" is a refreshing glimpse into an emerging culture of consciousness. Especially so, when the news of the day is filled with Enronesque stories of corporate plundering of wealth and resources with little or no regard to the cost both in human and environmental capital, these studies bring both hope and inspiration for a better and seemingly reachable future.
Christine Arena provides 10 brilliant examples of business perceiving, then executing long-term plans that seemingly contradict current attitudes in corporate governance, giving the reader a push into a new way of thinking about success.
Ms. Arena opens her book exploring British Petroleum (BP) and Interface; in showing how these giants of Petroleum and Textiles are able to make the shift from a solely profit driven model of production to one that values both the social and environmental resources on a par equal with profitability, the readers are bound to give credence to the other 8 but nonetheless brilliant examples of corporations building business around "the right thing to do" and consequentially finding success.
A most inspiring read.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What is the new, new thing for business leaders today?, November 4, 2004

By 

Marcia Polese (Boston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cause for Success: 10 Companies That Put Profit Second and Came in First (Paperback)

Christine Arena has created a powerfully provocative portrait of business as a high-potential, transformational force in today's world. With real case studies of companies like British Petroleum, Hewlett Packard, Stoneyfield Farms and Avon - and not-so-well-known companies like Grameen Bank - Cause For Success clearly demonstrates how imaginative and socially-conscious business leadership creates high social value plus remarkable profitability. Ms. Arena challenges businesses to explore what people really want (clean air, good health, honest work, for starters-not just color variations on packaging). I'd list this book as required reading for every business school student - and everyone who aspires to true leadership in the 21st century.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cause for Success, October 26, 2004

By 

Corporate Guy (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cause for Success: 10 Companies That Put Profit Second and Came in First (Paperback)

Christine Arena's book is s truly ground-breaking.

In her book, Christine challenges the long-held belief that corporate "good deeds," while nice, don't always benefit the bottom line. She shows through a series of detailed case studies that, with the right tools, many businesses can actually improve their performance by embracing corporate responsibility in their day-to-day operations. At a time when the nation is rife with corporate scandals, Christine's book is a rare beacon of hope, demonstrating that we can successfully achieve a symbiotic merger of corporate and global human interests.

Advance copies of the book have been incredibly well-received and CEO's from some of the nation's largest companies have written glowing endorsements of the book.