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

Christine Arena (Author)

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

Product Description

Cause for Success presents groundbreaking case studies that clearly demonstrate how social responsibility can drastically improve corporate health, growth and competitive edge. Each "high purpose" company featured in the book approached a serious world problem, such as poverty, inequity or environmental degradation, as a business opportunity, and made more money as a result! These winning achievements put enterprises driven only by profits at a serious disadvantage.

In Cause for Success, Author Christine Arena uncovers:
- 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, and
- how some of the worst corporate citizens have become some of the best

Featuring illuminating interviews with British Petroleum group chief executive Lord John Browne, Interface chairman Ray Anderson, Avon chairman and CEO Andrea Jung, Hewlett-Packard senior vice president Debra Dunn, Grameen Bank founder Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and numerous others, the book provokes readers to think differently about the future of business and realize their own cause-driven success.

"An inspiring, compelling and highly readable set of stories about courageous corporate executives. This book will excite you about the powerfully positive role that corporate America is capable of playing."
– Tony Schwartz, bestselling author of What Really Matters

"At a time when business confidence is depleted and cynicism about corporate conduct runs rampant, Christine Arena raises our sights and expectations. She reminds us that the companies that seek to make both a difference and a profit are the same ones that attract the most gifted, committed and ambitious people. The cycle of virtue she describes is rooted in real case studies, not wishful thinking. Cause for Success is a cause for cerebration as well as celebration."
— Richard D. Parsons, chairman and CEO of Time Warner

"Cause for Success presents fascinating insights into a new paradigm for business success in the twenty-first century. It shows how a leading set of "high purpose" companies moved beyond charitable giving and used constructive social engagement as the central means of improving their performance in the marketplace."
— Bradley Abelow, global head of operations of Goldman Sachs

"When you Google "success" the first hit should be Cause for Success! This is a rare book – profiling interesting leaders, packed with useful knowledge, and well written and edited. Read it. Keep it close."
– John O'Neil, president of the Center for Leadership Renewal

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

"Cause for Success makes a compelling case that the great companies of the future will be companies that have integrated the motive for profit with the imperative to care about their community and environment."
– Jim Garrison, president of the State of the World Forum

"By examining several well known and widely regarded examples, the author effectively argues that it is in fact the commitment to do the right thing that has differentiated these companies and driven their success."
— Amy Domini, president of the Domini Social Equity Fund

"Cause for Success is 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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: New World Library; illustrated edition edition (October 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577314573
• ISBN-13: 978-1577314578
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.7 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 Bestsellers Rank: #889,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 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 (REAL NAME)

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.

9 of 9 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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book for Every Company's Holiday List, November 12, 2004

By	Charlotte Browne (Chicago, Ill) - See all my reviews

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

I have read plenty of business books from the latest authors - Collins, Buckingham, Godin, etc.. But Cause for Success is BY FAR the most inspiring, practical and thought provoking business book that I have ever read. This book shatters myths that ethical businesses can't be highly profitable, and raises the bar for the entire business community. It makes you think twice about how to run your company, and plan more wisely for the future. It will help you make better business decisions. DON'T MISS THIS!