On March 16, Michael Ahlberg-Seberich, managing director of Wider Sense, and Dr. Johannes Bohnen hosted a digital "Lunchbreak Debate" to discuss new approaches to corporate social responsibility with participants.
Alhberg-Seberich and Bohnen presented the concepts of their books "The Corporate Social Mind" and "Corporate Political Responsibility (CPR)," both published last year. "The Corporate Social Mind" describes eight characteristics that companies must develop to arrive at their corporate social mindset. The cultural strategic approach explains how they can lead social change from within.
The thesis of the CPR concept is that companies promote their business when they develop their political brand and add a political component to their investment concept. In other words, politically sustainable management is a business case.
Bohnen introduced the roundtable by noting that the demands of customers, stakeholders, and shareholders for companies to act in a socially responsible manner have increased. This development is particularly noticeable among the younger generation, which is now taking on management positions. Both speakers agreed that it depends above all on a company's attitude and the consistent actions derived from it in society and politics to convey responsibility credibly.
An hour was spent exchanging practical experiences in a small, exclusive, and high-ranking group. In particular, the participants discussed processes of possible participation for companies in politics, as well as options of where to situate CPR within a company.
