Enterprise Excellence 2

Events

Business as an agent of world benefit

A landmark forum will be held from 23-25 October 2006 at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio) to focus senior business leaders and educators on ways of doing business that are profitable and successful in addressing the world's most pressing social needs.

This major forum is entitled 'Business as an Agent of World Benefit: Management Knowledge Leading Positive Change' and is sponsored by the United Nations (Global Compact), the Academy of Management, and Case's Weatherhead School of Management.

The forum aims to explore ways in which business can become more effective in eradicating poverty, enhancing the environment, and advancing peace – while still prospering financially.

Peter Heslam, director of Transforming Business, has been approached to submit a proposal for a paper at this conference. He hopes to oblige, should funding allow.

More information about the forum can be found here.

Transformation

Peter Heslam will be speaking at a conference in Nantwich (UK) entitled 'Transforming the World', to be held from 3-6 July 2006.

Other speakers include the leading South American theologian Prof René Padilla, Prof Peter Riddell (Director of the Centre for Islamic Studies, London School of Theology), Dr Ida Glaser, Edinburgh Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies, Prof Sir Brian Heap (Royal Society/Cambridge University).

The title of Peter's address will be 'Transformation, Relational Capital and the Role of Business in Poverty Alleviation'

Click here for further details.

Tomorrow's global company

Peter Heslam has been invited to contribute to a workshop entitled 'Tomorrow's Global Company: The Challenges and Choices'. This is organized by the influential London-based business think tank Tomorrow's Company, which grew out of an enquiry into the future of business conducted by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce (RSA).

The four questions the workshop will address are:

* What should be the role of business in society in the context of globalization

* How should the relationships between wealth-creating enterprises, financial institutions, government and civil society be developed and managed?

* How can companies lead, manage and benefit from a diverse workforce whilst maintaining a strong core purpose and set of values?

* How can business address its critics and form productive relationships which yield positive outcomes

The event will take place on 6th June 2006 and is supported by Tomorrow's Company members, including BP, KPMG and Anglo-American.

The moral nature of the company

The well-known writer, thinker and journalist Clifford Longley has said that the next big issue facing business is the moral nature of the company.

That is exactly the issue the Ely Work/Life Seminar is seeking to address in a series of seminars that began in February, at which Peter Heslam was one of the speakers and participants.

Peter will also be speaking at the next seminar in the series, starting after lunch on 23rd Nov and finishing after lunch on 24th Nov 2006 (a 24 hour event).

Other speakers at the seminar will include the Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs, Prof Brian Griffiths (Lord Griffiths of Fforestfach).

The third seminar in the series will have the same 24-hour format, from 22 to 23 March 2007.

For further details, contact Canon Peter Sills here.

Strengthening material and spiritual capital

Peter Heslam will be a speaker at an international seminar for the staff of Integra Ventures at Schloss Mittersill in Austria from June 11-15, 2006.

Integra is a Slovakian-based network of enterprise agencies in Central and Eastern Europe. It offers practical, professional and financial help for entrepreneurs to climb out of poverty through starting and growing businesses. It also promotes practical marketplace ethics and corporate citizenship, thus helping to strengthen civil society, democracy and the market economy in these countries.

The seminar is part of Integra's 'UpStream' programme, a three year initiative designed to strengthen the transformative impact of Integra's operations, in terms both of spiritual and material capital.

Peter has been asked to focus his presentation on the contemporary relevance of historical case studies of transformative business - such as Cadbury, Boots, Guinness, Thomas Cook, Barclays, Marks and Spencer - drawing on the in-depth research he has carried out in this area.

Intergra's website is www.integra.sk

The good company

Peter Heslam will be co-presenting a paper on 'Catholic Social Teaching and the Role of Business in the Eradication of Poverty' at a major international conference on 'The Good Company' to be held at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy, from October 5-7, 2006.

Peter's co-presenter with be Transforming Business Patron Ben Andradi, entrepreneur, CEO of Servista and writer for the journal The Tablet.

This high-powered and high-profile conference represents a serious attempt to bring Catholic social thought together with contemporary business practice, particularly in terms of the corporation's positive role in society.

Click here to register or to find out more.

Business and human rights

The Royal Society of International Affairs, also known as Chatham House, is one of the world's leading independent research institutes on global issues.

Recently it has focused on the issue of business and human rights, in the wake of the interim report by Dr John Ruggie, the UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights.

This report tackles the question how companies can help contribute to capacity-building and deal with the dilemmas of operating in weak governance zones (see 'Resources' section of the ezine, which features this report).

Chatham House are staging other events relevant to business and development. For more information click here.

Transforming Business is in discussion with Chatham House about the possibility of organizing a joint consultation on the role on enterprise in poverty alleviation. Watch this space for further details.

Jewish ethics for young business people

The Jewish Association for Business Ethics (JABE) encourages high standards of integrity in professional conduct and seeks to develop an ethical approach to business based on Jewish teaching.

An important stream within the organization is the JABE Generation, which aims to tackle those business issues affecting younger business people (25 - 45 year olds).

For events organized by JABE, visit its website here.

Tough love

The Christian Association of Business Executives (CABE) is holding a lecture entitled 'How Tough Should a Christian Manager Be?' on 21st June 2006 by Peter Shaw, partner of the coaching firm Praesta.

The lecture will be held at St Peter's Church, Eaton Square, London, close to Victoria station.

For more information about CABE's activities, click here.