Two tout Era of Responsibility

Farmer School faculty members Brian Ballou and Dan Heitger

Basing corporate strategy on little more than maximizing the next quarter’s earnings may have once been considered “business as usual” by many companies. In recent years, however, that notion has been challenged by thought leaders within and beyond the corporate world, who argue that a sustainable business must account for the broader impact of its practices.

Farmer School faculty members Brian Ballou and Dan Heitger, co-directors of the school’s Center for Business Excellence (CBE), are recognized as strong voices in the rising call for sustainability reporting, good governance, and transparency. Both professors were featured as “influencers” in the publication produced by the Corporate Responsibility Officer (CRO) Association, and were among those who shared their insights in the cover story, “CRO Association Faces New ‘Era of Responsibility.’”

“Without globally accepted measures that demonstrate how sustainability initiatives create long-term value for organizations,” Ballou and Heitger wrote, “boards of directors and executive officers of organizations will find it challenging to prioritize them, particularly when facing financial and other shareholder-related pressures associated with the current global recession.”

The two faculty members also maintain an ongoing involvement with the international Accounting for Sustainability Project founded by Britain’s Prince Charles. They credit that involvement as the basis for their joint selection as the U.S. delegate on the Globe Awards jury.

The awards ceremony, to be held this June in Stockholm, marks the inaugural event of the Globe Forum, an international network of innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and regional leaders. The Globe Sustainability Awards will pay tribute to those organizations that most effectively integrate sustainability into their strategic plans and business reporting.

Beyond their role in casting the U.S. vote, Ballou and Heitger contributed a key component of the award process by developing the criteria upon which companies will be judged.

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