The Business of Humanity^® project seeks to improve strategic decision making in organizations.

Using case studies and actual business examples drawn from firms studied in Brazil, China, Czech Republic, India, Russia and the U.S. the project explores the proposition that:

Strategic decision making that employs criteria falling under the rubric of "humanity" - in its two dimensions of "humaneness" and "humankind" - leads to superior economic performance.

The project documents the management processes and strategic perspectives of companies that practice the Business of Humanity^® to promote awareness among managers and academics, to motivate discussion, to examine the economic consequences, and to demonstrate how to practice the Business of Humanity^®.

There are three bases and motivations for the project:

• The short- and long-term economic and strategic advantages of "humaneness" in managerial decision making. Humaneness in business decision making focuses on criteria and programs related to safety, quality, diversity, environmental sustainability, gender equality, social sustainability, integrity, ergonomics and good design.
• The imperative of recognizing "humankind" in innovating strategy. Humankind in business decision making recognizes the global context of decision making and draws attention to the needs and potential of markets - at the "bottom of the pyramid" - with low per capita incomes.
• The inadequacy and potential dysfunctionality of accounting profits as a guide for managerial decision making, especially when:
  • facing crises,
  • innovating strategy, and
  • confronting wicked problems.