Welcome to GoodCo: Using the Tools of Business to Create Public Good

Citation

Rory McDonald (2015), "Welcome to GoodCo: Using the Tools of Business to Create Public Good", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 36 No. 7, pp. 899-900. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-12-2014-0241

Welcome to GoodCo: Using the Tools of Business to Create Public Good, by Tom Levitt, takes an in-depth view of the fundamental characteristics of social good within existing organisational landscapes. Through a detailed analysis of the varying factors which contribute to the perceptions and practice of capitalistic systems of business, Levitt outlines how existing models are incompatible with a sustainable and responsible global impact. Using the imagined “GoodCo” as a tool to deliver his message, Levitt discusses how lawful and ethical for-profit organisations can flourish as champions of respectful practice without sacrificing profit margins. Combining the descriptions of this hypothetical organisation with accounts of actual organisations that practice in a socially responsible way the author manages to paint a vivid picture of the inadequacies of existing business models. The central message of the book is that organisations do not have to sacrifice profit when building responsible business networks, and that in the near future resource scarcity and public economic pressure may force organisations to give up their outdated and extortionate methods.

Levitt builds into his message well, first setting a solid foundation by outlining the way in which businesses can act as a resource within communities, before elaborating on models of responsible organisation with a particular focus on the social nature of enterprises. More specific components, such as investment, impact, and market forces are also put into a community-minded perspective. Later chapters target fine tuning the tools of business for creating public good, before elaborating on the future of sustainable capitalism.

The balance of theoretical and practical insights in Welcome to GoodCo is well summarised in Levitt’s “Ten Commandments for Business in a Better World”. These propose, amongst other things the importance of: engaged and informed leadership in producing responsible change; far-sighted objectives and socially friendly growth targets; and proper management of employees, suppliers, producers, customers, and shareholders.

The thoroughness at which the text elaborates on the central issues of organisational responsibility are commendable. It would be easy for Welcome to GoodCo to devolve into a biased rhetoric expounding the sins of capitalism, but Levitt maintains a neutral position communicating his message in a language that organisations have a hope of understanding.

Welcome to GoodCo is a particularly well-written piece, managing to remain accessible without sacrificing depth. Levitt writes with particular confidence that betrays his experience. After 13 years as a Member of Parliament in the UK, having chaired the Community Development Foundation and been a member of the Commission on the Future of Volunteering, the author has since worked as an adviser to social enterprise in the area of corporate responsibility. The breadth of this experience shows in the writing, with clear examples being drawn and elaborated on from a range of political, organisational, and personal accounts containing both empirical and anecdotal evidence. In the books 252 pages Levitt manages to conceptualise an academic and community led ideal, and in turn flesh this out into a summary guide on how to best achieve an organisational state more in harmony with the social environment. The level of detail is never gratuitous, and maintains an impassioned attitude that adds power to the arguments made throughout.

The real beauty of Welcome to GoodCo, however, is not in its individual merits but in the delivery of its overall message. The potential good available to society through responsible organisational practice is seductively introduced to the reader in both an intellectually and affectively engaging manner. Overall, the book is a success in conveying its message. The central issue of organisational responsibility is of vital importance in modern organisational practice, and is well articulated to the reader. The text is written in such a way that organisations – those with the most significant ability to challenge the issues Levitt outlines – can examine the mechanics of their own practices. Levitt manages to sell the idea of socially responsible business by deconstructing the largely inaccurate perceptions that surround the issue.

Some may critique that Welcome to GoodCo doesn’t go far enough to challenge the ideas that drive the capitalist agenda of organisations in poorly regulated markets. On balance, this is likely due to the passion that surrounds these issues rather than an absence of consideration on the part of the author. The strength of this book lies in its ease of access for members of organisational systems and grounding in the fundamentals of organisational responsibility. Levitt’s other, highly acclaimed title Partners for Good: Business, Government, and the Third Sector builds on the work of social responsibility further in a way that may address the criticisms of a shortfall in GoodCo.

Overall, Welcome to GoodCo carries a highly valuable message in a blisteringly wholesome and profound manner. The importance of social responsibility, and the power that organisations can wield for the greater communal good, is brilliantly conveyed in a direct but sympathetic style. For those interested in social responsibility within modern organisations, fourth sector development, or the changing nature of social capitalism Welcome to GoodCo is an essential read. Levitt’s patient and keen writing style carries a genuine determination to see change. The passion of the text leaves the reader not only believing in organisational responsibility, but expecting it. An illuminating and engaging read for the modern age.