Social Business — Everybody’s Business

An invitation to contribute a chapter to an edited collection is always welcome as an opportunity to promote one’s own perspective and inter. ests. However, in doing so, it is important that one does not stray too far from the Editors’ intention and the theme that they wish to address and illuminate. In common with many other ideas that enjoy widespread currency, ‘humanism’ is a complex concept covered by a wide variety of definitions and explanations, from which it follows that one would be well advised to ask the Editor which is their preferred approach when preparing one’s own offering. As editor, Richard Varey indicated that, ulti. mately, any perspective and point of view would emerge from a synthesis of the materials submitted. However, for the purposes of my own contri. bution he suggested that ‘my “Well-being Marketing “operates on human. istic principles, primarily dignity and human flourishing. Business is the careful use of resources to accomplish a better quality of life for all — by fulfilling basic needs — that is rewarded with profit for effective and effi. cient provisioning within limits’. In advocating what I refer to as Social Business I will attempt to follow these guidelines and in this chapter seek to identify some of the distinctive features of social business, why it is important, and current thinking about its effective implementation.