Date of Paper/Work
5-2014
Type of Paper/Work
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership
Department
Organizational Leadership
First Advisor
Rebecca Hawthorne
Department/School
Organizational Leadership
Abstract
The boundaries between for-profit and non-profit organizations are less distinct now than in the past. Today, many non-profit organizations include revenue-generating and other business strategies in their operations. At the same time, many for-profit companies include a focus on social impact as part of their business goals. From this blurring of boundaries has emerged the concept of shared value, a practice that aims to create both economic and social impact. Through a literature review and analysis of interviews with six industry leaders and two subject matter experts, this study identifies how leaders define, demonstrate, and engage in shared value; the tensions they face in this context; and, the factors that guide their decision-making. This study also describes the ways in which the conversation about economic and social impact is changing, and provides recommendations for business, leadership programs, and future scholarship.
Recommended Citation
Hines, Nicole. (2014). Creating Economic and Social Impact: Leadership Decision-making in the Context of Shared Value. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maol_theses/23