Trade Integrity
The underpinning human spirit of trade: social investment / Gratifying and harmonious business relationships / transparency of information / honest & accurate statement
Orientation: Social Capital – what are the governing human values and how are they exercised and expressed by the enterprise?
Context statement: The glue of a Business Eco System are the human values interlocking all trade and commerce. The motives behind the businesses that we forge, along with how well we as humans relate through these values, determines the essence of the enterprise and its eco-social contribution to our planet.
Guiding Question: Does the legal structure of the enterprise (e.g. Articles of Incorporation / Charitable Trust Deed) include a greater human purpose and contribution? Is there evidence of Triple Bottom Line behaviour (TBL – people, planet, profit), a spirit of generating and operating within gratifying and harmonious business relationships, a transparency of information and honest/accurate well intended advertising claim?
1. Social investment- ‘Increase’
- does the legal structure of the enterprise (e.g. Articles of Incorporation / Charitable Trust Deed) include a greater human purpose and contribution?
- what investments does the enterprise engage in with regards to human capital?
- is it possible for every worker to achieve financial independence?
- what investments does the enterprise engage in with regards to natural capital?
- is there a Triple Bottom Line ethos and Full Cost Accounting built into the enterprise which is evident by action?
- otherwise, how is wealth/ profit utilised and distributed by the enterprise in regards to social investment?
Orientation: The evolution of the modern corporate / business model has created a structure solely set up for the purpose of making money for the benefit of the directors and or share holders without liability to the externalities such as people and the environment.
This has gone so far as to bring about Corporate Personhood- a term used to define a corporate enterprise as having some human rights, including the right to freedom of speech (USA 1976), and later (1996) extending to statements of fact as well as statements of opinion. A corporate may exercise its right to free speech by making unlimited political contributions ( money=speech). Thus, an entity set up solely for the purpose of making money for the benefit of its directors and share holders may use its ‘financial voice’ to influence political parties and candidates, leveraging economic environments to it’s own advantage.
This powerful business model has operated on the world stage as a general Modus operandi.
Increasingly, we understand that wealth is so much broader than what can be deemed in purely financial terms and hence positive directions such as TBL have emerged. The financial collapse of 2008 brought to a head the social questions associated with business. The concept of ‘Increase’ encapsulates a more progressive economic directive - “to create genuinely better lifes for ourselves, which inexorably results in every other person (and the planet) being better off than what they originally were.” Vision for Humanity / Wallace Wattles
2. Gratifying and harmonious business relationships
A. The immediate work place
- is there a positive communication model in place and available to all employees?
- is there a general atmosphere of trust, respect, joy and compassion in the work place?
- is there a sense of worth while work?
- does the work environment consist of engaged employees?
- are there facilities and programs in place designed to provide “increase” to individuals and support the team? e.g. yoga, a vitalisation / meditation room, lunch time group jogs, weekly ‘fire side chats’, team building exercises.
- is there a presence of Biophilia (a well-being that comes from our connection with nature): outdoor facilities, plant life, running water feature, animals.
- what work place eco-process are in place – see Eco Processes
B. inter-business relationships
- Biospherically Correct Service Management Chain (BCSMC) – does the enterprise commercially interact with other Biosphericaly Correct businesses?
- Is there a progression plan in place to further the enterprise towards creating generation 3 Biospherically Correct services.
Orientation: Most of us spend 1/3 of our lives working, it is where we perhaps most interact with others, the value of these interactions can make a great deal of difference to the quality of ones life, happiness and personal fulfilment. The atmosphere created by the way we communicate, our perception of others, the feeling of inclusiveness and belonging along with the aesthetics of our surroundings affects attitudes, effectiveness and sense of worth while work. How we conduct our business relationships is as import as the actual business activity itself. This contributing to the over all perception of the service and enterprise.
3. Transparency of Information
Is information concerning the enterprise and it service of a transparent nature e.g.
- are all ingredients traceable to their point of origin allowing the consumer knowledge from where they have been sourced?
- have all tests concerning the product been disclosed in full unbiased detail?
Orientation: Traceability of ingredients for instance empowers the consumer to make a more discerning choice as to whether a service is right for them. Does this service and enterprise reflect their own principles. This level of disclosure would include information such as the use of genetically modified organisms, whether sustainable farming practices have been employed, the possible use of any synthetic materials, labour conditions etc.
4. honest & accurate statement
How accurately do the statements, visuals and imagery relate to the functioning and benefits of the service concerning:
- PR
- marketing
- advertising
Overwhelming pressure is on business’ to make ever increasing profits, leading to the promotion of ideals and aspirations rather than the true performance of the product to drive sales. For example, with evidence of ‘green washing’ we see the value in making accurate representation of the service.