What do the senior executives of the world’s largest companies think about business’s role in the twenty-first century? Is business ready to meet the growing expectations people around the world have of it? Or is distrust of corporations causing business leaders to shy away from meeting the key challenges of the millennium?

Until now what we knew about executives' views has been limited to surveys and some general statements. As The Economist put it, at a time when many are rethinking the role of business, executives have hardly shown up for the debate.

The Center's Business Leadership in Society initiative will provide detailed insight into how executives are thinking about their role in society, and the challenges they face.

This initiative is the first extended study using face-to-face interviews with major CEOs and their direct reports. Their views are critical for anyone wanting to understand where society is going.

To learn more, we talked with Michael Blowfield, Senior Research Associate at The Center and manager of the Business Leadership in Society initiative.

Q: What are the aims of the Business Leadership in Society initiative?

A: First, it is learning what CEOs and other senior executives think about the role of business today and how that might change in the coming years.  Second, it is using what we learn to work with the business community and others so that companies are better able to take on leadership roles in society.

Q: Why this initiative, and why now?

A: We live in strange times: trust in business is declining but at the same time expectations about the roles companies should play in society are on the rise.  Various parts of society are saying what their expectations are, but we know surprisingly little about what business leaders themselves think. In this Ford Foundation funded initiative, we are talking face-to-face with executives.

Q: What are you asking them about?

A: These are wide ranging conversations. We talk about how the role of business has changed, and whether companies are being expected to be leaders on issues as diverse as education, corporate governance, public policy, health care reform and so on.  We discuss what helps and hinders companies from tackling key social challenges, so we are getting their views on the investment community, civil society and politicians. And we are learning about how and why companies engage with other members of society

Q: Who are you talking to?

A: We have recruited 25 major companies from the US Fortune 1000 and Global Fortune 500.  At each company we talk to the CEO plus a direct report – the CFO, the COO, the General Counsel.

Q: Are you talking exclusively about corporate citizenship?

A: Part of it is corporate citizenship or corporate social responsibility. But we are going beyond that. One of the reasons we wanted to do this initiative was because corporate citizenship only goes so far in tackling business’s relationship with society.  For instance, it doesn’t deal with some of the major aspects of contemporary business such as offshoring, taxation or corporate governance.

Q: Why are executives willing to talk to The Center?

A: Put simply, I think they trust the relationship companies have with The Center for Corporate Citizenship, but at the same time know that we will be rigorous in our approach. It isn’t a 'gotcha' but it isn’t a free ride.  People will see this in our findings and they will see it in the various publications and events related to the Business Leadership initiative over the coming year.

» To learn more about the Business Leadership in Society project, click here, or contact Michael Blowfield at 617.552.1552, michael.blowfield@bc.edu.