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What Is the Business of Business?

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  • Andreas Nilsson
  • David T. Robinson

Abstract

This paper develops a simple framework for understanding the emergence of new organizational forms, such as socially responsible firms and social entrepreneurs, that embody the private sector's efforts to resolve problems that typically have been within the purview of government and traditional public charities. We consider organizations that can generate both financial and social returns. Differences in the technologies between the for-profit sector and the social sector give rise to comparative advantages and play a key part in the analysis. This allows us to analyze the conditions under which hybrid organizations emerge in place of traditional charities and profit-maximizers.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Nilsson & David T. Robinson, 2018. "What Is the Business of Business?," Innovation Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 18(1), pages 79-106.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ipolec:doi:10.1086/694408
    DOI: 10.1086/694408
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    9. Nick Bloom & Christos Genakos & Ralf Martin & Raffaella Sadun, 2010. "In brief: Modern Management: Good for the environment or just hot air?," CentrePiece - The magazine for economic performance 303, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
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    12. Stephen Vertigans & Samuel O. Idowu (ed.), 2017. "Corporate Social Responsibility," CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance, Springer, number 978-3-319-35083-7, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jean-Etienne de Bettignies & David T. Robinson, 2018. "When Is Social Responsibility Socially Desirable?," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 36(4), pages 1023-1072.
    2. Rodney Schmidt, 2023. "Are Business Ethics Effective? A Market Failures Approach to Impact Investing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 184(2), pages 505-524, May.
    3. Jintao Lu & Mengshang Liang & Chong Zhang & Dan Rong & Hailing Guan & Kristina Mazeikaite & Justas Streimikis, 2021. "Assessment of corporate social responsibility by addressing sustainable development goals," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(2), pages 686-703, March.
    4. Matthew Lee & Arzi Adbi & Jasjit Singh, 2020. "Categorical cognition and outcome efficiency in impact investing decisions," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(1), pages 86-107, January.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G3 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • H44 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Goods: Mixed Markets
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

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