Business beyond profits

If business is to be defined by the narrow value of profits, then it will never win the trust of the community – and in the long-term it needs this trust to make the profits, says communications consultant Steve Manallack*, CEO, Australia India Business Council.

Brand experts and advertising gurus tell us that "caring is commercial", and when inspirational leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi urged us to aim for complete harmony of thought, word and deed, he was outlining a strongly commercial value system for business, but this has not changed the behaviour or profile of many business leaders.

The problem of poor image for business continues to grow, as Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of The Aditya Birla Group, has pointed out. "The world of business today is going through a crisis of trust, where the credibility of business leaders and the legitimacy of business organisations are subjected to questioning, " he says.