Saving the Corporate Soul & (Who Knows?) Maybe Your Own: Eight Principles for Creating and Preserving Integrity and Profitability Without Selling Out

David Batstone's excellent book on corporate integrity is a must-read for executives and managers who want ideas on how to create profitable but soulful businesses that show heart as well as logic. This is not a text that preaches from the pulpit or revels in moral condemnation of Enron's misdeeds. For those of us who are sick to the teeth of reading Enron/Anderson post-mortems, Batstone's book will come as a refreshing change. Reputation building has always been a profitable way to grow a business. `Reputation is not the same thing as a brand' Batstone says. Instead he says, `Reputation is the perceived character a company holds to public eye', which is probably the best definition this reviewer has read. Using the eight principles outlined in the book, managers are guided through examples that have helped or hindered individual companies. IKEA vs Home Depot for example is cited in the Community section of the book - the underlying principle being `A company will think of itself as part of a community as well as a market'. Which one would you rather have open a store in your community, and why? For the record, the residents of Mountain View, CA (a pretty town near to Silicon Valley) said they'd prefer an IKEA, and not because they like modular Swedish furniture. The eight principles outlined in the book are: Principle One: The directors and executives of a company will align their personal interests with the fate of stakeholders and act in a responsible way to ensure the vitality of the enterprise. Principle Two: A company's business operations will be transparent to shareholder, employees and the public and its executives will stand by the integrity of their decisions. Principle Three: A company will think of itself as part of a community as well as a market. Principle Four: A company will represent its products honestly to customers and honor their dignity up to and beyond a transaction. Principle Five: The worker will be treated as a valuable team member, not just a hired hand. Principle Six: The environment will be treated as a silent stakeholder, a party to which the company is wholly accountable. Principle Seven: A company will strive for balance, diversity and equality in its relationships with workers, customers and suppliers. Principle Eight: A company will pursue international trade and production based on respect for the rights of workers and citizens of trade partner nations. If you are looking for one book to share with others in your organization to start a discussion on integrity and reputation, Saving the Corporate Soul should be it.

In a time when corporations, and the leaders who run them have lost the public trust, this wonderfully written, engaging book shows that it is possible to run successful companies ethically. A must-read for leaders who want to change the way their company is run, and anyone who wants to believe that people--and corporations can succeed ethically--without selling out!

I loved this book because it was so hopeful about what CAN be done to work towards integrity in the workplace. It is full of great stories and some real "ahas" -- and I have read a lot of stuff on corp responsibility. I recently saw the author speak and was really excited that someone is making a push towards this direction when times are so bleak. Worth reading.

Enough with exposês of the latest corporate scandal. It's refreshing to read a book that features companies that are doing the Right Thing. Better yet, the author gives me a road map for making changes in my own company as well. Saving the Corporate Soul is obviously written by a journalist who knows how to tell stories. He adds in events that have taken place in his own business experience, and those are some of the best parts of the book. I've already told everyone at my company that this is a "must book" to read.

Finally, a book that outlines what CAN BE RIGHT with the corporate world. I've been a fan of David Batstone's journalism for years. In Saving the Corporate Soul, he outlines what all of us--leaders, managers, office workers--need to do to fix what's wrong with business in America. His eight principles are right on--and readily implementable. I've bought a copy for everyone on my management team. Read it now.