The Pragmatics of Care in Sustainable Global Enterprise

Recent conceptualizations of sustainable global development have reflected societal concerns not only with environmental stewardship, but also with social amelioration. However, the tripartite goals of corporate profitability, environmental protection, and social responsiveness are unlikely to be achieved through conventional models of globalization. The emergent approach known as sustainable global enterprise provides a promising strategic alternate, but requires the development of “native capability” Hart, S. L.: 2005, Capitalism at the Crossroads: The Unlimited Business Opportunities In Solving the World’s Most Difficult Problems. (Pearson Education, Inc., Publishing as Wharton School Publishing, Upper Saddle River, NJ)] that comprises specific relational competencies not typically required by traditional transnational models. This article demonstrates the usefulness of an ethic of care for enhancing understanding of the competencies comprising native capability, and, provides practical insights from a care approach on the development of those skills. Sheldene Simola completed a Ph.D. in psychology at Queens University at Kingston, and is currently completing a second Ph.D. in management and organizational behaviour in the School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier. Research interests include business ethics, leadership, and, corporate crisis management.