Research indicates that many innovations and social change initiatives fail to achieve their goals. One of the reasons they fail is because leaders lack an effective methodology that effectively engages support, addresses resistance, and integrates and aligns the innovation and change with the...

Enterprise development and its contribution to societal and economic outcomes are well known. However, limited research into microenterprises and the practices of microfinance and microcredit in developing countries has been carried out. This chapter presents the findings of research based on...

Microfinance is an effective tool for poverty alleviation. The sustainability of microfinance institutions is essential to create desired social impact. The chapter provides insight into how microfinance organizations create sustainable value, using a case study of ACCION San Diego (ACCION SD)....

“Business as usual” has come under heavy scrutiny. The financial crisis has caused many to question the basic premises of the current business system. In the following chapter, I will examine how organizations can cope with the current crisis by creating sustainable value. I propose that...

For decades, the Altiplano farmers of Bolivia had been marginalized by the remoteness of their home and exploitation by the private sector and injustices inflicted by the government. The notion that this impoverished region could sustain economic development might correctly have been described...

This case is based on 30 interviews with participants in a seven-year sustainability project at a leading North American manufacturer. The project enhanced financial value and positively impacted the natural and organizational environments. The case draws attention to innovative methods to...

Because it involves the interests of multiple stakeholders, sustainable value is a “wicked problem” that evades definitive formulation and clear solutions. Traditional approaches to problem-solving emphasize formulation of the problem followed by analysis and solution development. However,...