Business
Looking for positive and inspiring business stories? From green operations to employee rights, from innovative corporate structures to diversity and inclusion, the Business section at The Optimist Daily has got the latest innovative solutions from the corporate sector.
A study of Indian garment workers shows the productivity power of soft skills
The ability to communicate, lead, persuade, and persist are seen as increasingly important in companies where the ability to work in teams and across disciplines is prized. Studies have demonstrated that workers who combine technical ability with those soft skills have more job opportunities, and Read More...
Shell's pivot to renewables sharpens with California deal
Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the world’s second-biggest oil company, is expanding its bet on renewable energy. Shell’s North American unit agreed to provide a credit line for trading and a revolving loan facility to Inspire Energy Holdings LLC, according to a statement Wednesday. The Santa Monica, Read More...
Unilever is demanding Facebook and Google to help clean up the Internet
Unilever, the second-largest marketing spender in the world, has announced a pressing ultimatum to Facebook and Google: Clean up the internet, or the company will stop advertising on their platforms. The chief marketing officer of the company said Unilever will no longer invest in “platforms or Read More...
Why novels are the best business books you can read
Business-minded books may help you get an edge on the competition, but novels can be even more effective. Of course, not every novel offers the same chance to boost your emotional intelligence, but the ones that emphasise characters’ relationships certainly can. Novels with strong character Read More...
Making our way toward a low-carbon future is not just possible, but profitable
Climate change is already tangible today as we see more extreme weather events across the world. The four warmest years on record globally have occurred in the past four years and, in many places, these temperature changes and associated rises in sea level are already putting pressure on key Read More...
How gourmet chocolate enriches the lives of smallholder farmers
Chocolate once reigned supreme in Central America: The Mayans considered it the food of the gods, and they used cocoa beans as a form of currency. But the birthplace of chocolate has benefitted little from the chocolate boom — despite that this is where most of the world’s purest and most Read More...
The key to retaining employees is to involve them in social causes
If you’re a business owner, listen up. A recent study found the best way to hold onto employees is to get them involved in social causes. Not only does it help to retain employees, but it also helps to attract employees, with 55 percent of respondents in a study saying that a company’s support Read More...
Why Nike sees social responsibility as an opportunity to innovate
Environmental protection and equal opportunity are two of today’s most pressing global issues. Nike sustainability head Hannah Jones and soccer star Abby Wambach talk with Fast Company‘s Jill Bernstein about how international corporations and individuals alike can bring meaningful change to Read More...
10 big bets on optimism that changed the business world
For more than a century, American companies have been generating huge returns on progressive investments in employees and Read More...
Hiring remote workers made my entire team more productive
“Want to get lunch?” This is a phrase you’ll rarely hear at our office. It’s not that we don’t eat or spend time together, but it’s physically impossible for our entire team to be in the same place at the same time. Sixty percent of our team works remotely, so for us, grabbing lunch is, Read More...