Certified B Corps: Using Business as a Force for Good

Abstract

A growing number of organizations are incorporating corporate social responsibility into their strategy and operations. Such organizations distinguish themselves as having a triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. Certification systems guide organizations in their journeys toward becoming sustainable businesses and permit them to differentiate themselves from other organizations in the eyes of investors, employees, consumers, suppliers, and the community at large. This chapter presents one such system: the B Corp certification. B Corps (or B Corporations; the terms are interchangeable) are perhaps the fullest contemporary expression of the argument that businesses have a purpose beyond maximizing shareholder profit. In this chapter, we discuss the B Corp certification’s origins, how a business becomes a B Corp, and the advantages and risks of doing so. Next, we present two brief case studies that illustrate B Corp businesses. Finally, we consider the road ahead for B Corps, including evolving issues, such as the B Movement and its ecosystem.