ABSTRACT
A new paradigm belief could be that service to society and the Earth is the core purpose, goal and responsibility of business. Another common old paradigm belief holds that competition is the law of the market and promotes effective and efficient business performance. Awards are one way to recognize best practice. Another is certification of management systems, which tends to encourage greater embedding of the values in the organization. One place where this is happening is Slovenia, where the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, in partnership with auditing firm The Ekvilib Institute, has run a family-friendly enterprise certification scheme since 2007. But family-friendly enterprise goes beyond the good reputations of a few. Apart from these quantifiable business case benefits, family-friendly enterprise is also about a shift in leadership perceptions and organizational culture. The organization was set up by a former academic colleague, Jacylyn Shi, as a global network of professional women working in sustainability.
