ABSTRACT
Purpose in business has received increasing attention. If a company's Purpose goes beyond the pursuit of profit and takes into consideration the value created for society, then sustainability strategies, commitments, and goals become critical vehicles for delivering this. Ray Anderson's vision went beyond the company's business objectives, and Interface's Purpose takes the company's strategy beyond the walls of its factories to the products and services it delivers its customers, looking to create the systemic conditions required for sustainable development. Some companies were purposeful at their founding, an increasingly relevant dynamic given start-up culture around the world. Developing a Purpose must be a process that is owned by the leadership of the company: the board, CEO, and other senior leaders. Typically, it is an iterative process involving workshops with employees. The power of Purpose from a sustainability perspective is that, because of its all-encompassing nature, it can engage the entire enterprise.
