Good Business: Policy to Unlock Companies’ Benefit for Society

Good Business: Policy to Unlock Companies’ Benefit for Society

Marthe Hesselmans, Bart Stellinga, Ramy El-Dardiry, Danique François, Catrien Bijleveld

This open access book shows how governments can motivate companies to make a positive impact on society and why this is necessary in light of today’s pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges and transitions. It shows obstacles companies face in conducting socially responsible business. Focusing on government-business relations in the Netherlands, the book also exposes key policy bottlenecks: the tendency of the Dutch government to hold on to the status quo and shield incumbent firms through tax breaks and lax enforcement. There is a real risk of policies that pamper businesses. We also show how policies can better capitalize on the innovative qualities of entrepreneurship. Effective government policy makes it worthwhile for companies to alter their business model so that their products, services, and production processes benefit society.

Our recommendations address the role of government, consumers, financiers, and companies themselves. While this work focuses on the Netherlands, it tackles questions that countries face worldwide on how to minimize harmful business conduct and maximize good business solutions. This makes the book broadly relevant to policymakers, business leaders, and researchers grappling with the impact of business on society today.

Business, Corporate Governance, and Industrial Policy

Springer

2025

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

English

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