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.
IKEA argues for businesses to go all-in on sustainability
Ask sportspersons what their ultimate aim is — from Usain Bolt and Serena Williams to Eric the Eel — and they'll tell you it is to win, finish top, or be the very best at what they do. Their achievements may not always match their ambitions straight away, but in their vastly competitive Read More...
How this chocolate company is challenging Hershey's and Nestle's business model (and winning)
Yesterday was World Chocolate Day, marking the 466th anniversary of when chocolate was introduced to Europe. Unfortunately, the chocolate industry has been getting a bad rap recently, with lawsuits and boycotts against big names like Nestlé, Hershey, and Mars for reportedly supporting child Read More...
Self-driving robots will start making deliveries in Europe this month
These adorable little six-wheeled robots will begin their deliveries in London and three other European cities. The robots will be deployed this month to make deliveries for food-ordering services Just Eat and Pronto, and carry packages for courier service Hermes and supermarket Metro Group. They Read More...
How empowering women benefits businesses
Tuesday, July 5, 2016 - 1:37amThis article was originally published in the BSR Insight. In May, thousands of advocates, policymakers and leaders from business and civil society gathered in Copenhagen for Women Deliver, the world’s largest global convening focused on the health, rights and Read More...
Google snaps up 236MW of wind capacity to power EU data centres
Data giant agrees purchase of clean energy from new wind farms in Norway and Sweden Google, the world's largest corporate buyer of clean energy, has struck a new deal to buy 236MW of new wind capacity to power its European data centres. The new capacity will come from two wind farms currently under Read More...
How a flex-time program at MIT improved productivity, resilience, and trust
In today’s increasingly competitive hiring market, organizations need to think differently about how to attract new employees and retain existing ones. Unfortunately, many of the obvious solutions require a financial investment: increasing salaries, bonuses, medical benefits, or vacation Read More...
Virgin Atlantic finds cheapest way to save fuel is to tell pilots to do so
In an innovative experiment, Virgin Atlantic has used behavioral science to ‘nudge’ its pilots into using less fuel. The experiment shows that significant fuel savings can be achieved with very little investment. The pilots were split into four groups: One which was simply told that fuel use Read More...
Can the advertising industry sell us waste-free living?
It was diving in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia that sparked Andy Ridley’s interest in environmental issues. Shocked at its state, he joined WWF and went on to launch Earth Hour in 2007, the huge climate change awareness campaign that sees buildings in 7,000 cities turn off their lights. Read More...
Technology bridges deaf and hearing worlds
The San Francisco Bay Area is the world center of technology. So it makes sense that it hosts the first pizzeria run entirely by people who are deaf but still can communicate with the outside world as though their hearing is perfect. The pizzeria uses a “video relay service”. This service Read More...
Floating hotel to open in London as part of social enterprise project
A floating hotel that aims to help long-term unemployed people get back into work is to open in London this autumn. The Good Hotel will take up a berth in Newham’s Royal Docks in September, after being transported across the North Sea from its current base in Amsterdam with the help of tug Read More...