#BCLCglobal

By Alexandra Tarazi, 2012 Global Conference writer and recent MBA graduate with an emphasis on CSR

Paula Davis is president of the Alcoa Foundation.

Most successful entrepreneurs innovate to meet needs in the marketplace, but few have transformed conventional thinking as Ross Beerman. As the founder and managing director of AllLife, Beerman is helping build a brighter future for those living with HIV in South Africa.

Last week was an exciting one for BCLC! Not only did BCLC host our annual global conference, “CSR: Business Solutions for Emerging Markets,” but we also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Corporate Social Responsibility Association of Turkey (CSR Turkey), an affiliate of CSR Europe. The MoU expands the working relationship between the two organizations for the next three years.

If you’re reading this blog post, it’s possible that your organization is a change agent. If you’re part of an organization that was represented at our conference this week, I’m certain you’re a change agent. How do I know?

In his 1985 book, “Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance,” Michael Porter introduced the concept of the value chain. He saw it as a fundamental issue for business—how to influence every facet of business operations in such a way that they create more value than the cost of creating those outputs and maximize profit margin.

No doubt, a growing number of companies are tackling social and environmental issues in emerging markets. But what’s the most effective path to success?

During BCLC’s CSR: Business Solutions for Emerging Markets Conference, a panel of corporate and government officials held a lively discussion on the strategic benefits of the Business Case for Development. In other words, integrating CSR investments to support an organization’s core business.

//Editor's Note: Ms. Janah is BCLC's Oct. 11th keynote speaker at the 2012 Global Conference, CSR: Business Solutions for Emerging Markets. Follow the conference tweetchat at #BCLCglobal. A video with part of her speech will be available after the conference.//

This article originally appeared on CIPE Development Blog. CIPE Executive Director John Sullivan will appear next month at BCLC's Global Conference, CSR: Business Solutions for Emerging Markets.