The adhesion to the Economy for the Common Good: Aligning organizations with values

Abstract

The Economy for the Common Good proposes a more ethical and sustainable society and organizations based on the common good concept. The study investigates entrepreneurs' reasons for joining the ECG movement and organizational changes introduced following the implementation of the ECG managerial system. Semistructured interviews were held with managers of nine Italian organizations belonging to the movement. Interviews were transcribed, and qualitative content analysis was performed using NVivo 12. Eleven nodes integrating 279 answer units were coded, addressing reasons for adhering, actions introduced, difficulties, overcoming strategies and enablers. The results suggest that ECG values and particularly Environmental Sustainability and Human Dignity are two main reasons to join the movement, that a Common Good Report is a valuable tool for the organizational analysis, that such analysis can be replicated with other ECG organizations, and that pursuing decent work conditions strengthens the adhesion to the ECG movement. The seven conceptual propositions highlight the congruence between the value structure of the organization and the values of the ECG, the congruence between the values held by proximal organizational stakeholders and the changes encouraged by ECG approach, and that rewards and recognition by the organizational stakeholders and society reinforce and maintain the adhesion path.