Exploring kindness and its role in business

Introducing the Economics of Kindness

At Baringa we’re convinced that, no matter the macroeconomic backdrop, kindness in business really does pay. That’s why we’re taking this opportunity to explore the economics of kindness across four pillars: people, business, leadership and investors.

People – planet – profit, in that order

The notion of a ‘triple’ bottom line – people first, then planet, then profit – is reshaping how organisations around the world do business. They’re bringing corporate kindness to the fore as we enter a new type of economy, and the businesses that organise themselves in this way will be the ones that succeed.

Redefining kindness in the workplace

Corporate kindness is all about the impact an organisation has on the world, engaging in responsible practices that benefit their customers, employees, and the communities they operate in.

Kindness can help you make decisions

Consumers vote with their wallets by choosing what they buy and who they spend with. Businesses can choose their suppliers, who they work with, and which markets they serve. Employees can choose who to work for and which career path to take.

Bringing kindness back to the top of the leadership agenda

Should kindness be back at the top of the leadership agenda? Managing Partner Adrian Bettridge discusses how when we lead with kindness, we generate lasting success for ourselves, our clients and our businesses.

Why corporate kindness makes good business sense

Traditional economics assumes the world has unlimited resources, but we live on a planet with fixed boundaries. There’s a growing awareness – undoubtedly accelerated by the climate crisis – of the negative externalities associated with economic activity, including waste, pollution, low wages, and unemployment.

If people are your greatest asset, kindness is key

Do kind cultures reap the benefits? For #WorldKindnessDay, Emma Pace, Baringa's Chief People Officer, discusses how kindness creates competitive advantage.

Governing with kindness: the transformative power of kindness in the public sector

Do government organisations need to prioritise kindness in order to deliver lasting impact for people and society? We explore how the principles of kindness can be applied to tackling public sector challenges.

Our Economics of Kindness journey: the story so far

What have we learned about kindness in business and in our public organisations? Does it pay? And if so, how?

Why being community-focused is essential for survival

Why wouldn’t businesses be community-focused? Especially if you consider your communities as customers? Andrew Reaney shares his personal experiences of why being community-focused is essential for survival

Building brands through kindness

Does employee welfare and personal happiness lead to increased productivity and profit? Baringa and Ella’s Kitchen discuss the role of kindness in its rapid growth and how companies can help overcome the rise in loneliness.

Clarity and self-accountability: the cornerstones of kind leadership

How do you break the circle of artificial harmony and of avoiding honesty? Leadership coach Jeremy Sweeney explores how to humanise organisations, the power of accountability, and whether kindness pays.

Kinship fuels growth – a view from technology businesses

What drives innovation and growth? Supportive comments or complete honesty? If you’re a high growth tech business, it’s kinship. Startup advisory Sapphire & Steel share their views on the economics of kindness.

How to balance kindness and profitability

We discuss why employers need to support their people beyond pay packet alone, the benefits of doing so, and the perils of short-term thinking.

The challenges of being a kind leader

In this conversation, Mike Lewis (previous CEO of E.ON) shares his experiences, what kindness means to him, and how being kind helped him navigate the most unprecedented challenge of recent history.

It’s not easy to be a kind leader

Can leaders be kind all of the time? What gets in the way? Ian Peters reflects on the challenges and trade-offs of trying to be kind to all stakeholders.

Investing in kindness

Do kind businesses make attractive investments? Ian Moore, partner at private equity firm CBPE Capital discusses the evolution of private equity and why kindness and culture are strong indicators of whether a business is worth investing in.

Making space and time for kindness

We discus how leaders need to make space for kindness and the challenges of being empathetic in a post-pandemic world.

Being a kind leader in times of uncertainty and transformation

Paul Rama of consumer healthcare company Haleon discusses how the blurring of lines between work and life has meant leaders need to be more aware of their teams and demonstrate greater levels of kindness to be effective.

Consumers confirm: kindness pays

To get the public's view on the economics of kindness, Baringa commissioned a global survey to understand how perceptions of kindness affect purchasing decisions.

Firms considered “kind” are more likely to be successful

Our research indicates that kindness isn’t simply a matter of ethics – it’s a no-nonsense business issue too. If your firm is considered “kind”, it is likely to have stronger growth than a firm considered unkind.

It’s the kind business leaders that are the successful ones

Our consumer research indicates that kindness is not simply a nice-to-have attribute—the public equate success in business leadership with kindness.

It’s the kind companies that attract the investment

Are kind companies attractive to investors? Baringa’s global research on the Economics of Kindness found that kindness influences where consumers choose to invest their money.

Is kindness authentic?

We talk to four leading commercial semioticians to understand more about kindness and what businesses should do about it.

The bank of goodwill

The bank of goodwill: kindness as a commodity? Anya Davis explores how kindness improves workplace relationships and how reciprocal kindness pays with behavioural psychologist Annie Hazlerigg.

Does kindness have a place in modern economics?

Dr Saite Lu, Mead Fellow and Director of Studies in Economics at Emmanuel College, Cambridge explores how economic thinking has changed through time and why it’s important to refocus on kindness.

The value of low-ego leadership

High-ego leaders get the headlines, but do they let others shine? Elsbeth Johnson, professor at MIT Sloan, explains how charisma and ego can get in the way.