Business and the Challenges of Inequality

Inequality in societies arising from wide variations in access to resources has been linked with many social problems such as physical and mental illness, incarceration, fragmented families and communities, teenage pregnancies and a significant loss of potential talent in the workplace. Wide disparities in income and wealth have also been linked with slow economic recovery from recessions, lower labor productivity due to shortage of qualified employees and massive shortfall in retirement savings and investment. This is a concern for many people across the political spectrum. President Obama called it the “Defining challenge of our time.

How do inequality trends affect businesses? What is the role of businesses and what measures can they take to address this challenge? Are some businesses part of the problem? The purpose of this conference is to bring together people in academe, business, government and the general public to engage in a dialog on this topic, to consider what actions might counter inequality trends, and become inspired to take action. This is part of the Elfenworks Center for Responsible Business’s mission to promote collaboration, shared inquiry and innovation in pursuit of responsible business practices.