Alleviating Poverty Through Profitable Partnerships: Globalization, Markets and Economic Well-Being

patricia werhane, DePaul University and the University of Virginia
scott kelley, DePaul University
laura hartman, DePaul University
dennis moberg, Santa Clara University

Abstract

In this book, the authors approach poverty alleviation from an atypical perspective. The thesis is that poverty can be reduced, if not eradicated, both locally and globally, but this will occur only if we change our shared narratives about global free enterprise, and only if we recalibrate our mindsets regarding how poverty issues are most effectively addressed. They argue that poverty amelioration cannot be effected by the traditional means employed during the last century—foreign aid from developed nations and/or from non-profit international organizations. Rather, the authors present evidence which demonstrates that a mindset embracing initiatives developed by global corporations in response to the poverty challenge is significantly more effective. Global companies can alleviate poverty by seizing market opportunities at the Base of the economic Pyramid (BoP) with the implementation of three key processes: moral imagination, systems thinking, and deep dialogue.