Benefit Corporation A Sustainable Business Model for the Creation of Shared Value

Abstract

This paper aims to present the Benefit Corporation as a sustainable business model that pursues not only economic and monetary goals, but also aspires at generating a positive impact on the society and the environment. The first chapter presents the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility since its origin, outlining its evolution until the end of the 20th century. The second chapter investigates the different meanings and delineations that the Corporate Social Responsibility assumes since the early 2000s, introducing the concept of Shared Value and the design of new sustainable business models. The third chapter introduces the Benefit Corporation and the B Corp Certification, analyzing in detail the regulations and legislation in this regard. The phenomenon of the Benefit Corporation and the B Corp Certification is then studied first from an international point of view, and then in the Italian context. Finally, the fourth chapter, through the analysis of the Italian company Davines SPA, aims to bring a concrete example of a Società Benefit and Certified B Corp that managed to combine positive economic, social and environmental performances, in line with the notion of Shared Value Creation.