Former Unilever CEO Paul Polman explains why well-intentioned executives often act against broader societal interests due to short-term market and board pressures.
“You cannot change people's behaviors if you don't change the boundaries that drive people's behavior. Lots of CEOs are good people. They don't want more unemployment or more people going to bed hungry or more climate change. But yet they're behaving as if, and it's because of the boundaries around them, the short-termism of the financial market, you know, the pressure of their boards, that type of thing.”
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