Values-based enterprises: the good practices of Italian SMEs, passionately committed to people, environment and community

Sustainable development, which is as necessary for everyone as much as it is not yet shared by all since it calls issues of profits and advantage into question, needs courageous, creative, competent and enthusiastic people. People who add vigour to a theory where value does not always correspond just to stock market capitalization, but looks towards the intrinsic value which lies behind every act that man and organisations within which he operates are capable of, recovering the necessary space of human relationships (Gui, 2002; Bruni, Porta, 2004; Bruni, Zamagni, 2004; Gui, Sugden, 2005; Zamagni, 2003, 2007) as well as the deeper and truly “human” needs of each one of us. In a world situation which is complex and, unfortunately, often very sad, the contribution of he who succeeds, even against the stream, in affirming, in every field of life and work, a new inspiring logic of actions and choices which is capable of generating trust and hope in the future, becomes of fundamental importance. As far as the company is concerned, attention then goes to whoever is able to offer witness to integrity strategy, to generate trust, passion, sharing of projects, activities, strategies, successes, difficulties. Contractual and globalised markets, where the sense of the community is more and more virtual in character, excite solitary-minded egos yet leave our needs of communion and relationships unsatisfied (Bruni, 2003; Bruni 2007) and are incapable of offering a shared identity. Trust is the element (Fukijama, 1996) of which every person has profound need, and which the whole of society, including the business side of it, today seems to be in more need of in order to look to the future more positively, to build and not to destroy. Gratuitousness, happiness, reciprocity are not terms foreign to the economics dictionary, just as they were not in Civil Economy, which has its roots well-embedded in the Italian humanism of the city-states and which sees the market within a series of trust and reciprocity relationships, of civil virtues, with which it is strongly interconnected (Baldarelli, 2009). They do not only evoke attitudes of philanthropy, but also enter, as in the cases presented in this work, the realms of the mission, governance and accountability of for-profit companies since the number of interest groups widens and the operating techniques towards these groups have to be considered. In this way, social responsibility considers the cultural and geographical dimensions of the activity as well as the quality of life of a nearby or far-away collectivity. Correlation and interdependence however depend on the degree of motivation and on the intensity of the values which make up their base; they require the hard work of dialogue, passion and trust, courage and gestures which are not-necessarily extraordinary or amazing, but which are examples, that charge the little things with great intentions (Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta). The ethos and values of entrepreneurship are expressed by way of active aptitudes and refer to typically entrepreneurial attributes: spirit of initiative, creativity, leadership, charisma, organizational capability, enthusiasm, passion, ambition, desire, commitment, responsibility, imagineering. But, the ethicality of his/her role depends on the moral conscience of the entrepreneur, or rather on the presence of a base strategic and ethically marked orientation transferred to the company. It depends as well on the will and capacity of discharging well one’s role, of resolving problems relating to corporate growth while placing the solution of issues of a human and social nature to the fore, beside the economic ones, and of contributing to the construction of a sustainable socio-economic environment. This means reconciling economic function with human conditions, all of which can be done if values and priorities are re-evaluated, and not merely in the sense of arbitrary and personal values, but of “supervalues”, which entrepreneurs may become excellent evidence of. In light of this premise, the research into the field of corporate-economics offers the chance, in particular by way of an inductive study approach, centered on the qualitative analysis of corporate cases, to pause upon the values at the basis of the spirit and vocation of entrepreneurs transferred to companies “with soul” (Catturi, 2003, 2006) where economic objectives, and more appropriately human objectives, live side by side successfully. Analysis of three corporate case studies (BoxMarche Spa, Gruppo FAAM, Gruppo Loccioni), which are presented in the work following an initial phase aiming at the description of the theoretical reference framework, and are relative to small- to medium-size Marche companies who stand out for their CSR good practices as well as for their use of communication tools, intends proposing a moment’s thought concerning the centrality of the values which are focused on respecting and making the most of the person and of human rights, of relationships, of local and general environment. This study, indeed, develops through a cognitive approach directed towards entrepreneurs (who have become/who are also partners in promoting information activities of good practice methods in the university field) which allows us to interpret – by way of talks, interviews (relating the actual words of those immediate protagonists) – the value roots which inspire this behaviour which is oriented to sustainable corporate management and governance. Such values are widespread and are promoted among other actors throughout the territory (institutions, trade union organisations and associations, banks, charitable or non-profit foundations, universities, etc.) and they translate into a particular activism and sensitiveness to CSR. Entrepreneurs considered in this study present traits and characteristics in common: a peculiar moral value depth, which obtains – from values widespread throughout original territories (and fruit of historical, anthropology and cultural factors of the rural culture typical of the Marche region) – richness of charisma, enthusiasm, capacity to transmit and spread its own vision of a convivial company, to knit together networks of relationships – whether or not they are based on contracts – which have the respect for the person, for the environment, for the community close at hand, as well as for that one far away, at their core. They live their own role of constructors: “Perhaps it’s a little presumptuous, but we love to define ourselves as the agents of civilization. The small entrepreneur is a builder (of systems, of men, of wealth); he relates himself to the world, to his clients, to his community; he lives his passions, hopes, dreams, plans. The enterprise has a soul and it has those intangible assets linked to the spirit and to the dignity of the person.” (Tonino Dominici, Managing director BoxMarche). Able to transfer this vision to the company, to every internal and external collaborator and, more generally, to the stakeholders, and to propose themselves in a pro-active fashion towards the community and institutions, such entrepreneurs actually cooperate in constructing the common good, offering precious testimony to a different and winning way of being and doing business, of building the socio-economic environment, and “changing the world”. They, also, present themselves as innovators, who starting from “an act of faith”, from trust, they are able to feed - by way of concentric circles - a positive imitation process.