Michael Porter: Why business can be good at solving social problems

譯者: Marssi Draw 審譯者: William Choi

I think we're all aware

我想大家都意識到

that the world today is full of problems.

現在世界上充滿了各種問題。

We've been hearing them

我們聽到這些問題，

today and yesterday and every day for decades.

不論是今天還是昨天， 日復一日，已長達數十年。

Serious problems, big problems, pressing problems.

嚴重的問題、大問題、急迫的問題。

Poor nutrition, access to water,

營養不良、水源缺乏、

climate change, deforestation,

氣候變遷、森林砍伐、

lack of skills, insecurity, not enough food,

技能匱乏、治安不好、食物短缺、

not enough healthcare, pollution.

醫療照護不足和環境污染。

There's problem after problem,

接二連三的問題，

and I think what really separates this time

我認為真正能突顯此時此刻

from any time I can remember in my brief time

和我有記憶以來的其它日子不同的是

on Earth is the awareness of these problems.

人們意識到這些問題，

We're all very aware.

我們都很清楚地意識到這些事。

Why are we having so much trouble

那麼為什麼我們處理這些問題

dealing with these problems?

會有那麼多麻煩？

That's the question I've been struggling with,

這是一直以來，我嘗試用自己的不同角度

coming from my very different perspective.

去思考解決的問題。

I'm not a social problem guy.

我不是那種解決社會問題的人，

I'm a guy that works with business,

我是和企業合作的人，

helps business make money.

幫企業賺錢。

God forbid.

老天啊。

So why are we having so many problems

那麼為什麼我們在社會中

with these social problems,

有這麼多問題呢？

and really is there any role for business,

企業可擔任什麼角色嗎？

and if so, what is that role?

可以的話那角色是什麼？

I think that in order to address that question,

我認為要解決這個問題，

we have to step back and think about

我們應該先往後退一步，並思考

how we've understood and pondered

如何了解與衡量

both the problems and the solutions

我們所面臨的重大社會挑戰

to these great social challenges that we face.

所帶來的問題和解決辦法。

Now, I think many have seen business

我想，現今有許多人把企業

as the problem, or at least one of the problems,

視為問題，或者說至少是

in many of the social challenges we face.

我們所面臨的社會挑戰中的問題之一。

You know, think of the fast food industry,

你想想速食業、

the drug industry, the banking industry.

藥品業和銀行業。

You know, this is a low point

你知道，社會上普遍對

in the respect for business.

企業毫無敬意可言。

Business is not seen as the solution.

企業並不被視為解決方式，

It's seen as the problem now, for most people.

對大部分人來說，企業是問題所在，

And rightly so, in many cases.

而且在許多案例中確實如此。

There's a lot of bad actors out there

外面有很多糟糕的企業，

that have done the wrong thing,

做出許多錯誤決定，

that actually have made the problem worse.

讓問題變得更嚴重。

So this perspective is perhaps justified.

因此這個觀點也許情有可原。

How have we tended to see the solutions

我們傾向如何解決

to these social problems,

這些社會問題，

these many issues that we face in society?

這些我們在社會中所面對的眾多爭議呢？

Well, we've tended to see the solutions

一直以來，我們傾向見到出面解決的

in terms of NGOs,

是非政府組織、

in terms of government,

公部門

in terms of philanthropy.

和慈善團體。

Indeed, the kind of unique organizational entity

而確實，這類獨特的組織，

of this age is this tremendous rise of NGOs

在這個年代崛起的是 大量的非政府組織

and social organizations.

和社會組織。

This is a unique, new organizational form

這是一種獨特的、新型的組織形式，

that we've seen grown up.

是目前已發展的形式。

Enormous innovation, enormous energy,

大幅度的革新、龐大的能源，

enormous talent now has been mobilized

和無數有才能的人們都被動員來

through this structure

進入這個體系，

to try to deal with all of these challenges.

嘗試接受這些挑戰。

And many of us here are deeply involved in that.

在座有許多人也致力於此。

I'm a business school professor,

我是商學院的教授，

but I've actually founded, I think, now, four nonprofits.

但其實我現在設立了四個非營利組織。

Whenever I got interested and became aware

每當我開始關注並意識到

of a societal problem, that was what I did,

一項社會問題時，如同我一貫的做法，

form a nonprofit.

就是成立非營利組織。

That was the way we've thought about how to deal

那是我們大家會想到能夠解決

with these issues.

這些議題的方式，

Even a business school professor has thought about it that way.

即使是商學院教授都會 往這個方向思考。

But I think at this moment,

但我想在此時此刻，

we've been at this for quite a while.

我們已有很長一段時間處於這種狀態，

We've been aware of these problems for decades.

我們意議到這些問題已經好幾十年了，

We have decades of experience

我們有數十年的經驗，

with our NGOs and with our government entities,

透過我們的非政府組織和公部門來處理，

and there's an awkward reality.

但是現實慘不忍睹。

The awkward reality is we're not making

慘不忍睹的原因是我們的

fast enough progress.

進展太慢。

We're not winning.

我們沒能戰勝。

These problems still seem very daunting

這些問題依舊讓人洩氣、

and very intractable,

十分棘手，

and any solutions we're achieving

任何我們採取的解決方式

are small solutions.

都只能用在枝微末節上。

We're making incremental progress.

我們只能緩慢前進。

What's the fundamental problem we have

我們在處理這些社會問題時

in dealing with these social problems?

所面臨的根本問題是什麼呢？

If we cut all the complexity away,

如果無視於這些錯綜複雜的麻煩，

we have the problem of scale.

就會發現我們的問題在於規模。

We can't scale.

我們無法擴大規模。

We can make progress. We can show benefits.

我們能有進展，讓你看見好處，

We can show results. We can make things better.

能夠看得見結果，讓事情好轉。

We're helping. We're doing better. We're doing good.

我們提供協助，做得更好、更棒。

We can't scale.

但是我們無法擴大規模，

We can't make a large-scale impact on these problems.

我們無法在這些問題上 造成大規模的影響。

Why is that?

為什麼會這樣？

Because we don't have the resources.

因為我們沒有資源，

And that's really clear now.

而現況一目瞭然，

And that's clearer now than it's been for decades.

現況較過往數十年更清楚。

There's simply not enough money

問題只在於沒有足夠的錢

to deal with any of these problems at scale

使用現今的模式

using the current model.

來處理現當前的任何問題。

There's not enough tax revenue,

我們沒有足夠的稅收，

there's not enough philanthropic donations,

沒有足夠的慈善捐款，

to deal with these problems the way we're dealing with them now.

能提供我們用目前處理 這些問題的方式來處理它們。

We've got to confront that reality.

我們得面對現實。

And the scarcity of resources

缺乏足夠的資源

for dealing with these problems is only growing,

來處理這些問題的情況只會越來越多，

certainly in the advanced world today,

尤其是現今的先進國家

with all the fiscal problems we face.

面臨的所有財政問題。

So if it's fundamentally a resource problem,

因此如果根本上是資源的問題，

where are the resources in society?

那麼社會上的資源跑哪去了？

How are those resources really created,

那些資源是怎麼產生的，

the resources we're going to need to deal

我們需要用那些資源來處理

with all these societal challenges?

這些社會挑戰？

Well there, I think the answer is very clear:

我想答案很清楚：

They're in business.

資源都在企業裡，

All wealth is actually created by business.

事實上所有財富都是 靠企業創造出來的。

Business creates wealth

企業創造財富，

when it meets needs at a profit.

只要它滿足市場需求而獲利，

That's how all wealth is created.

所有的財富都是這樣產生的。

It's meeting needs at a profit

滿足需求而獲得利潤

that leads to taxes

就能帶來稅金，

and that leads to incomes

能帶來收入，

and that leads to charitable donations.

而且也能帶來慈善捐款。

That's where all the resources come from.

這是所有資源的來源。

Only business can actually create resources.

只有企業可以真的創造資源，

Other institutions can utilize them

其它組織能利用資源

to do important work,

進行重要的工作，

but only business can create them.

但是只有企業能夠創造資源。

And business creates them

企業創造資源，

when it's able to meet a need at a profit.

只要它滿足市場需求而有利可圖。

The resources are overwhelmingly

資源毫無疑問都是

generated by business.

由企業所創造的。

The question then is, how do we tap into this?

隨之而來的問題是， 我們要如何運用？

How do we tap into this?

我們要如何運用？

Business generates those resources

當企業賺錢時，

when it makes a profit.

就產生出那些資源。

That profit is that small difference

那些利潤就是價格和

between the price and the cost it takes to produce

生產所需的支出之間的細微差別，

whatever solution business has created

不論企業創造了什麼方式來解決

to whatever problem they're trying to solve.

他們試圖解決的問題。

But that profit is the magic.

但是那樣的利潤就是魔法，

Why? Because that profit allows whatever solution

為什麼呢？因為那份利潤能讓任何

we've created

我們所創造的解決方式

to be infinitely scalable.

變得力量無窮。

Because if we can make a profit,

因為如果我們能獲利，

we can do it for 10, 100, a million,

我們就能獲得十、一百、一百萬、

100 million, a billion.

一億，甚至十億。

The solution becomes self-sustaining.

解決方式變得能夠自己自足。

That's what business does

當企業獲利時，

when it makes a profit.

它就是這樣。

Now what does this all have to do

現在我們要怎麼把它運用在

with social problems?

社會問題上呢？

Well, one line of thinking is, let's take this profit

你可以這樣思考，我們把利潤

and redeploy it into social problems.

放進社會問題中。

Business should give more.

企業應該要付出更多，

Business should be more responsible.

企業應該要負擔更大的責任。

And that's been the path that we've been on

那是我們一直以來在企業中

in business.

所採取的方式。

But again, this path that we've been on

然而同樣的，我們所採取的這個方式

is not getting us where we need to go.

並不會把我們帶到應該要去的地方。

Now, I started out as a strategy professor,

我以擔任策略教授起家，

and I'm still a strategy professor.

至今仍是，

I'm proud of that.

我以此為傲。

But I've also, over the years,

但是幾年來我也同樣

worked more and more on social issues.

致力於越來越多的社會議題。

I've worked on healthcare, the environment,

我處理健康照護、環境、

economic development, reducing poverty,

經濟發展、降低貧窮率，

and as I worked more and more in the social field,

當我涉足社會領域越深，

I started seeing something

我開始看見

that had a profound impact on me

某樣東西以某種方式 深深地影響了我，

and my whole life, in a way.

以及我的人生。

The conventional wisdom in economics

經濟學傳統的思考模式，

and the view in business has historically been

以及在商業中的觀點都已隨著歷史

that actually, there's a tradeoff

變成那樣，而事實上

between social performance and economic performance.

社會表現和經濟表現間已取得平衡。

The conventional wisdom has been

傳統思維認為

that business actually makes a profit

企業能夠獲利的原因其實是

by causing a social problem.

由於它製造了社會問題，

The classic example is pollution.

經典的例子就是污染。

If business pollutes, it makes more money

如果企業造成污染，就會賺更多的錢，

than if it tried to reduce that pollution.

相較於降低污染的情況。

Reducing pollution is expensive,

降低污染是昂貴的，

therefore businesses don't want to do it.

因此企業並不想這麼做。

It's profitable to have an unsafe working environment.

不安全的工作環境是有利可圖的，

It's too expensive to have a safe working environment,

要有安全的工作環境成本太高，

therefore business makes more money

因此企業寧可賺更多錢，

if they don't have a safe working environment.

即使他們沒有安全的工作環境。

That's been the conventional wisdom.

這就是傳統思維。

A lot of companies have fallen into that conventional wisdom.

有許多公司都陷入這樣的傳統思維裡，

They resisted environmental improvement.

他們抗拒改善環境，

They resisted workplace improvement.

他們抗拒改善工作場所，

That thinking has led to, I think,

這樣的想法會演變成，我猜，

much of the behavior

大部分的反應

that we have come to criticize in business,

會出現在對企業的批評，

that I come to criticize in business.

變成了我對企業的批評。

But the more deeply I got into all these social issues,

但是當我越深入這些社會議題，

one after another,

一個接一個，

and actually, the more I tried to address them

實際上，當我嘗試

myself, personally, in a few cases,

親自解決更多案例，

through nonprofits that I was involved with,

透過我參與的非營利組織，

the more I found actually that the reality

其實就會發現越多與事實

is the opposite.

相反的情況。

Business does not profit

企業的利潤

from causing social problems,

並不是從製造社會問題中獲得，

actually not in any fundamental sense.

事實上完全不是這回事。

That's a very simplistic view.

那是非常簡化的觀點。

The deeper we get into these issues,

當我越深入探究這些議題，

the more we start to understand

我就越能了解

that actually business profits

實際上企業的利潤

from solving from social problems.

是從解決社會問題中獲得。

That's where the real profit comes.

那才是真正的利潤來源。

Let's take pollution.

以污染的問題來說吧，

We've learned today that actually

我們可以從當今的情況中發現，其實

reducing pollution and emissions

減少污染源

is generating profit.

就能獲利，

It saves money.

能夠省錢。

It makes the business more productive and efficient.

能讓企業生產更多、更有效率，

It doesn't waste resources.

而且不會浪費資源。

Having a safer working environment actually,

其實還能有更安全的工作環境，

and avoiding accidents,

避免意外發生，

it makes the business more profitable,

讓企業更容易獲利，

because it's a sign of good processes.

因為這是良好流程的證明。

Accidents are expensive and costly.

發生意外要花很多錢，代價很高。

Issue by issue by issue, we start to learn

接二連三的問題讓我們開始學習，

that actually there's no trade-off

其實並沒有所謂的平衡

between social progress

存在於社會進步

and economic efficiency

和經濟效率之間，

in any fundamental sense.

不論是從哪個基礎觀點來看。

Another issue is health.

另一項議題是健康，

I mean, what we've found is actually

我的意思是，其實我們發現

health of employees is something

員工的健康

that business should treasure,

應該是企業要珍惜的一項資產，

because that health allows those employees

因為員工身體健康就能

to be more productive and come to work

更有生產力，就會來上班，

and not be absent.

不請假。

The deeper work, the new work, the new thinking

更深入的工作、新的工作和新的思維

on the interface between business and social problems

存在企業和社會問題之間，

is actually showing that there's a fundamental,

事實上這顯示了有一種重要、

deep synergy,

密切的合作，

particularly if you're not thinking in the very short run.

尤其是當你並不是從短期來思考。

In the very short run, you can sometimes

從短期來看，有時候你可以

fool yourself into thinking

騙自己

that there's fundamentally opposing goals,

有一項重要的相反目標，

but in the long run, ultimately, we're learning

但是以長期來看，最終我們會

in field after field that this is simply not true.

在不同領域中學到，這並非事實。

So how could we tap into

因此，我們要怎麼運用

the power of business

企業的力量

to address the fundamental problems

來解決我們當前所面臨的

that we face?

根本問題？

Imagine if we could do that, because if we could do it,

想像也許我們可以這麼做， 因為如果可以的話，

we could scale.

我們就能全面運用了。

We could tap into this enormous resource pool

我們可以運用無盡資源，

and this organizational capacity.

以及這個組織的能力。

And guess what? That's happening now, finally,

你猜結果如何？現在終於成真了。

partly because of people like you

有一部分是因為大家，像你一樣的人

who have raised these issues now

他們早已提出當前的這些問題，

for year after year and decade after decade.

日復一日，年復一年。

We see organizations like Dow Chemical

我們看見一些組織，像是陶氏化學 (Dow Chemical)

leading the revolution away from trans fat

引領革命遠離反式脂肪和飽和脂肪，

and saturated fat with innovative new products.

並且開發創新產品。

This is an example of Jain Irrigation.

這是耆那灌溉系統 (Jain Irrigation) 的例子。

This is a company that's brought drip irrigation technology

這間公司引進滴灌技術

to thousands and millions of farmers,

給成千上萬的農民使用，

reducing substantially the use of water.

能夠有效地節省用水。

We see companies like the Brazilian forestry company Fibria

我們看到像是巴西的 菲普利亞 (Fibria) 林業公司，

that's figured out how to avoid

設計出避免

tearing down old growth forest

摧毀原始樹林、

and using eucalyptus and getting much more yield

使用桉樹和儘可能

per hectare of pulp

讓每公頃生產更多的紙漿、

and making much more paper than you could make

製作更多紙張的方式，產量遠多於

by cutting down those old trees.

砍伐那些老樹來生產。

You see companies like Cisco that are training

你可以看到像思科這樣的公司

so far four million people in I.T. skills

到目前為止已經訓練了 四百萬人學習運用資訊科技，

to actually, yes, be responsible,

能夠真正的負責，

but help expand the opportunity

並且協助擴展機會來

to disseminate I.T. technology

傳播資訊科技，

and grow the whole business.

發展整個區域的商業。

There's a fundamental opportunity for business today

現在有許多重要的機會讓企業

to impact and address these social problems,

可以影響、解決這些社會問題，

and this opportunity

而這個機會

is the largest business opportunity

是我們在商業中見到

we see in business.

最大的商機。

And the question is, how can we get business

問題是，我們要怎麼讓

thinking to adapt this issue of shared value?

企業的思維改變為認同 這個共享價值 (shared value)？

This is what I call shared value:

我稱為共享價值的是：

addressing a social issue with a business model.

用商業模式來解決社會問題。

That's shared value.

那就是共享價值。

Shared value is capitalism,

共享價值就是資本主義，

but it's a higher kind of capitalism.

但那是更高層次的資本主義。

It's capitalism as it was ultimately meant to be,

這個資本主義的終極目標是

meeting important needs,

滿足重要需求，

not incrementally competing for

而非不斷地競爭

trivial differences in product attributes

只有細微差異的產品

and market share.

和市場佔有率。

Shared value is when we can create social value

共享價值即是我們能夠 同步地建立社會價值

and economic value simultaneously.

和經濟價值。

It's finding those opportunities

找尋這些機會

that will unleash the greatest possibility we have

就能釋放我們所擁有的最大機會，

to actually address these social problems

來真正地解決這些社會問題，

because we can scale.

因為我們能夠大規模運作。

We can address shared value at multiple levels.

我們能夠在各種層級上運用共享價值。

It's real. It's happening.

這是真的，也正在發生。

But in order to get this solution working,

但是為了讓這個解決方式實現，

we have to now change how business sees itself,

我們必須讓企業改變看待自身的方式，

and this is thankfully underway.

讓人欣慰的是這件事正在發生。

Businesses got trapped into the conventional wisdom

企業過去陷於傳統思維，

that they shouldn't worry about social problems,

認為他們不該操心社會問題，

that this was sort of something on the side,

就像某些東西放在一旁，

that somebody else was doing it.

別人會去做。

We're now seeing companies

現在，我們可以見到許多公司

embrace this idea.

接受這個想法。

But we also have to recognize business

但是我們也必須承認企業

is not going to do this as effectively

不會投入太多的資源，

as if we have NGOs and government

如同非政府組織或是公部門

working in partnership with business.

和企業建立夥伴關係那樣積極。

The new NGOs that are really moving the needle

新興非政府組織中真正造成重大影響的，

are the ones that have found these partnerships,

就是那些已發起了這種夥伴關係，

that have found these ways to collaborate.

找到了這種合作形式的組織。

The governments that are making the most progress

各級政府中進展最快的

are the governments that have found ways

就是那些已找到方法

to enable shared value in business

促使企業採納共享價值，

rather than see government as the only player

而非只是政府部門單打獨鬥，

that has to call the shots.

孤軍奮戰。

And government has many ways in which it could impact

政府有許多方式能影響

the willingness and the ability of companies

公司的意願和能力，

to compete in this way.

讓它們用這個方式完成目標。

I think if we can get business seeing itself differently,

我認為如果我們可以 讓企業用不同的方式看自己，

and if we can get others seeing business differently,

如果我們可以讓大家 用不同的方式看企業，

we can change the world.

我們就能改變世界。

I know it. I'm seeing it.

我相信，也樂觀其成。

I'm feeling it.

我感覺得到。

Young people, I think,

年輕人，我想

my Harvard Business School students, are getting it.

我在哈佛商學院就讀的學生都了解。

If we can break down this sort of divide,

如果我們可以打破這道藩籬，

this unease, this tension,

這種讓人不安、緊張的關係，

this sense that we're not

我們的本意並非

fundamentally collaborating here

在此合作

in driving these social problems,

來製造社會問題，

we can break this down,

我們可以破除這個思維，

and we finally, I think,

最終，我們

can have solutions.

就能擁有解決方式。

Thank you.

謝謝！

(Applause)

（掌聲）