"We need companies that focus on the common good if we don't want to destroy the planet"

José Carlos Ramos is a member of the Faculty of Economics and Business and a researcher in the MeL research group at the UOC. He is also part of the organizing committee of the 3rd Economy for the Common Good International Conference (ECGIC), which will take place this year in the Netherlands. Over the course of the three-day event, experts from around the world will discuss the success models of sustainable business organizations – those that care about the common good, not just their bottom line. In this interview, Ramos talks about the aims of this international conference and the involvement of the UOC and its researchers. As an advocate of the 'real' economy, he believes in changing the model so that companies seek to have a positive impact on the world around them, rather than interpreting success as unlimited growth, which he believes is unsustainable.

Your research analyses the differences between certain large corporations, which you call 'extractive', and companies that have a positive impact. Would you say that the former are in decline, while those that operate with an alternative model, one that is sustainable and more focused on the common good, are on the rise?

In our research with José Albors, we've identified three main types of company. One is the more traditional example of a successful business seeking profitability while also creating wealth and jobs. Then there's the type of corporation that is becoming supranational in scale and power, the most prominent of which are some of the big tech companies, which we call "extractive", seeking profit for their shareholders above all else, in many cases at the expense of the environment, in conditions of quasi-exploitation of workers or consumers, and with dubious tax practices. And finally, the new paradigm of business success, which we call 'top performers', which are profitable organizations that also have a (positive) impact on society and the environment.

In collaboration with Josep Lladós, we've shown that the hegemony of big tech companies is unfortunately only growing, leaving few avenues open for new players (an oligopoly). We'll see how this develops and whether other states and international institutions follow in Europe's footsteps to avoid more cases of data abuse, tax evasion, and so on.

In terms of sustainable companies focused on the common good, there are currently some prime examples showing that it's possible to make a profit and have a positive impact. This is the way forward if we don't want to destroy the planet and cause social division. And the new European CSRD standard for sustainability reporting makes this very clear.

You are also researching this topic in the specific case of Spain. How do these alternative models help to transform the old business success paradigm and change the perception of perpetual growth as something positive?

That's right. In our studies, we look at some of the top performers in Spain, such as Majoral, a jewellery company, and La Plana, a carton manufacturer. These organizations publish their common good balance sheets. From time to time, the Faculty of Economics and Business organizes knowledge transfer events where companies, researchers and policy-makers are invited to share their experiences in the area of sustainability.

It may seem anachronistic, but the idea that profitability and economic growth are synonymous is still very much alive. You don't have to dig very deep to understand that a company can have positive results and not be on a growth path. The European Union's Beyond Growth 2023 Conference was a rallying cry to stop the endless race for growth, which simply cannot go on forever. Today, no one questions climate change. Here's hoping that one day no one thinks it's possible to exploit the Earth's resources indefinitely for the sake of growth.

You've also researched the impact of women's leadership in companies. What have been your main research findings in relation to this topic and the economy for the common good?

The studies we've carried out with Màrian Buil, an expert in women's entrepreneurship, highlight the positive impact that women have as leaders in start-ups and, more generally, as managers in any type of business. In the studies we're now conducting with doctoral student Paqui Moya, we're going a step further to measure this impact, using the common good balance sheet as a star model.

What implications do we need to consider when talking about marketing and the common good? How does marketing fit into the economy for the common good?

My colleague Cintia Pla and I have carried out an analysis of whether articles on marketing and the common good are being published. Preliminary results show that there are few or very few. We've also found that there's been a lot of greenwashing and not much transparent and genuine information about how to go beyond regulatory compliance in terms of social and environmental sustainability. 

You're co-coordinator of the Science and Research Hub of the International Federation of the Economy for the Common Good. Could you tell us in a few words what this organization is and what it stands for?

It's an international movement that began when a group of Austrian and German entrepreneurs decided to implement Christian Felber's economy for the common good (ECG) as a way of transforming capitalism. They created a powerful tool to measure the sustainability of their organizations: the common good balance sheet.

What are the main aims of the upcoming conference in the Netherlands?

The 3rd ECG International Conference follows on from the 2022 conference organized by the Universitat de València's ECG Chair and the previous one in Hamburg. It's an unprecedented landmark event because it brings together the main representatives of the real economic models to seek points of convergence. We're talking about the social and solidarity economy; doughnut, welfare and post-growth economics, and of course the ECG. And guest speakers are invited to present regional development models based on sustainability.

How will the UOC participate in this event and why is it important?

Thanks to the collaboration agreement between the UOC and the International Federation of the Economy for the Common Good, I'm part of the steering committee and the organizing committee, together with other members of the consortium, which consists of two Dutch universities (NHL Stenden UAS and Hanze UAS) and the prestigious water research institute Wetsus. The UOC will also present four papers in progress, a case study and a poster – not bad for a high-profile international conference.