Learning to Implement and Scale Up Responsible and Inclusive Business Practices
Partnerships and peer-to-peer learning are the most effective ways that multinational businesses use to learn how to transform practices
Abstract
The literature reviewed for this report indicates that multinational businesses seeking to implement or scale up responsible and inclusive business practices learn best or most frequently through partnerships and peer-to-peer relationships, and through experimentation and innovation within the organisation. Resource materials such as guidelines, toolkits, case studies, and other documentary evidence are used by companies, but there appears to be little concrete evidence about how they are used in practice to support implementing and scaling up responsible and inclusive business practices. The literature reviewed for this report suggests that partnerships and peer-to-peer learning are the most effective ways that multinational businesses use to learn how to transform business practices to become more responsible, sustainable, and inclusive. Companies that are successful in transforming business practices to become more responsible and inclusive often do so through innovation and experimentation within the organisation, to learn what works in combination with their existing business models, markets, and priorities. In hindsight, however, little evidence is available about how businesses use guidelines, toolkits, case studies, and other forms of documentary evidence to transform business practices.
K4D helpdesk reports provide summaries of current research, evidence and lessons learned. This report was commissioned by the UK Department for International Development.
Citation
Lucas, B. (2020). Learning to implement and scale up responsible and inclusive business practices. K4D Helpdesk Report 725. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies
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