The Case of B-Corporations and their potential to impact development

Development studies teaches that neoliberalism and capitalism are harmful to development. The corporate world has realised this as well and more and more actors are quickly aiming to create change within the global economy. In turn, companies are increasingly becoming more socially responsible. B-Lab, a non-profit organisation, aims to aid to this new movement of change through the B-Corporation certificate. Recently the B-Corp movement has grown substantially which has attracted hundreds if not thousands of new firms to become certified. The rise in popularity, however, also means that neoliberal firms are becoming interested in the B-Corp certificate. What kind of influence does this have on the impact of the B-Corp movement on development? This research employs a qualitative research technique to examine the case study of B-Corporations and how they vary in their dual-goal of creating benefits and generating profit. The reach and impact of the B-Corp movement on development is still unknown. Therefore, this study marks a starting point in studying the B-Corp movement and B-Corporations their impact on development.