Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the unsustainable relations between business, society, and the natural environment in Mexico and around the world. Given these unsustainable relations, this essay asks the question: How can Mexican and multinational corporations enable human flourishing both at work and in the communities where they operate? It answers the question by examining how the Indigenous concept of Buen Vivir (living well) can serve as a basis for reimagining corporate social responsibility (CSR). Methodologically, it draws on ancient and contemporary Nahua poets as sources of ancestral Indigenous knowledge. Using these poets, the paper first establishes the applicability of Buen Vivir for Mexico. Relevant concepts include the quality of life, the relationship of humans to nature, the goal of economic growth, and the value of Indigenous knowledge. Using Buen Vivir as a framework for rethinking CSR, the paper integrates business within nature and dialogues with ancestral knowledge. It also focuses on localism and particularism, on quality in addition to quantity, on alternatives to economic growth, and on community. It ends by examining the implications of Buen Vivir for CSR theory and practice by incorporating Indigenous practices of communal work and conceptualizing the firm as a member of the community.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the unsustainable relations between business, society, and the natural environment in Mexico and around the world
We examine the case of Mexico, which has and continues to neglect the natural environment despite corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs implemented by many firms [13]
We extend the CSR literature to account for an authentic approach to social responsibility in Mexico by augmenting it with the insights of Buen Vivir, meaning “living well”—a philosophy of human flourishing and the good life with direct roots in the Indigenous cultures of Mexico and Latin America
Summary
Monequi xihmalhui nochi tlen oncah ipan tlaltipactli. Ipampa tonana tlaltipactli tech tlacualtia, tech yolchicahua. Drawing from Buen Vivir, as evidenced by Indigenous sources, both classical and contemporary, I argue that human flourishing in Mexico requires a reconceptualization of well-being and the quality of life, of human relations with nature, of development focused on economic growth, and a revalorization of Indigenous cultures and knowledges. This argument suggests that we should approach problems of human flourishing in a different way by building upon the age-tested values inherent in Buen Vivir. We develop the implications of a Buen-Vivir-based CSR for current business–society issues
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
