Diplomacy ‘in Business’ and the Business of humanist Diplomacy

Abstract

Today’s global community relies increasingly on the corporate sector to find innovative and sustainable solutions to key international challenges, such as geopolitical shocks, terrorism, cybersecurity, politically motivated trade restrictions, climate change and migration. Combined efforts from the social, private and public sectors are necessary to mobilize coalitions or networks to react to societal expectations. In order to respond to this widely expected enlargement of the purpose for transnational companies towards societal concerns, the two-pronged approach of Corporate Diplomacy is suggested as global software for change management: Firstly, it supposes a re-orientation of mindset in the global entrepreneurship for corporate communication and proactive engagement, secondly, this will lead to an adjustment of appropriate behavioral practices in management for sustainable problem-solving via cooperation.Using diplomatic mindfulness in business can greatly help corporations to shape geopolitical and other non-commercial risks in order to influence politics and international relations as well as to strengthen economic security and the international political climate. This nascent partnered practice of corporate diplomacy as an alternative approach to traditional ways of solving public problems involves a mutually beneficial cross-fertilization between the two systems, adding value and creating shared values according to private and public social needs.This practitioner-scholar’s policy essay adds an economic management narrative for a change of paradigm to humanist diplomacy: it is time to reorient our thinking and reimagine practice.