Health is Everyone's Business: A Review and An Overdue Research Agenda

Abstract

Business and human health are intrinsically connected. From occupational health and healthcare policy to the health of consumers and surrounding communities, business can only thrive if their stakeholders enjoy good health and well-being. Yet our literature review of the business-health nexus reveals that scholars have mainly paid attention to internal stakeholders and healthcare policies as they directly affect business, while overlooking the impact of business on the health of external stakeholders such as consumers and communities. Considering the urgency of improving health globally and the ambitious health targets set by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we propose an overdue research agenda for the post-pandemic era. We recommend moving from a mere focus on direct health effects on internal stakeholders to analyze the more indirect health impacts of business on external stakeholders. This change of focus acknowledges health as a grand challenge and recognizes the business institution as a key actor to achieve the SDG health targets.