People, Planet, Profit: Benefit and B Certified Corporations - Comprehension and Outlook of Business Students

This paper is an overview of the emergence of Benefit and Certified B Corporations that aim to realize a profit and make a positive impact on society as measured by some third party standard. In this way, these corporations differ in corporate purpose from traditional C corporations. Directors and managers are accountable for that defined public benefit. Considerations of sustainable business practices have existed in many industries for several years. However, the recent growth in legislation to create a legal framework for Benefit Corporations is newly emergent. An examination of recent literature explains the rise of these socially responsible organizations, identifies the states which allow incorporation and clarify the distinctions between Benefit and Certified B businesses. In addition, a small case study of business students in specific graduate and undergraduate classes at a liberal arts college was performed through an anonymous online survey and anecdotal data. Results were analyzed for knowledge of these types of corporations; perceptions of the impact of Benefit Corporations; and the level of interest in working for such an entity. Descriptive statistics were utilized to describe the sample of graduate and undergraduate students