Nike’s example to get boards to “just do it”

 In this month’s Harvard Business Review it mentions an initiative that Nike took back in 2001 of creating a dedicated board level corporate responsibility committee i.e. putting corporate responsibility and its impact on long-term success firmly on the board agenda.

It states that such a committee could be a valuable initiative for many companies in five ways as a: 

• source of knowledge and expertise; 
• sounding board and constructive critic; 
• driver of accountability; 
• stimulus for innovation; and
• as a resource for the board.

 With the competitive challenges today’s boards are facing in meeting diverse stakeholders' demands, these seem pretty compelling reasons for boards to address responsible business head on, and simply just get on and do it.