Ethics and Social Responsibility in strategic alliances. The case of alliances between for-profit and non-profit organizations

Abstract

Strategic alliances have been tools used by organizations for years to guarantee their business development. In recent decades, the greater demands of society have led to the need for cooperation agreements aimed at creating value not only for the partners involved, but also for the different actors in the community. To this end, in the current environment, a substantial number of strategic alliances between for-profit and non-profit entities are being carried out. This phenomenon not only promotes a positive impact for the partners involved through an improvement in their image or reputation, but they are also promoters of the social and economic development of those areas in which they are established or operate. Through this type of cooperation agreements, organizations are able to create both economic and social value, thus ensuring their survival and the benefit of the different agents of the community in which they are located. Ethical behaviors and social responsibility policies favor obtaining competitive advantages; and these are possible through alliances between for-profit and non-profit entities. Through the case study of alliances between forprofit companies and non-profit entities such as Grupo Vips-Fundacionhazlo Posible and Danone Foods-Grameen Bank, the reasons why these types of alliances are carried out are analyzed, as well as their implications and benefits, both for partner companies and for the communities in which they operate. The work analyzes these two cases and also performs a comparative analysis between the two in order to establish common behavior patterns in this type of alliance.