Esade publications

The sixth edition of the Observatory for Public-Private Cooperation in Health and Social Policy, carried out jointly with La Unió, presents two successful experiences in the field of public-private partnerships. The two cases we present this year are clear examples of this social contribution of the PPP in the response to COVID-19: the first, making available an autonomous breathing device (DAR) that acted as a response to the lack of respirators and, the second, a clinical home intervention team (ECID) that acted therapeutically in the daily lives of young people and families who were being excluded from the mental health services network. Both cases are partnership initiatives driven by national foundations and companies, which quickly responded to the emerging need caused by the pandemic serving of public authorities.

Our environment is changing ever more quickly – while social challenges have become more profound, complex, interdependent, and global. This requires a more holistic and adaptive approach to understanding reality, which is why systems thinking and a collaborative approach are increasingly necessary. To resolve problems and respond to their own missions, non-governmental organizations need a broad global vision and an understanding of relationships and their causes and effects. A systemic approach enables NGOs to promote changes in the systems they wish to influence. In turn, the complexity of social and environmental challenges demands a multisectoral approach, and so social organizations (as well as other agents) must aim for more effective and transformative intersectoral collaborations while bringing new actors into their conversations.

We find ourselves in an environment of increasing scrutiny and demands. Social, regulatory, and investor pressures on ethical corporate governance have increased, and the social and environmental impacts generated by company value chains are also under greater scrutiny. Concepts that are already part of today's business management language include corporate purpose, sustainability and ESG strategy, positive impact, climate emergency, equality and inclusion, decarbonization of business models, diversity and equity in decision-making governance bodies, and the regenerative economy.

Over the last two years, Connecting through the Workplace, the lecture series organized by the Esade Institute of Social Innovation and ISS España, has had the privilege of creating spaces for inspiring, reflecting about and interacting with people, organizations and companies spanning a wide spectrum but with one feature in common: their humanity and desire to construct collaborative solutions for unprecedented challenges. Present-day and future leaders have helped us discover how to navigate today’s complex times of uncertainty. As a result of these encounters, we have made far-reaching conclusions which we will share with you in this compilation of publications produced during the series.

The hybrid work model is very likely here to stay at companies, albeit to different degrees depending on the industry and each organization’s culture. But what will the future of these workspaces be like? What are the keys to enabling remote work to coexist with in-person work at the office? How will corporate culture be built in a hybrid work model? How do we adapt talent management policies to this new situation? What employee experience can we create in a wellness space? What skills will be priorities to lead teams in hybrid environments? This study, “Hybrid Workspaces: Leadership and Team Management,” by the Institute for Social Innovation in collaboration with ISS Spain, aims to shed light on these questions through an analysis of the current situation and trends in the new hybrid work model, with a special focus on the challenges companies face in relation to work organization, culture, and leadership.