Albena Björck in the MIT Sloan Management Review
An article by ZHAW researcher Albena Björck entitled “What Kind of Chief Purpose Officer Does Your Company Need,” has been published in the renowned MIT Sloan Management Review. In the article, Dr. Björck and her co-author Dr. Nicole Steller (ESCP Business School) draw on a study of 56 Chief Purpose Officers to highlight the different leadership styles that emerge in the process of embedding a company’s raison d’être or corporate purpose in practice – and which type is best suited to which phase of a company’s development.
The new issue of the MIT Sloan Management Review will be published in early September.
The MIT Sloan School of Management publishes this knowledge platform on management, leadership, and corporate strategy, primarily aimed at executives and practitioners.
In their article “What Kind of Chief Purpose Officer Does Your Company Need,” Björck and Steller explore the question of who, within a company, ensures that a defined corporate purpose isn’t just something on paper, but is actually incorporated into strategy, culture, and decision-making. More and more companies – including Cisco, Deloitte, and Virgin Atlantic – are creating the position of Chief Purpose Officer (CPO) for this very reason.
This latest article is part of Björck’s long-standing research program on corporate purpose. For years, she has been studying how corporate purpose can be effectively embedded in corporate strategy – alongside dynamic capabilities, crisis preparedness, and strategic renewal.
“Our study shows that there isn’t just one type of CPO, but at least four different leadership styles, depending on how far along its purpose journey the company is. It is precisely at this intersection of research and practice that we are focusing our efforts in the Purpose-Inside Lab initiative, funded by Innosuisse. As a co-founder of the Chief Purpose Officer Network, I can also share these insights directly with executives. That’s the kind of impact that matters to me.”
Dr. Albena Björck, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, ZHAW School of Management and Law
Contact
Dr. oec. (HSG) Albena Björck
Email: albena.bjorck@zhaw.ch