From Polarization to Understanding: Bridging Divides in Business and Society - An IESE and STI Conference

Post-truth society is marked by high levels of political stress and polarization, which are having detrimental effects on people, civil society, the media, and the business world Of particular concern is the affective polarization evident in the increasing tendency of public figures and others to characterize people they disagree with as morally evil. In civil society, polarization fosters an environment that undermines democratic processes, stifles constructive debate and hinders effective collective action on complex societal challenges.  In the media, polarization promotes echo chambers, increases bias and reduces the quality of public discourse. In business, it promotes distrust, makes collaborative work more difficult and undermines social cohesion.

Addressing polarization is essential to fostering a more inclusive, resilient, and cohesive society in which diverse viewpoints coexist, dialogue is encouraged, and multiple institutions work together to address shared societal challenges. In particular, it is a critical issue in the business world. Companies can serve customers effectively and create economic value sustainably when their management are able to create a culture of collaboration, team work and trust.

The Social Trends Institute and IESE Business School are organizing a multi-disciplinary experts meeting and convening a small groups of scholars and experts (around 40 people) to work on some interrelated objectives:

(1) to better understand the phenomenon of polarization in business and society, including its roots and main sources of escalation

(2) to explore ways to mitigate polarization, promote understanding, goodwill and respect for human dignity so as to more effectively address the grand challenges facing society;

(3) to examine the role of intellectuals and academia in promoting the search for truth and in fostering free, respectful speech and debate;

(4) to identify how business leaders can help and should navigate this increasingly polarized environment; (

5) and to create a certain consensus on how universities, companies and other civil institutions should deal with this challenge and help overcome its negative dimensions and effects.