groupelephant.com 2021: Beyond Corporate Purpose

The groupelephant.com case focuses on CEO Jonathan Tager as he grapples with expanding his company's Beyond Corporate Purpose: Elephants, Rhinos & People ('ERP') initiative, six years after its 2015 launch. groupelephant.com originated from EPI-USE, a professional software and services firm, and the world’s largest independent SAP HR/Payroll specialist. Following a period of rapid corporate growth but waning enthusiasm for purely financial objectives, Tager decided to rebrand the Group and employ a hybrid (blended) business model to achieve business, environmental and social goals. Tager reflects on the various ERP programs and their impact on elephant and rhino welfare, through a strategy based on poverty alleviation in areas adjacent to the threatened species, in Southern Africa. The case also describes the effects of the ERP initiative and corporate rebranding on the core for-profit business. More broadly, the case study explores the benefits and challenges inherent in the hybrid business model, potential strategies for scaling the ERP initiative globally, the importance of 'purpose-driven leadership', and issues related to impact strategy and impact measurement. Drawing on recent trends, it also prompts students to discuss whether company leaders have a responsibility (or an implicit mandate) to actively engage in advocacy and devote significant resources to social and environmental objectives.