Podcast
Welcome to The Backroom, a window into what goes on behind the scenes as the Retail Dive team covers the stories and trends reshaping retail. You can check out all our podcast episodes (past and present) here and listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify.
In today’s age of social media-driven virality and elevated consumer expectations, businesses increasingly find themselves in hot water even when they try to do the right thing. Because of their direct relationship with consumers, retailers in particular often face backlashes against marketing efforts or corporate policies – and then further backlashes depending on what they do next.
Retailers and brands have also worked hard in recent decades to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within their workforces and sustainability throughout their supply chain. But such efforts aren’t always transparent, and sometimes seem to fall short when they come up against reality, as when there are unionizing efforts at stores, or revelations about the manufacturing of their merchandise.
In her new book “Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World,” Alison Taylor, a professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, provides guidance in such complex matters. In this episode, Taylor and Senior Reporter Daphne Howland discuss how it applies to the unique needs of retailers.
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Editor’s note: This episode was produced and edited by Caroline Jansen.
