The Social License (PDF)

John Morrison is a leading practitioner and thinker on issues relating to the social responsibilities of government, business, and civil society. He is currently the Executive Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Business (www.ihrb.org), and has advised a number of governments, the European Union, OECD, and the United Nations on related issues. Previously, John has worked in business, civil society, and government, and lived and worked in Europe and North America. He has been a Harkness Fellow, member of a number of advisory boards, and chaired the Jury of the Dutch Government's Human Rights Award in 2013. He has written and spoken widely on human rights, international migration, and corporate responsibility.

"Provocative and challenging The Social License makes a compelling case for why companies must look to increase their positive social impact as an integral part of their core business strategies." - Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever plc

"John Morrison has led significant initiatives on business and human rights over recent years. Now his book takes some of that collective experience and orders it conceptually in a way that is accessible and makes an important point about the social licence of corporations to operate." - Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Change

"In this provocative book, John Morrison takes us beyond CSR into the realm of 'the social license' and how it is earned, and then all the way to the social contract on which any sustainable societal order ultimately must rest. The intellectual journey is well worth the while." - John G. Ruggie, Professor of Human Rights and International Affairs, Harvard University; former United Nations Special Representative for Business and Human Rights

"The Social License is fundamentally about accountability to people and not just powerful interests. John Morrison's book reminds all organizations - governments, business and civil society - to focus on the legitimacy of their own actions."- Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director, Greenpeace International

"John Morrison has written a thought provoking, path-finding book that should be essential reading for any corporate executive seeking to achieve a growing, sustainable business. It sets out a textured, multi-layered, challenging framework that is foundational to maintaining a social license in a social media world of increasing and rising expectations." - Ed Potter, Director, Global Workplace Rights, The Coca-Cola Company

"My three words to describe John Morrison's book: Timely ¬ because what used to be acceptable behaviour by business a few decades ago is no longer the case today and