Valuing Respect

We are working to transform how we measure business respect for human rights to focus on what matters most: outcomes for people.

Welcome to Valuing Respect, a global collaborative initiative led by Shift, to research and co-create better ways of evaluating business respect for human rights. We are working with a wide variety of partners across all sectors and geographies. Our goal is to develop tools and insights that can help companies and their stakeholders focus their resources on what matters most: outcomes for people.

Our Six Focus Areas

MAKING EVALUATION MATTER

Business Model Red Flags

Some business models inherently pose more risks to human rights than others. Business leaders, investors, and stakeholders who identify what the ‘business model red flags’ are better equipped to prevent and mitigate risk to people.

Tool for Indicator Design

Based on the 'Theory of Change' methodology, this tool can help companies and their stakeholders dissect interventions, analyze assumptions and make the necessary changes to focus resources on outcomes for people.

Leadership, Governance, & Culture

What does it mean to have an organizational culture that fosters business respect for human rights? How much of it depends on formal governance arrangements and where can leadership play a role in enabling a rights-respecting atmosphere?

Behavior Change

For years, companies have turned to behavioral science to understand and seek to predict and influence consumer behavior. Could it also help companies and their stakeholders analyze, evaluate and influence rights-respecting behavior?

Accounting for Respect

Current financial and management accounting methods do not capture value to business or society that comes from businesses respecting for human rights. This area of work explores what changes are needed in our accounting logic and methods to address this gap.

Stakeholder Voice

The voice of those who are negatively impacted by business is key to understanding and shaping a company’s efforts to respect human rights. This area of work explores how to authentically and meaningfully bring the voice of affected stakeholders into evaluation.

A flagship project, by Shift

For years, many of us in the world of Business and Human Rights had talked about how we need better tools and approaches to evaluate what we are doing. Yet, very few had raised their hand to undertake the challenge. We knew that needed to change, and we decided to do something about it.

At Shift, it is in our nature to push boundaries and challenge assumptions. We love diving into tough challenges and asking ourselves the hard, seemingly unsolvable questions. Above all, we have a permanent commitment to making sure that business and human rights continues to revolve around what matters most: people’s dignity. Learn more about our approach.

This three-year project has been possible thanks to the generous support that we’ve received from our funders, as well as the hand-in-hand collaboration with our regional partners, ally companies, investors and many others who have attended our consultations. Learn more about our process.