The Business of Doing Good: New Research Series Equips Companies to Embed Purpose into Strategy Economist Impact, supported by the Institute of Philanthropy, examines how companies across Asia are integrating “doing good” initiatives into their business strategies

Supported by the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), Economist Impact has today released The Business of Doing Good, a multi-part research series examining the range of ways that companies across Asia are embedding public benefit into business strategy. The series draws on extensive research across 13 Asian markets and insights from more than 40 executives, foundation officials, academics, and other authorities.

The initiative responds to a growing need for regionally grounded insights into corporate philanthropy—an area that is expanding rapidly across Asia but evolving on its own terms. As part of IoP’s mission to strengthen philanthropic ecosystems, the series offers practical tools to help companies align purpose with governance, operations, and stakeholder relationships. It reflects a broader shift toward strategic, locally responsive models of doing good that are distinctly shaped by Asia’s cultural, institutional, and economic dynamics.

The cover of The Business of Doing Good report.

“This research reflects our commitment to equipping leaders with regionally grounded tools for action,” said Lester Huang, Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy. “By capturing the diverse ways companies pursue public good, the series helps to advance a more strategic and context-aware approach to corporate purpose.”

The first report, The Business of Doing Good in Asia, examines what drives companies in Asia to contribute to public good. It identifies six distinct profiles of corporate engagement—each offering a lens through which companies can assess their purpose, refine their strategy, and explore new pathways for impact:

● Values Anchor – Companies guided by enduring beliefs, often shaped by founders or family legacy.

● Government Enabler – Businesses that align with national priorities to scale impact and build legitimacy.

● Internal Advocate – Organisations that empower employees to shape and implement purpose-driven policies.

● Trust Builder – Firms that cultivate credibility in low-trust environments to unlock strategic advantage.

● Industry Accelerator – Actors that influence sector-wide standards and regulatory frameworks.

● Social Innovator – Enterprises that develop pioneering commercial models to address unmet social or environmental needs.

The second report, The Business of Doing Good in Asia: exploring profiles in action, uncovers how companies are putting these profiles into practice—through long-term investment, employee engagement, partnerships, trust-building, and data-driven decision-making. Each profile is illustrated with case studies and accompanied by reflection questions to support internal dialogue and planning.

To support practical application, an accompanying infographic distils the six profiles into a strategic tool for leadership teams, sustainability officers, and philanthropic advisors. It enables organisations to quickly assess their positioning, identify blind spots, and initiate targeted conversations around purpose alignment and impact strategy.

“In Asia, doing good has long been woven into the fabric of business,” says Charles Ross, head of policy and insights, Asia-Pacific at Economist Impact. “Shaped by cultural values, government priorities, and collective responsibility, companies across the region recognise that prosperity and purpose go hand-in-hand. Our research shows that these unique-to-Asia influences are driving more strategic and purposeful approaches to corporate doing good.”

The Business of Doing Good forms part of IoP’s wider effort to strengthen philanthropy across Asia by generating insights, building strategic tools, and fostering collaboration across sectors. By examining how companies define and operationalise purpose, the series contributes to the development of resilient, locally grounded ecosystems that can scale impact sustainably and respond to regional needs.

The full series—including case studies, strategic frameworks, and planning tools—is available for download now: The Business of Doing Good.

The Institute of Philanthropy (IoP) has launched a three-year research collaboration with Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management (GSM) to analyse how corporations in the Chinese Mainland create social impact. The study will investigate the strategies, motivations, and practices of leading philanthropic corporations. It will also assess the policy frameworks, incentive mechanisms, and regulatory environments that shape corporate participation in philanthropy, generating evidence-based insights to guide the sector’s future development.

This research comes at a pivotal moment for philanthropy in the Chinese Mainland. According to the China Philanthropy Donation Report 2024, charitable donations received by social organisations in the Chinese Mainland reached RMB151 billion in 2023, with corporate contributions accounting for RMB115.6 billion, or 76.6% of the total. With their scale, resources, and networks, businesses are central to the philanthropic landscape — uniquely positioned to drive innovation, support policy effectiveness, and amplify social impact.

Institute of Philanthropy and Peking University have launched a three-year collaboration to analyse how corporations in the Chinese Mainland create social impact.

“This collaboration reflects our commitment to supporting the philanthropic sector in China through research that delivers practical guidance and actionable tools,” said Lester Huang, Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy. “By examining how corporations create social value, the project will provide businesses with insights to strengthen their giving strategies, inform policy frameworks that encourage participation, and build capacity across the sector. In doing so, it will help business entities maximise their social contributions and ensure philanthropy delivers broader and more sustainable benefits to society.”

Professor Liu Qiao, Dean of GSM, and Jin Jinping, Associate Professor at the Law School of Peking University, will co-lead the research team with support from colleagues in the Law School and National School of Development.  

Institute of Philanthropy and Peking University have launched a three-year collaboration to analyse how corporations in the Chinese Mainland create social impact.

Professor Liu, Dean of GSM, observed that Chinese enterprises are shifting from “scale expansion” to “value creation”, balancing economic returns with durable social impact. Drawing on Peking University’s interdisciplinary platform, the study will apply rigorous, evidence-based methods to map the frameworks and mechanisms through which firms generate social value, distil actionable policy recommendations, and help Chinese philanthropic practice integrate into global sustainable-developmentgovernance—thereby offering a Chinese template for worldwide corporate social responsibility.

The collaboration reflects IoP’s continued focus on advancing philanthropy through knowledge, networks, and regional engagement. As part of a broader effort to deepen understanding of giving practices rooted in Asian contexts, this initiative will contribute to a growing body of work that connects research with practice and ideas with action. By working alongside leading academic institutions and engaging a wide cross-section of stakeholders, IoP continues to support the development of thoughtful, locally grounded approaches to philanthropy while fostering dialogue across sectors.