Draft:Companization

The Companization, alternatively known as kompanisation (Swedish: företagening), is an alternative governance model for businesses that aims to balance profit-making objectives with a societal purpose. The model is a concrete application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and is comparable to the American B Corporation model.

Development and Dissemination

The term Companization is a portmanteau of “company” and “organization,” signifying an entity that functions equally as a non-profit association and a commercial enterprise. The model was developed by Swedish businessman Hans Hassle in the early 1990s and published in 2001. It was first implemented internationally by the hybrid company Plantagon International.

Inspired by business leaders such as Anita Roddick and Adam Smith, Hassle published a handbook on the model titled Business as Usual is Over in 2012. That same year,"CEO Magazine" awarded him European CEO of the Year and he was included in the World Finance 100 list.

Academic interest in the Companization model has grown over time. Institutions such as the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology have published academic works on the model. Professor Dr. Lars Pharo initiated an in-depth research project on the model at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Nord University in Trøndelag, Norway.

The model has been featured in podcasts such as World of Wisdom and has been adopted by independent organizations like the Regenerative Community Organism (RCO).