Grand Challenge
The Kenan Institute’s annual grand challenge marks a concerted, yearlong effort to examine – and drive solutions to – the most complex and timely issues facing business and the economy today. Our experts explore a single topic in depth, producing Kenan Insights, commentaries, videos, live events and webinars built around their research. At the forefront of these efforts are the Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellows, an exemplary set of global scholars appointed on an annual basis to leverage their individual expertise, thought leadership, research and networks on behalf of the effort.
2024: Business Resilience
Businesses today operate in an environment of growing uncertainty and rapid change. Companies face a panorama of potential issues and accompanying risks – geopolitical tensions flare up and disrupt supply chains, regulatory shifts alter the rules of engagement, and technological developments like artificial intelligence quickly change industries and customer expectations. If resiliency is key to dealing with the risk brought on by this era of uncertainty, how do businesses develop the agility and adaptability to make themselves more resilient?
2023: Workforce Disrupted
From quiet quitting to the Great Resignation, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven massive shifts in what workers expect from their jobs. The corporate demand for talent has evolved to reflect new markets and the need for different worker profiles, while many employees across the globe have discovered the benefits of remote work – altering their views toward existing employers as well as their desires for future careers. These changes – combined with an overheated economy – have generated massive dislocation characterized by a severe labor shortage and skills mismatch. So, where does the world’s workforce go from here?
2022: Stakeholder Capitalism
Stakeholder capitalism is the idea that businesses would improve societal outcomes by focusing on a mandate broader than that which benefits shareholders alone. While this seems like a great idea in principle, it is challenging to implement in practice, especially when the interests of different stakeholders come into conflict, thus negating win-win solutions. The collection of work below provides rigorous solutions-based analyses of stakeholder capitalism which promote win-win solutions when they are available, or can become available with the right set of policies, while also acknowledging and creating frameworks when difficult tradeoffs must be made.