Key Competitiveness of Outstanding Enterprises

Sustainable development is a timely issue faced by China and the world, and transforming the mode of economic development is the fundamental way to achieve sustainable development.
China's path to sustainable development can only follow a new type of industrialization characterized by "low input, high efficiency, and low emissions," seeking to achieve industrialization and modernization with as little resource and energy consumption and environmental cost as possible, and the best possible development approach. This is a matter concerning the country's future and the fate of the nation.
        Emphasizing the Role of Entrepreneurs
Pursuing profit maximization is undoubtedly the core goal of enterprises. However, experience in modern enterprise development shows that the era of enterprises pursuing profit as the sole goal is history. A more important goal is to pursue sustainability in operations, aiming for enduring and perpetual business. Today, enterprises not only realize economic value but also bear corresponding social, legal, ethical, and public welfare responsibilities, becoming carriers of social progress. The RAND Corporation in the United States conducted a research project lasting more than 20 years, tracking the development of 3,500 large companies worldwide. The result found that century-old companies share a common characteristic: they do not pursue profit as the only goal but also have social responsibility goals beyond profit. Moreover, increasing enterprise practices and theoretical research show that in the long term, corporate social responsibility is positively correlated with financial performance rather than simply increasing burdens or harming corporate interests. Therefore, sustainable development has increasingly become a key competitive advantage for many outstanding enterprises. I think there are three points worth entrepreneurs' reflection in this regard:
First, entrepreneurs should recognize the role of enterprises in sustainable development from the height of human civilization progress.
The advancement of a country's economic and technological indicators essentially depends on the quality of the economic and technological indicators of its enterprise groups; the sustainability of a country's economic development mode essentially depends on the efficiency of the input-output methods of its enterprise groups; the quality of a country's economic growth essentially depends on the allocation of social resources to enterprise efficiency. Enterprises are creators of social wealth but also bear direct and indirect responsibilities for resource and energy consumption and environmental impact. Considering China's current level of industrialization, modernization, economic and social development status, and the challenges of globalization, properly handling the complex relationships between humans and nature, society, individuals, and nations to avoid so-called "civilization conflicts," truly achieve sustainable development goals, maintain stable and sustainable economic and social development, and promote continuous progress of human civilization, enterprises and entrepreneurs are undoubtedly indispensable and irreplaceable main forces. History will prove that entrepreneurs will play an extremely important and special role in the development of human civilization.
        Innovation and Sustainable Development
Second, unswervingly implement an innovation-driven strategy and achieve sustainable development through innovation.
Innovation is the main driving force for human social progress and civilization. Studying the experience of developed countries shows that during industrialization, energy consumption per unit output generally follows an inverted U-shaped curve, peaking in the mid-industrialization stage and then gradually declining, becoming lower over time. In this process, enterprise innovation played an important role.
Enterprise innovation should focus not only on technological and business model innovation but also on institutional and management innovation. Currently, China's overall enterprise innovation capability urgently needs improvement; most enterprises have not truly become the main body of technological innovation, with many basically staying at the stage of product technological innovation. In contrast, developed countries such as the United States and Europe place more emphasis on conceptual innovation, technological innovation, industrial innovation, and product innovation, forming new innovation high grounds. For example, Japan combines industry and culture, technology and art in its innovation process and shows outstanding advantages in combining products and humanity. These are all worthy of deep reflection and reference by Chinese enterprises and entrepreneurs.
Currently, China is already the world's second-largest economy, but regrettably, there are very few world-class well-known enterprises, brands, and influential entrepreneurs. To seize the commanding heights of science, technology, and industrial development in the future, gain the initiative in economic and social development, and achieve sustainable development, China must unswervingly implement an innovation-driven strategy and cultivate a large number of progressive, innovative, and internationally competitive entrepreneurs. Such entrepreneurs are those with new ideas, enterprising spirit, courage to take responsibility, and bold practice; those good at gathering and managing innovation elements and persistent in innovation; those with a global vision, skilled in researching, discovering, and exploring markets, and carefully building national and world brands. "The sea is wide for fish to leap, the sky is high for birds to fly." The magnificent prospect of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation not only bestows glorious and arduous historical responsibilities on Chinese entrepreneurs but also provides a rare historical opportunity for them to demonstrate their talents. In a sense, the future of the country and nation belongs to entrepreneurs.
        The Primary Responsibility of Entrepreneurs
Third, fulfilling social responsibility and achieving sustainable development should be the primary responsibility of entrepreneurs.
China has entered a new historical development stage where economic development, common prosperity, and social harmony have increasingly become an inseparable unity. Enterprises and entrepreneurs should treat social responsibility as an indispensable important part of corporate strategy, just as they do economic responsibility. There are many literary expressions about corporate social responsibility, such as "being caring, taking responsibility, and giving back," "sunshine wealth, corporate citizenship, serving the country through industry," etc. Specifically, I believe that corporate social responsibility first means operating legally and paying taxes according to regulations; managing various resources more reasonably and legally; balancing the needs of shareholders, creditors, suppliers, employees, communities, and other stakeholders; conforming to globalization trends by providing better new products, new businesses, and new services to society; always adhering to "not doing what should not be done" and "not earning money that should not be earned," never building corporate interests on ignoring laws, disregarding life, damaging the environment, or sacrificing the interests of future generations; better planning for the present and future, short-term and long-term, striving to achieve sustainable development goals.
General Secretary Hu Jintao once pointed out: "Under the conditions of deepening economic globalization, enterprises should establish a global responsibility concept and consciously incorporate social responsibility into business strategy... improve business models, and pursue the unity of economic and social benefits." Chinese enterprises should establish a scientific concept of social responsibility, fully realize that establishing a social responsibility management system aimed at sustainable development is the premise for enterprise survival, the expectation of the public for enterprises, and an important way for enterprises to achieve sustainable development. Entrepreneurs should elevate fulfilling social responsibility to the level of corporate strategy, integrate it into daily management and cultural construction, to meet the arrival of an era where responsibility competitiveness is core.
The ancients said: Empty talk harms the nation, practical work prospers it. Let us take positive action, steadily advance reforms in key areas of the economy and society, effectively transform government functions, strive to create a fair market environment for enterprises to compete and develop, stimulate the vitality and innovative spirit of enterprises, encourage and promote entrepreneurs to engage in fulfilling the social responsibility of sustainable enterprise development with a higher sense of mission and pioneering spirit, and contribute to sustainable development in China and the world. (The author's views do not represent the position of this publication; discussion is welcome)