Equation of Change (2010)

A documentary which looks at how business innovation can enable employees and customers to make positive social change. Set in London and Kenya the documentary first gives a short overview of the worlds social condition with respects to poverty inequality and related challenges. It then looks at this against the back drop of international commercial business, and how businesses thinking outside the box can mobilize customers and employees to do social good while still maintaining profits. Combining research and footage obtained from the World Bank with business reports from leading business media such as Forbes. 'Equation of change' follows 12 professionals from Great Britain who take up an invitation offered by Virgin Airlines and owner Sir Richard Branson to join them help physically build a school in a remote village in Kenya. The documentary sights this initiative as one example of how a business can enable employees and customers to make a positive social change. Following the team in Kenya the documentary explores how if this approach was applied by businesses around the world then social inequality could be drastically reduced. With the top 15 companies in the World made making combined profits of over $300 billion in 2009 according to Forbes If 1% of this amount was donated that would total just over $3 billion going to causes requiring help. Plus, added to this the top 15 largest employers in the World employ just over 11 million people combined, if they enabled just 1% of their 11 million employees to give 1 day service per week that would total an excess of 110,000 people contributing 44 million hours to social causes and needs in one year. 8 (hour work day) x 50 (weeks) = 400hrs 400 (hours) x 110,000 (employees) = 44,000,000 hours (44 million hours) that could go to social causes and positive social change. The documentary looks at how business innovation can take many forms and can be used to mobilize employees and customers to do social good that is "enabling employees and customers to make a positive social change". 'Equation of Change' allows the viewer to join the journey of the 12 British professionals in Kenya and share their personal journey alongside that of Sir Richard Branson, while analyzing how a slight shift in global corporations business models can dramatically address social needs while maintaining commercial profitability.