HEC Paris Report Explores How Organizations Can Engage with Vulnerability
HEC Paris Inclusive Economy Center has published a new report, Framing Vulnerability: Challenges, Opportunities, and Responsible Engagement, which explores how organizations can better understand and address vulnerability without falling into control-driven or paternalistic approaches. Based on interviews with HEC Paris faculty across economics, strategy, accounting, and organizational behavior, the report offers concrete insights for leaders seeking to build trust, inclusion, and sustainable performance.
The report written by Octavio de Barros, postdoctoral research fellow at the HEC Sustainability & Organizations Insitute shows that vulnerability is multidimensional and often invisible within organizations, yet deeply shapes employee well-being, governance, and decision-making. Efficiency-focused cultures and risk-based approaches, while prevalent, can unintentionally reinforce exclusion and mistrust.
By contrast, the findings highlight the importance of psychological safety, inclusive governance that gives vulnerable voices real decision-making power, and partnerships with civil society and public actors to address systemic roots. Rather than treating vulnerability as a weakness to be managed, the report positions it as a shared human condition that, when acknowledged, can become a source of resilience and long-term value for organizations.
Download the report
Read more: Overlooking Vulnerability Can Harm Everyone — Including Your Business