Impact Business Models in Practice: The B Consultant’s Guide to Deep BIA Strategy

Discussion Scenario 1: “The Complex Structure Dilemma”

Based on: Chapter 2 – Navigating Complexity

Scenario:
You’re working with a regional food distribution company that operates under a holding group with five partially owned subsidiaries in Southeast Asia. The parent company is headquartered in Singapore, but one subsidiary is majority-owned by an entity in the EU. They’re interested in pursuing B Corp Certification but are unsure which entity should apply, and how their ownership and operational model will affect their assessment structure.

Discussion Prompts:

1. How would you help this company determine which entity or entities should pursue certification under B Lab’s rules?
2. What considerations around scope, eligibility, and the Discovery & Scoping process should be prioritized to reduce delays or confusion?

How might the company’s complexity influence the certification track and required documentation?