With the growing complexity of decision-making and the interdependence of business, political, and social issues, effective management requires not only an understanding of processes inside a company, but also of how business, government, and civil society interact. Many treatments of this subject are overly generalised, or conversely take a narrowly focused approach. Some authors focus on selected stakeholders, others on particular tracts of interest such as, for example, ethics. Many include a seemingly endless treatment of a barrage of government acts and legislation in their attempt to contextualise "business" in "society." While all of these are meritorious approaches to exploring "business and society" there is a need to present a more fulsome but yet focused view that is more closely representative of the organisations and their interactions occurring in the macro-environment in which future business managers will be required to operate in creating a sustainable competitive advantage for their organisations.

Canadian Business and Society - The Business, Government and Civil Society Mosaic is organised on the following logic: that to understand business and society in Canada it is necessary first to partition the Canadian domestic macro- environment into recognisable segments, and then to develop an understanding of what is included in each segment, key issues peculiar to the segment, how each segment influences and is influenced by the other segments, and emerging issues that influence all three segments.

Such an approach more accurately portrays the complexity of the macro-environment. At the same time, it provides the opportunity to control and focus the treatment of this very complex terrain. The ultimate goal is for the future manager to develop an understanding and appreciation of each segment in the Canadian business macro-environment – its unique characteristics, challenges, and interactions – the knowledge of which is essential for success in today's businesses.