He said in the post-COVID-19 era, businesses would need to change their approach to managing people in order to be sustainable.

"Employees now prefer that we put people, their creativity, technology, speed of thought and action at the centre stage of work," Prof Gyambrah said.

He said this at the 10th National Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability Conference organised by the Centre for CSR West Africa under the theme: "Shaping the future of businesses sustainably, post COVID-19".

He noted that the era of single loyalty to single companies was over and that people's loyalty had shifted to their areas of expertise and to their industry.

"People now operated beyond their boundaries and spaces of performance."

Prof Gyambrah said organisations also needed to build strong networks to be sustainable.

"The days when you want to survive alone are overYou have to build synergies with other partners and leverage their expertise to move as quickly as possible," he said, adding that they must create "merchants of foresight", who could look into the future to foretell the landmines and opportunities ahead.

"To operate sustainably, look at the enabling technologies you are working with and the kind of safeguards you have in place, he said and stressed on businesses reset their corporate governance orientation and framework, especially in monitoring and control of corporate assets, intellectual property, reports, and documentations.

Mr Seth Twum-Akwaboah, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), said sustainability should be at the core of every business and encouraged companies to go into renewable energy as a sustainable alternative.

Some leading socially responsible brands made presentations on CSR initiatives.

The speakers included Madam Suzuki Momoko, Chief Representative, JICA; Madam Santhi Periasamy, Head, RYTHM Foundation; Mrs Shirley Tony Kum; Corporate Communications Manager, VIVO Energy, Mr Richard Ansong, Partner, PwC Ghana; Mrs Agnes Obeng, and Senior Programme Manager, World Vision.

The rest are; Madam Rita Rockson, Foundation, Sustainability & External Communications Manager, Vodafone Ghana, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency, and Mr Samuel Kwesi Fletcher, CSR Manager, Volta River Authority.