The Stakeholder Strategy: Profiting from Collaborative Business Relationships (Hardcover)

~ Ann Svendsen (Author) "Companies across North America are taking seriously the notion that as paradoxical as it seems, one way to succeed in a highly competitive globalized economy..." (more)
Key Phrases: collaborative stakeholder relationships, stakeholder audit, positive stakeholder relationships, The Body Shop, First Nations, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In today's highly networked and competitive global economy, mounting social and environmental problems are forcing corporations to focus on more than just their stockholders' interest in meeting bottom line profitability. More and more companies are recognizing the value of identifying and building relationships with all of their organization's stakeholders-employees, customers, suppliers and even communities. In fact, recent research has shown that companies that treat their employees well, create jobs in the local economy, develop innovative products and services, take care of the environment, and contribute to the community, are often more profitable.

In The Stakeholder Strategy, sociologist Ann Svendsen presents an effective and practical step-by-step guide that companies can use to forge a network of powerful and profitable collaborative stakeholder relationships.

While some forward thinking corporations have tried limited collaborative approaches-focusing on one stakeholder group at a time--few have taken a comprehensive and strategic approach to building relationships with all of their stakeholders, notes Svendsen. And, while considerable commitment to the idea of stakeholder collaboration exists, there is a lack of knowledge and understanding about how to develop these relationships. The Stakeholder Strategy is the first book to show business leaders and managers how to establish and maintain positive, mutually beneficial stakeholder relationships. Based on a synthesis of ideas from community relations, corporate philanthropy, stakeholder management, organizational change, sustainability, and the corporate social responsibility literature, it offers an integrated framework, as well as the practical tools for developing new kinds of collaborative relationships.

Svendsen uses easy-to-grasp concepts from everyday life, such as the process we go through in finding a mate or developing a long-term friendship, to illustrate these relationship-building strategies. She lays out the steps a company should take to create a collaboration-friendly organization: establishing a social mission, values, and ethical guidelines; assessing corporate readiness for collaboration; and making changes in communication, information and reward systems to support internal and external collaboration. Featuring case study examples from companies in North America and Europe who are working to build collaborative relationships with their stakeholders, The Stakeholder Strategy is the first book to provide a detailed explanation of how to conduct stakeholder audits and social audits so that companines can evaluate their relationship-building success and keep on track.

From the Inside Flap

Research has shown that companies that treat their employees well, create jobs in the local economy, develop innovative products and services, take care of the environment, and contribute to the community, are often more profitable.

The Stakeholder Strategy shows business leaders and managers how to establish and maintain positive, mutually beneficial stakeholder relationships. Based on a synthesis of ideas from community relations, marketing, stakeholder management, organizational change, sustainability, and the corporate social responsibility literature-and featuring case study examples from companies around the world who are working to build collaborative relationships with their stakeholders-it offers an integrated framework, as well as the practical tools for developing new kinds of collaborative relationships.

"The Stakeholder Strategy is a timely publication. In today's world of collaboration and partnership, understanding the dynamics of stakeholder relationships is imperative."
-Suzanne Gagnon, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Glaxo Wellcome Inc.

"This book is a first in de-bunking the mystery surrounding social auditing in the 1990s."
-Chris Smith, Group Public Affairs Manager, The Co-Operative Bank, Manchester, United Kingdom

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 207 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576750477
• ISBN-13: 978-1576750476
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #556,955 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A framework for a holistic approach to stakeholder relations, June 12, 2000

By	Tamara Bliss (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This book is essential reading not only for community relations managers but for any corporate manager responsible for corporate strategy and for developing relationships with a company's key stakeholders. Svendsen provides a practical, easy-to-follow, step-by-step approach to all phases of building collaborative relationships. The book is filled with useful tools, practical tips, case vignettes and charts that summarize key points. The author discusses the critical role of both implicit and explicit "contracts" between stakeholders and companies and emphasizes relationship building as a corporate-wide responsibility. She sees reputation as critical to corporate success and trust as the most important ingredient in building positive stakeholder relations. And, she focuses on the importance of preparing an organization for relationship building by developing a social mission and creating structures and policies that support collaborative relationships with both external and internal stakeholders.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, June 1, 2001

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ann Svendsen’s critically acclaimed book is one of the first attempts to define a new relationship between business and its employees, customers and communities. Written in a conversational, intelligent style, The Stakeholder Strategy makes the case for collaborative stakeholder relationships and tries to show companies how they can develop and nurture those relationships for mutual benefit. Regardless of whether you think that Svendsen has succeeded or failed in that goal, the book gives plenty of examples, drawn from diverse industries, to support her claims. At the same time, it doesn’t get bogged down by endless source notes; the book provides just enough data to make a point and back it up. The book isn’t a flimsy how-to, nor is it a dry academic tome. It fits comfortably in the middle by incorporating the best of both approaches. We at ... recommend this book to company leaders and managers, as well as anyone — from life-long employee to adversarial activist — who falls under the new definition of a corporate stakeholder.

0 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Mansion In The Mist, October 11, 2000

By A Customer

I really enjoyed the book because it made me use my imagination. Set in the 1950s, in a mansion in another world, three characters are required to find a certain object. If they fail, creatures will invade the planet Earth. The story is told by Anthony Monday, the thirteen year-old protagonist, who starts the adventure by accidentally transporting himself to the other world. Once there, Anthony learns of the plot by the antagonistic creatures, who will stop at nothing to take over Earth. Together with the help of his friends, the Eells, the group searches for the solution that will prevent the creatures from reaching their goal. This conflict is decided just at the last moment. I liked this book because it makes the reader follow along and think of solutions to the many problems. Also, many surprises and suspenseful moments are found throughout the story. The only negative comment that I have about the book is that the discussion about the various solutions was too drawn-out. For readers my age, I would highly recommend this book because it was interesting and had a good plot. If you like the R.L. Stine books, this would be a great book for you to read because the authors are very similar. I would only recommend this book to teachers if they enjoy reading science fiction.