Stakeholder Power: A Winning Plan for Building Stakeholder Commitment and Driving Corporate Growth - Softcover

Walker, Steven; Walker, Steven F.; Marr, Jeffrey W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0738206830 ISBN 13: 9780738206837

Publisher: Basic Books, 2002

Synopsis

In today's business environment, the most important weapon in any company's arsenal is not its products or services but its relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, investors, and the communities it serves. Balancing conflicting agendas while creating value for all the stakeholders is an enormous challenge, but one that pays off in the long run as the company builds commitment, both inside and outside the firm, to everything the company provides and stands for. Drawing from their firm's sixty-year history as a pioneer in corporate reputation, consumer psychology, and market research, the authors present a practical model for hard-wiring stakeholder management into strategy and reaping the rewards, through continuous innovation and profitable growth.

About this title

Review:

Steven F. Walker and Jeffrey W. Marr contend that now, more than ever, a company's relationship with its customers, employees, suppliers, investors, and neighbors determine whether it's a sterling, long-term success or an insignificant flash in the pan. In Stakeholder Power, they make a strong case for developing rapport among these groups and offer a practical model for aligning your business with their needs. Walker and Marr, president and vice president, respectively, of a 60-year-old company that specializes in the interaction of these constituencies, draw on the best practices they've encountered to help others "simultaneously improve their business performance, their business practices, and the quality of some important people's lives." Using examples ranging from Cisco Systems to LensCrafters, they explain the stakeholder concept; discuss building commitment and loyalty through development of ethical core values and practices; investigate what are generally considered the two most important groups (customers and employees) as well as those further from the "immediate family" (community leaders, the media, and government); look at further increasing corporate generosity through charitable giving and employee volunteerism; and explore how it all fits together. Take heed now, Walker and Marr caution, because the way you relate to these groups will likely determine your corporate future. --Howard Rothman

About the Author:

Steven F. Walker is the president and CEO of Walker Information, a world leader in measuring stakeholder relationships and corporate reputation. The third generation to lead his family business, he lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jeffrey W. Marr is Vice President, People and Product Development, at Walker Information, where he is a senior member of the firm's research and development team. He lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.

About this edition

• Publisher: Basic Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0738206830
• ISBN 13: 9780738206837
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272