Building Capabilities for Multi-Stakeholder Interactions at Global and Local Levels



View results in:
https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/142299/2/dv-ei.pdf
Type: 
journal article
Journal: 
International Food and Agribusiness Management Review
Pages: 
95-106
Volume: 
15 Special Issue B
Year: 
2012
Author(s): 
Dentoni, D.
Veldhuizen, M.
Description: 

This is a discussion of the processes that led Unilever to develop and implement a corporate sustainability strategy working with multiple stakeholders. Major learning points include: 1) interactions with stakeholders are crucial to secure strategic resources in developing countries; 2) developing multi-stakeholder platforms must be rooted in the corporate culture and based on principles of innovation; 3) the overarching sustainability strategy, Sustainable Living Plan, launched in 2010, set broad objectives, while empowering local and regional managers— and even individual employees—to start and scale bottom-up initiatives if they find consensus within the organization. The discussions promise to fuel the debate on how organizations can effectively manage “wicked problems” through multi-stakeholder engagement.

Publication year: 
2012