Inside the Mind of the Stakeholder

Evidence obtained from stakeholder groups in Europe is sobering indeed in the context of globalization and the constant striving for competitiveness. This book provides an honest and in-depth analysis of how stakeholders themselves assess and influence corporate sustainability. It is an eye-opener, both for companies and for the stakeholders.

'The contents of this book cut very effectively through a certain amount of mounting 'hype' around CSR issues by empirically exposing the realities of stakeholder strategies influencing corporate sustainability management. As such, it is an excellent and comprehensive primer for managers that wish to discover the current status of their own corporate stakeholder environment, or for business students that wish to understand the managerial complexities of aligning organizations behind sustainability strategies (including those of the corporate stakeholders themselves).' - Gilbert Lenssen, President of the European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS)

'Companies and their stakeholders have come a long way since the 1980s. This book offers an interesting empirical approach to the evolving role and influence of stakeholders in driving more sustainable business models. It will be intriguing to see how and to what extent other stakeholders will pick up on NGOs' engagement in this field and adopt a more proactive role in the future.' - James P. Leape, WWF International Director General

'This book is a major contribution to the current corporate citizenship debate. It provides a comprehensive and often sobering overview of the level of stakeholder pressure and reveals a certain positivism about this area. To a large extent, this is because companies have learnt to manage their stakeholder environment. However, the learning has to continue...' - Patrick de Smedt, Chairman of Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa

FABIAN BAPTIST Researcher, International Institute for Management Development, Switzerland AILEEN IONESCU-SOMERS Programme Manager, International Institute for Management Development, Switzerland ALEXANDER NICK Researcher, International Institute for Management Development, Switzerland JENS PRINZHORN Researcher, International Institute for Management Development, Switzerland OLIVER SALZMANN Research Associate, International Institute for Management Development, Switzerland SIMON TYWUSCHIK Research Associate, International Institute for Management Development, Switzerland