A Winning Plan for Building Stakeholder Commitment and Driving Corporate GrowthIn today's environment of fierce and unrelenting competition, the most powerful weapon in any company's arsenal is not its products or services but the assets that can never be replicated-its relationships with customers, employees, suppliers, investors, and the communities it serves. Balancing conflicting agendas while creating value for all stakeholders is an enormous challenge, but one that pays off in the long run as the company builds commitment, a steadfast loyalty, both inside and outside the firm, to everything the company provides and stands for.Drawing from his own firm's sixty-year history as a pioneer in corporate reputation, consumer psychology, and market research, as well as from in-depth case studies of organizations as diverse as LensCrafters, DHL, and Edison International, Steven Walker offers a practical model for hard-wiring stakeholder management into strategy and reaping the rewards, through continuous innovation, learning, and profitable growth. 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 ...makes a strong case for improving the bottom line by building strong, trusting relationships -- Indianapolis Star, June 5, 2001 Steven F. Walker is 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.