Corporate Diplomacy: Building the External Stakeholder-Reputation Relationship-with Wharton School Prof. Witold Henisz

Ryerson University’s Institute for the Study of Corporate Social Responsibility is pleased to present a talk on how corporations can build the external stakeholder-reputation relationship, by Wharton School professor Witold Henisz. The talk is based on Dr. Henisz's new book, Corporate Diplomacy (Greenleaf Publishing). The event will take place on Monday, September 8, 2014 from noon to 1:30pm at Ryerson University in Toronto (details below). This event is co-sponsored by the Ryerson CSR Student Association, the Ryerson Commerce and Government Association, the Ryerson MBA Mining Stream, and the Chang School Mining Management Certificate, There is no admission for this event, but seating is limited, and you must register at: http://ryerson-csr-institute-corp-diplomacy.eventbrite.ca

A critical CSR challenge faced by corporate managers today is how to meaningfully engage with diverse external stakeholders, including politicians, communities, NGO staffers, and activists, among others. When compared with corporate perspectives, these external stakeholders may differ fundamentally in their worldviews, their understanding of the market economy and their aspirations and fears for the future. Their collective opinions of managers and corporations can shape the competitive landscape of the global economy and have serious consequences for businesses that fail to meet their expectations.

As falling communication costs shrink the distance between external stakeholders, shareholder value is increasingly created and protected through a strategic integration of the external-stakeholder-facing functions as part of a firm’s overall CSR approach . These include government affairs, stakeholder relations, sustainability, enterprise risk management, community relations and corporate communications. Through such integration, Professor Henisz argues that the place where business, politics and society intersect need not be a source of nasty surprises or unexpected expenses.

About Witold Henisz:

Witold Henisz is the Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management in Honor of Russell E. Palmer, former Managing Director at The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania. He received his Ph.D. in Business and Public Policy from the Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley and previously received a M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. His research examines the impact of political hazards on international investment strategy. Witold has served as a consultant for the World Bank, The Inter-American Professor Henisz’s new book Corporate Diplomacy argues that the strategic management of relationships with external stakeholders creates real and lasting business value and is not just PR. Henisz draws on examples of corporations that have had problematic stakeholder relations in the past and how managers transformed Development Bank, The Conference Board, Eurasia Group and the Department of Homeland Security. He previously worked for The International Monetary Fund.

Event Details at a Glance:

Title: Corporate Diplomacy: Building the Corporate External Stakeholder-Reputation Relationship

Speaker: Witold Henisz (professor, Wharton School)

Time: Monday, September 8, 2014, 12 noon to 1:30 pm

Location: Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, 55 Dundas West, Toronto, ON, Room TRS 3-109, 55 Dundas West, Toronto

Register (no admission but seating limited) at http://ryerson-csr-institute-corp-diplomacy.eventbrite.ca

For further information concerning the Ryerson CSR Institute, go to: - http://www.ryerson.ca/csrinstitute/

Or contact Dr. Kernaghan Webb - kernaghan.webb@ryerson.ca

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