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Achieving Stakeholder Impact (ASI)

The Institute for Real Growth (IRG) and Oxford's Future of Marketing Initiative (FOMI) at the Saïd Business School jointly announce the world's first C-Suite study focused on capturing what it takes to win in the shift from shareholder to stakeholder growth.

Achieving Stakeholder Impact (ASI) study will identify winning Stakeholder growth strategies, how the impact is best measured and communicated, essential leadership attitudes and habits, and the role of brands and Marketing.

Delivering fact-based insights and frameworks, practical tools, and case studies to emulate, the ASI will run from January to May 2023, share preliminary findings in June 2023, and publish recommendations by October 2023.

Press Release

Background

In 2018 the IRG Growth Study found that winning organizations focus on long-term value creation for all stakeholders – Colleagues, Customers, Community, and the Capital Markets.

A year on, the US Business Round Table (BRT) came to the same conclusion: "Each of our stakeholders is essential; we commit to deliver value to all of them." Shortly after, COVID-19 accelerated this pivot away from shareholder primacy by forcing businesses to prioritize colleague and community well-being above shareholder needs.

Today, the pendulum is swinging back with a vengeance; Inflation and a global recession are testing the resolve of any leader that supported the 2019 BRT declaration. CEOs perceived as not entirely focused on the bottom line and investments without an immediate financial return are again under intense scrutiny by the financial markets.

Essential lessons learned now risk being lost as the 'Stakeholder growth' baby gets thrown out with the bath water. The ASI study will capture these learnings.

ASI Study Approach

Our methodology builds on four successful previous global IRG studies, the academic research experience at Oxford FOMI, and the practical experience of IRG participants. We combine a scientific and practical approach to drive credible and actionable recommendations. The study approach includes qualitative and quantitative elements:

Vision interviews

Interviews with CEOs, CFOs, CHROs, Heads of Investor Relations, CMOs, and ESG experts by the 2023 IRG100 participants and IRG community members.

Meta-analysis

Analysis using published Stakeholder growth initiatives and results.

AI analysis

Analysis using the 'Hypertrend' tool developed by Oxford FOMI for identifying key themes, topics, and emerging future trends to augment and enhance our research.

ASI Study Questions to Address

1. How organizations today define Stakeholder impact.

2. Initiatives that have made the most and least impact, and why.

3. Balancing differing interests, practical learning, and pitfalls to avoid.

4. How to measure and communicate impact to all stakeholders.

5. Leadership attitudes and habits needed to drive Stakeholder impact.

6. The role of brands and Marketing in driving Stakeholder impact.

ASI Study Roles

The Institute for Real Growth (IRG) and Oxford's Future of Marketing Initiative (FOMI) will develop and design all the study's components. The IRG leads the qual interview phase, leveraging its community of IRG partners and participants. FOMI leads the Meta and AI analysis, leveraging its FOMI and academic network and proprietary research-based machine learning tools.

Advisory Board

Discover more about our ASI Study board

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ASI Study Partners

IRG
Oxford
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Spencer Stuart
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Stakeholder Vision Interviews

We will learn from a globally and industry-balanced mix of B2B and B2C business CEOs, CMOs, and Key Opinion Formers. Completed pilot interviews include Dolf van den Brink (Heineken), Alan Jope (Unilever), Patrick Xu (WPP), Hubert Jolie (Best Buy), Paul Polman (Imagine), Sanda Ojiambo (UN Global Compact), and Deepak Chopra.

Timing

  • Interviews and Research: January – May 2023
  • Preliminary Results: June 2023
  • Full results publication: October 2023

Connect with us about the ASI Study

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