Category Archives: Stakeholder Engagement

Fulfilling America’s Promise: Build Equity, Bridge the Gap

The TakeAway: As we celebrate Independence Day, it’s time to rededicate ourselves to those very ideals on which our nation was founded: liberty, opportunity, and justice for all. That means bridging the equity gap that undermines the American dream and … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, Corporate Governance, Ethics and Values, Fiduciary, Investor Governance, Networked Citizenship, Politics, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing, Wage Gap | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fulfilling America’s Promise: Build Equity, Bridge the Gap

Mesh Networks, Leadership, and Democracy’s Promise

  The TakeAway: This election season and Veterans Day provide a great time to reflect on the state of our democracy, which is ailing badly. It’s also time to think about ways of healing it, while achieving sustainable peace and … Continue reading

Posted in Civic Technology, Data Visualization, Ethics and Values, Interactive Technology, Net Neutrality, Networked Citizenship, Notable People, Open Government, Open Knowledge, Politics, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Peace and Prosperity, Uncategorized, Web 2.0 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mesh Networks, Leadership, and Democracy’s Promise

Civic Virtue as the Animating Ideal

Fourth in a Series: Time to Talk About the Public Interest The TakeAway: Despite the great strides made toward incorporating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into economic decision making, these ideas are untethered from a moral paradigm or ethos … Continue reading

Posted in Ethics and Values, Human Rights, Investor Governance, Politics, Proxy Voting, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Civic Virtue as the Animating Ideal

Time to Talk About the Public Interest

The TakeAway: Current global activity about “materiality” and “multiple capitals” seek to embed environmental, social, and governance considerations within corporate and investor commitments to accountability and sustainability. But they’re the latest iteration of an ancient ethic waiting to be reborn. … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Ethics and Values, Fiduciary, Politics, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability Ratings, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Time to Talk About the Public Interest

Ready For Their Close-Up: Corporate Secretaries and “The Shape of Things to Come”

Part One of Three The TakeAway: The recent annual conference of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals focused on “The Shape of Things to Come”—that is, key issues and trends affecting corporate accountability and sustainable prosperity. In so … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Political Activity, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Ethics and Values, Interactive Technology, Politics, Proxy Voting, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Valentine’s Bouquet: Twelve for 2012

The TakeAway: The blooms of sustainable prosperity and justice are fed by at least twelve currents that will get stronger throughout 2012. They involve the maturation of corporate social responsibility and corporate governance; rethinking the meaning of “fiduciary”; balancing internationalism … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, Corporate Political Activity, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Interactive Technology, Investor Governance, Natural Disasters, Proxy Voting, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Song of Sorrow or Call to Arms? Four Stratagems to Improve Our Politics

The TakeAway: While extremist politics dominate Washington, financial markets continue to seize, and US credit-worthiness takes a beating, advocates of sustainability and good governance need to stop moping and get off the bench. Here are four stratagems to reverse the … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Politics, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Human Rights: A Moral and Material Business Concern

The TakeAway: Several sustainability milestones were reached in June, but the greatest of these was the UN Human Rights Council endorsement of the Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, which established human rights as both a moral and material … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Human Rights, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Proxy Resolutions, Shareholder Engagement, and Buggy Whips

Part Two of Two Parts The TakeAway: Shareholder engagement is on the rise, but can benefit from “transmedia mobilization”—that is, a greater understanding, adoption, and experimentation with a range of digital tools, including (but not restricted to) social media. As … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Interactive Technology, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Proxy Resolutions, Shareholder Engagement, and Buggy Whips

Part One of Two Parts The TakeAway: Proxy resolutions continue to influence corporate behavior on social policy and corporate governance, but proponents need to explore additional forms of engagement, including social media and other digital means. It’s the day after … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, Corporate Governance, Corporate Political Activity, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Interactive Technology, Politics, Proxy Voting, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Scaling Pains at AccountAbility

The TakeAway: AccountAbility Standards Board resigns en masse, while the UK standard-setter for sustainability assurance and stakeholder engagement pledges to stay true to its mission. Last week, the voluntary Standards Board (SB) at AccountAbility resigned en masse in a letter … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Tone at the Top: Rebooting Democracy’s Dialogue

The TakeAway: We must hold lawmakers accountable to high standards of statecraft, just as we hold ourselves accountable when engaging on ‘hot button’ issues such as corporate accountability, sustainability, and human rights. It was a high-minded day.  Following a Native … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Gaming for Good

The TakeAway: Game-based technologies can serve as powerful tools for advancing sustainability and civic engagement—while enabling us to become game creators, too. If you’re like many Americans, you spent part of your Christmas holiday playing with your Wii, Xbox360, PlayStation … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Media & Entertainment, Serious Games, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability Ratings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Radical Transparency: The Challenge to Sustainability and Democracy

The TakeAway: Reams of information released by WikiLeaks and the Federal Reserve challenge us to rethink our duties to promote sustainable accountability and representative democracy. Debates on the recent WikiLeaks / Federal Reserve data dumps concentrate on the supply side … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Interactive Technology, Media & Entertainment, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Business and Human Rights: The UN’s Roadmap

The TakeAway: The United Nations’ Draft “Guiding Principles” for Business and Human Rights helps governments, business, and civil society put the “Protect, Respect, Remedy” framework into practice. “There is no single silver bullet solution to the multi-faceted challenges of business … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Role of Technology and Engagement in Integrated Reporting

Part Two of Two The TakeAway: Integrated reporting relies on new tools of technology and engagement in blending financial and sustainability disclosure – and practice. Harvard Business School Professor Bob Eccles designed last month’s consultation on integrated reporting, which gathered … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Interactive Technology, Stakeholder Engagement, Web 2.0 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Integrated Reporting: The Future of Corporate Financial and Sustainability Disclosure

Part One of Two The TakeAway: New Harvard Business School eBook provides insights from first global conference on integrated reporting Last week, Harvard Business School published its first free eBook, featuring contributions by participants at the recent global consultation on … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Stakeholder Engagement, Web 2.0 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Burma’s History of Freeing “The Lady”

The TakeAway: The release of Aung San Suu Kyi caps a long process of advocacy including state and local sanctions, shareholder activism, and consumer boycott campaigns. Saturday’s release of Burmese pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (fondly called “The … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Symbiotic Dance: The Intimate Link Between Companies and Stakeholders

Commentary by Murninghan Post Editor Bill Baue The TakeAway: Last week’s Business for Social Responsibility Conference focused on corporate-stakeholder collaboration for sustainability solutions. I learned about the new Chevron “We Agree” campaign, an attempt to spit-clean the company’s image after … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The $3 Trillion Socially Responsible Investing Market

The TakeAway: Nearly one out of every eight dollars professionally managed in the US employs sustainability criteria, according to the Social Investment Forum SRI Trends Report. As the US economy slumped into the worst recession since the ‘30s over the … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Three I’s of Sustainability Reporting’s Future

The TakeAway: The Global Reporting Initiative leads sustainability disclosure into a new era through Integration, Implementation, and Integrity. Around the world, thousands of organizations rely on the GRI Reporting Framework and its multi-stakeholder approach to sustainability reporting covering the range of … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Interactive Technology, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability Ratings, Sustainable Investing, Web 2.0 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Social Materiality: A New Lens for Sustainable Investing

Guest Commentary by Liz Umlas As the concept of ESG – addressing environmental, social, and governance factors in business and investment considerations – gains traction, the focus often seems more firmly on the first and last than on the middle … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary, Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The Human Side of Sustainability

The TakeAway: Corporate sustainability thrives on authentic, ethical relationship management and communication skills, especially in digital environments. Progress happens when abstract sets of rules and laws meet real world human behavior.  Yet all too often, the former gets all the … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Sustainability, Interactive Technology, Stakeholder Engagement, Web 2.0 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Companies Failing to Engage Stakeholders Online

The TakeAway: New rankings on corporate online CSR communication and engagement classify US firms as “below average” Companies are failing to take full advantage of interactive technology for stakeholder engagement and reporting sustainability performance.  That’s the primary finding of the … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Interactive Technology, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability Ratings, Web 2.0 | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Say-on-Pay: A Bird’s Eye View

The TakeAway: New SEC rules on executive compensation advisory votes take steps toward broader board-shareholder engagement. On Monday afternoon, the SEC proposed rules for Say-on-Pay (shareholder advisory votes on executive compensation) and golden parachutes (big payouts to executives dismissed after … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A New Actor Steps On To The Stage

By Bob Massie, Publisher, The Murninghan Post The TakeAway: A Brazilian Initiative – The Global Sustainability Forum – Signals New Leadership from an Emerging Power Last week in Rio de Janeiro, one of the leaders of international civil society, Oded … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Welcome to the USA, GRI!

The TakeAway: The Global Reporting Initiative, with the support of the global Big Four audit firms, launches “Focal Point USA”. Good news for sustainability in the US!  Today, the Amsterdam-based Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) announced that it’s opening an office … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Human Rights, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Notable News Roundup & Recommended Reading

The TakeAway: Proxy access, human rights, and ethics among important topics of the week—plus, 2 books on improving performance. Lots of news that’s fit to print this week, but we didn’t have room—so before the long Columbus Day weekend here … Continue reading

Posted in Human Rights, Proxy Voting, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The New Fiduciary: Stewardship and Sensibility

The TakeAway: Changes in financial regulations place new responsibilities on institutional investors, requiring new forms of engagement, education, and behavior. These days, financial and corporate governance reform advocates have concentrated a lot of attention on corporate boards, and for good … Continue reading

Posted in Corporate Governance, Corporate Reporting, Corporate Sustainability, Investor Governance, Proxy Voting, Public Policy, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainable Investing, Web 2.0 | 4 Comments