• • Identify, analyze and evaluate key theories and frameworks related to corporate diplomacy, global non-market strategy and stakeholder management;
• • Present and discuss strategic opportunities and challenges related to planning, designing, organizing and managing external stakeholders’ interests in different parts of the world;
• • Analyze and evaluate strategic challenges for local and multinational enterprises (as well as other organizations in both the market and non-market environment) using theoretical perspectives covered in the course;
• • Identify and apply relevant theoretical frameworks and concepts to firm cases in order to perform ex-ante identification and assessment of risk and opportunities as well as ex-post analysis of firms’ corporate diplomacy strategies;
• • Formulate and justify recommendations for local and multinational enterprises using theoretical perspectives addressed in the course.

Global phenomena such as climate change, health crises, growing populism and nationalist, poverty and inequality, as well as disruptive technologies have become an unavoidable concern for professionals in charge of defining and implementing firm strategies. Indeed, the importance of stakeholder opinions and actions is a growing source of concern for most global strategy professionals, including managers, consultants, investors and entrepreneurs. Stakeholders like governments, civil society, NGOs, international organizations, the media, and activists, among others, influence how legitimate are a company's operations and its ability to deliver a financial return. These strategy professionals are, thus, increasingly interested in better understanding the identity and issues of concern of stakeholders. They aim to align corporate and investment strategy with stakeholder demands on numerous issues. Professionals working for these stakeholders are also increasingly savvy regarding the interests and preferences of corporations, their shareholders and consumers.

This course will provide students aspiring to work with stakeholder management, either for corporations or for their external stakeholders, with the latest frameworks, theories and tools about the identification of relevant stakeholders, their issues of interest, as well as about the financial valuation of stakeholder management. In short, the course aims to prepare students to engage in Corporate Diplomacy. The course will focus on the practical use of data, both primary and secondary data, and behavioral skills, critical for external stakeholder engagement and trust building. Importantly, the course aims to show students how, for effective stakeholder management, corporate diplomacy should transcend the interests of particular organizations or individuals, but seek to align the interests of multiple actors. Through such alignment, corporate diplomacy can help create the environment for mutual gains and, ultimately, to transform society.

The course will include both lectures presenting main theories and tools associated with global corporate diplomacy, case study sessions to highlight the practical issues firms face and strategies they can use to deal with external stakeholder management, as well as sessions dedicated to the preparation and practice of presentation of students’ synopses.

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Darendeli, Izzet Sidki, and T. L. Hill. "Uncovering the complex relationships between political risk and MNE firm legitimacy: Insights from Libya." Journal of International Business Studies 47.1 (2016): 68-92.

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Odziemkowska, Kate, and Sinziana Dorobantu. "Contracting Beyond the Market." Organization Science, Forthcoming (2020).

Odziemkowska, Kate, and Witold J. Henisz. "Webs of Influence: Secondary Stakeholder Actions and Cross-National Corporate Social Performance." Organization Science,(Forthcoming) (2020).

Westermann-Behaylo, Michelle K., Kathleen Rehbein, and Timothy Fort. "Enhancing the concept of corporate diplomacy: Encompassing political corporate social responsibility, international relations, and peace through commerce." Academy of Management Perspectives 29.4 (2015): 387-404.