OREANDA-NEWS. October 01, 2014. Deutsche Post DHL, the world’s leading postal and logistics Group, presents its latest study: “Exchange, Engage, Excel: Creating Value Through Stakeholder Engagement”.

The study marks the fourth time that the Group has examined future trends from different areas of society and discussed them in the company’s own leadership series “Delivering Tomorrow”. The new study will be presented during a joint event with the Institute for Business Ethics at the University of Saint Gallen and will be accompanied by keynote speeches and a panel discussion on stakeholder management.

“Our world has increased in complexity and dynamism over the last few years. Companies can be successful long-term in this environment only if they satisfy both with competitive business solutions and responsible actions”, said Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL. “The close engagement with one’s own stakeholders is a clear success factor in this process. The systematic dialogue with our stakeholder groups strengthens mutual trust, gives fresh impetus for relevant innovations and helps companies to remain successful also in the long-term.”

Sustainably profit through a systematic dialogue

The new publication from Deutsche Post DHL raises the question how companies and their stakeholders – for example customers, consumers and societal actors – can jointly and sustainably profit through a systematic dialogue. It is becoming increasingly clear that close stakeholder relationships enable companies not only to safeguard their societal acceptance (“license to operate”), but also to enhance their attractiveness and performance in the long run. This insight is supported by the results of an international survey of opinion leaders from six different key countries conducted for the study. Companies that engage in dialogue with their stakeholder groups are first-rank for 71 percent of those surveyed. And 87 percent of survey participants indicated that a one-sided emphasis on the interests of their shareholders is now an outdated strategy.

Today, companies are confronted with a multiplicity of stakeholder groups in all markets. This includes not only customers, employees and investors, but also suppliers, political decision-makers, administrations, the media, NGOs, trade unions or local communities. The study explores the significance of close relationships with stakeholders from a variety of perspectives, stresses various examples, and features renowned experts from academia and business. The authors who have contributed to the study include Professor R. Edward Freeman (University of Virginia), considered one of the founders of the stakeholder approach, as well as Professor Peter Ulrich, founder and former head of the Institute for Business Ethics of the University of St. Gallen, the first of its kind in the German-speaking realm. Another contributor is the author and consultant Mark Kramer, who together with the economist Michael Porter developed the much-discussed “shared value” approach.

Stakeholder relations has continually risen

“From a scientific point of view, the significance of stakeholder relations has continually risen over the last decades. A timely, ethically well-founded understanding of management places the interaction with the company environment and the dealings with relevant stakeholder groups at the center of its considerations”, said Professor Dr. Thomas Beschorner, Director of the Institute for Business Ethics at the University of St. Gallen, on the occasion of the joint discussion event where the study was presented under the motto “from shareholder to stakeholder”.

The event, aimed at creating a dialogue between academia and business, has an array of prominent guests: The hosts are Professor Thomas Beschorner and Professor Dr. Christof Ehrhart, Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications and Responsibility at Deutsche Post DHL. In addition, participants include Professor Dr. Johannes Ruegg-Sturm, Director of the Institute for Systemic Management and Public Governance, Professor Dr. Dieter Thoma, Professor of Philosophy, as well as Achim Halfmann, Managing Editor at CSR News, one of the world’s leading information platforms on the subject of corporate social responsibility.