Prep for Sep 27: Community and Stakeholder Engagement, Part 2

Before class, please:

1. Read “How Gap Inc. Engaged With its Stakeholders” (N. Craig Smith, Sean Ansett, and Lior Erez, MIT Sloan Management Review, Summer 2011), available through the Library Course Reserves link on Connect. Consider: How would Gap Inc.’s approach work for another organization you know? (Hint: this can be useful for your Stakeholder Engagement Analysis assignment…)
2. Read the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) definition and discussion of materiality and how to report it, including both the “Applying the Principle” and “Tests” tabs.
3. Complete the short Prep Quiz for Sep 27: Engagement, Part 2 based on the assigned readings for this class. This quiz will close at 11:30 am on Wednesday, September 27, so be sure to catch this deadline. You will have just one attempt to complete each Prep Quiz, so you are encouraged to complete your readings before attempting them.

Optional extras (will not be on the prep quiz):

• Explore the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board’s (SASB) Materiality Map^TM. Can you find the standards for aspects of industries that interest you?
• Read “Materiality assessments: The missing link for sustainability strategy” (Bart King, GreenBiz, September 10, 2013). Consider: How would your chosen company for the Stakeholder Engagement assignment go about developing a materiality matrix? What would it gain from doing so?
• Read “Stakeholder Relations – Invest in It Before You Need to Rely On It” (Thorsten Pinkepank, Nadine-Lan Hönighaus, and Juliet Mdluli, Sustainable Brands, April 29, 2016). Consider: How does a company measure success in stakeholder relations?