William S. Harvey – författare

Reputation is important to all of us. Reputations at Stake provides evidence-based and engaging examples that reveal a compelling story about the phenomenon of reputation. Organisations cannot ignore reputation because it impacts the sales of its products or services, its share price if publicly listed, and the types of employees it can attract and retain. Reputation is relevant for governments and politicians because it influences public perceptions and voting. It also relates to us at an individual level and impacts on how we can operate and integrate within our home, work, and social lives.Reputation is not merely a macro-level strategic issue (e.g., for governments, corporations, or charities), a meso-level intermediation issue (e.g., for mass media, social media, and PR agencies) or a micro-level operational issue (e.g., for leaders, managers, or employees), but it is a multi-scale phenomenon that impacts everyone. The multiple ways that different and often conflicting reputations are playing out are articulated through research and examples, from the British royal family, libraries during lockdown, the world of influencers, Rio Tinto in Madagascar, white collar inmates in a US Federal Prison, and companies including BP, VW, and McKinsey & Company.

Social purpose is the strategic commitment by leaders to generate positive outcomes in society for multiple stakeholders through their organizational operations. An organization's social purpose may benefit any number of causes from human rights to environmental sustainability, at a large or small scale. The stakes can be high, for the organization's stability as well as for the larger community, and complex strategizing is required by leaders to plan, execute, and evaluate the implementation of social purpose initiatives. The Oxford Handbook of Social Purpose makes a foundational contribution to this field. Across twenty-eight chapters, the edited volume captures why social purpose is theoretically and practically important as well as timely. Throughout the Handbook, there are recurring themes around leadership, strategy, and stakeholders. The chapters are organized into four themes: First, conceptualizing social purpose; second, governance and strategy for social purpose; third, implementing and embedding social purpose; fourth, social purpose in practice. While the Handbook provides a valuable contribution to social purpose, it recognises that there is valuable future research and practice to follow. The Handbook concludes by calling on academics to build the evidence-base and practitioners to commit to delivering on social purpose through their activities. The stakes could not be higher to act now.