Leveraging A Lenient Category in Practicing Responsible Leadership: A Case Study
通过研究美国一家大型大学餐饮供应商的领导团队和利益相关者，发现高管利用“本地食品”这一宽松市场类别来协调不同利益相关者的需求，实现财务与社会效益双赢。
Abstract In this extended case study, we examine how business leaders translate a responsible leadership mindset into practice. By studying the leadership team and stakeholders of a large US college dining provider, we found that organization executives leverage the lenient market category of local food to successfully connect with and satisfy the interests of different stakeholder groups. We show that lenient categories, those with ambiguity and unclear boundaries, could be used by organizations as strategic devices to integrate the diverse needs of their stakeholders and foster positive stakeholder relationships. Based on our findings, we develop a theoretical model to illustrate how responsible leaders take advantage of meaning structures of the market category they have adopted to achieve both financial and social benefits for a broad range of stakeholders.