Public-Private Partnerships

Corporate philanthropy and government involvement: Insights into their significance in Singapore
(Chia, Allan)

Public-private partnerships in corporate management: A case study of Stora Enso
(Kokko, Suvi & Mark-Herbert, Cecilia)

Corporate philanthropy and government involvement: Insights into their significance in Singapore
(Chia, Allan)

Abstract

Corporate philanthropy is the act of corporations donating a portion of their profits and resources to mainly nonprofit organizations. The concept of corporate giving dates back to the turn of the 20th century and the rise of the modern corporation. Today, almost a century later, the world is facing a global financial crisis, unprecedented in terms of its scale and wide-reaching impact. This seems an opportune time to examine this subject in the context of government involvement in the case of Singapore, particularly between corporate giving and Singaporean universities.

Corporate philanthropy can assist an organization to achieve its social objectives (philanthropy) and financial goals (profit). In this paper, corporate philanthropy is reviewed and discussed in the light of how it can be combined to maximum effectiveness for both the donor (corporations) and the benefactor organizations (universities). It also examines the common relationship between societal marketing and corporate philanthropy in the context of the educational institutions in Singapore. Educational institutions can be suitable alliance partners with organizations who engage in corporate Philanthropy.

Last but not least, the paper also focuses on government involvement in encouraging corporate philanthropy in Singapore. The Singapore government plays a pivotal role in promoting and supporting philanthropy. It prefers to use persuasion in accord with Singapore’s political and cultural values which emphasize ethical leadership and the promotion of social responsibility, cohesion and stability in a multiracial and multilingual society. In fact the Singapore example of government involvement stands out as it involves a tripartite approach involving the government, private sector and labor movement in partnership to drive the Corporate Responsibility agenda.

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Public-private partnerships in corporate management: A case study of Stora Enso
(Kokko, Suvi & Mark-Herbert, Cecilia)

Responsible corporate management includes respecting the interests of a great number of stakeholders, vast arenas and a multitude of possible actions that may be taken. One way to ensure responsible business leadership is to actively engage stakeholders outside the corporation in strategic dialogues. This research paper investigates how the private and public sectors can join their resources and expertise in the form of partnerships in order to create more sustainable business practices that create value not only for the business but also for the society and the environment. We demonstrate best practises in this field through a case study on the partnerships that one of the world's largest paper and forest products companies, Stora Enso, has with the UNDP and UNICEF. Stora Enso's business is directly dependent on the environment and many communities depend on Stora Enso as an employer and creator of economic activity, especially in rural areas. Stora Enso's operations have a significant impact on the environment and the society both in developed and developing countries.

Our aim in this project is to describe the different dimensions in a public-private partnership and how it enhances corporate environmental and social responsibility at Stora Enso. Empirical information was obtained through personal contacts, interviews with Stora Enso, UNDP and UNICEF Finland. These findings are supported by secondary material concerning corporate environmentalism, corporate social responsibility and public-private partnerships. In the result of this study we illustrate opportunities and challenges that both businesses and public intergovernmental organizations face in partnerships.

Key terms: Sustainable management, public-private partnership, forestry industry, strategic decision, responsibility

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