Multinational Corporations and the Impact of Public Advocacy on Corporate Strategy

Multinational Corporations and the Impact of Public Advocacy on Corporate Strategy: Nestlé and the Infant Formula Controversy presents an in-depth analysis of the infant formula controversy and the resulting international boycott of Nestlé products launched by various social activist groups and church organizations. The actions of those groups culminated in the passage of the first international marketing code under the auspices of the World Health Organization.
Based on exhaustive and unique research, the book details the Nestlé case and uses it to analyze a number of other major issues bearing on contemporary business strategy and operations in the national and international arena. Issues addressed include:

The rising phenomenon of social activism and its affect on public opinion and public policy;

The changing role of churches and other religious groups and their impact on corporate strategy and behavior;

The emergence of UN affiliated international bodies, as both arbiters and regulators of market conduct of multinational corporations;

The changing dynamics between multinational corporations and host countries;

The factors which determine a company's behavior and its ability to adapt to changing societal expectations. £/LIST£ Multinational Corporations and the Impact of Public Advocacy on Corporate Strategy: Nestlé and the Infant Formula Controversy presents a microcosm of business society conflicts being played out in all parts of the world. This scholarly book will be of great interest to academics in the areas of management, business ethics, social conflict, and international regulation. It will also appeal to a broad corporate and government audience and to anyone interested in contemporary world affairs and the increasing globalization of socio-economic conflicts.

I - The Setting.- 1: The Infant Formula Controversy at Center Stage.- 2: The Societal Context of the Infant Formula Controversy.- 3: The Institutional Context of the Infant Formula Controversy.- II - The Gathering Storm.- 4: Sowing the Seeds of the Controversy: The European Scene.- 5: The Controversy Comes to the United States.- 6: The Activists Throw Down the Gauntlet - The Kennedy Hearings and its Aftermath.- 7: The Drive Toward Code Enactment - The Post Kennedy Era.- III - Issues and Institutions.- 8: Health, Medical, and Scientific Aspects of the Controversy.- 9: Worldwide Infant Formula Sales, Markets, and Industry Structure.- 10: The Industry and Major Manufacturers Involved in the Controversy.- 11: Major Religious and Activist Groups Involved in the Controversy.- IV - Escalation of the Conflict.- 12: WHO's Involvement in the Controversy.- 13: Dynamics of the Passage of the WHO Code.- 14: The Sole Negative Vote by the U.S.: The Impact of Ideology and Domestic Politics.- V - Drive Toward Resolution of the Conflict.- 15: Nestle Coordination Center for Nutrition, Inc. (NCCN): Nestle's Change in Organizational Structure and Strategies to Deal with the Boycott.- 16: "Winning" the Methodists: The Last Major Battle-ground to Enlist the Religious Community's Support for the Boycott.- 17: Nestle Infant Formula Audit Commission (NIFAC): A New Model for Gaining External Legitimacy for Corporate Actions.- 18: Settlement of the Dispute and Termination of the Boycott: Discussions Between INBC/INFACT and Nestle - UNICEF in the Role of an Honest Broker.- VI - Lessons Learned and Unlearned.- 19: The Lessons of Accountability - Third World Governments: Expectations and Performance - WHO's Non-Existent.- Monitoring.- 20: Code Compliance by theInfant Formula Industry: The New Nestle - The More Things Change, The More They Remain The Same.- 21: Emerging Modes of Business-Society Conflict Resolution - An Assessment.