Overall vision Wider stakeholder commitment? Today, the strategic challenge for companies is to understand the importance of relationships with all the companies’ stakeholders. Reporting is an opportunity to demonstrate how the company is identifying material issues, developing strategies and managing activities in response to key issues. What can really set a company apart and demonstrate real commitment to sustainability issues is when the overall vision or goal of the company encompasses wider relevant stakeholder groups, and ensures this commitment is demonstrated throughout the report. By referencing wider stakeholder groups as opposed to simply shareholders, the company is able to reconcile its business purpose of creating value for shareholders whilst also taking into account its relationship with other stakeholder groups and how the company creates or sustains value for these groups, moving beyond a pure sustainable focus on generating value to create and generate value in a sustainable way. Key findings Four countries – South Africa, Europe, Brazil and Republic of Korea – are noted in this section for their approach to communicating their overall vision. Almost all of the companies in South Africa and Europe have taken a similar approach in stating an overall vision for the company, with two thirds of those stating an over arching commitment to all their stakeholder groups, moving beyond a pure shareholder focus on generating value to creating and generating value in a sustainable way. In Brazil, every company states an overall vision for the company with 78% making a commitment to wider stakeholders and, for most, the focus by companies is on the important role they play in the Brazilian economy. Mission, vision and values are also presented as a critical element of most Brazilian companies’ reporting, thereby helping to set the framework for the rest of the narrative. Reports from the Republic of Korea contain very inspirational themes with messages such as: ‘inspire the world’, ‘create the future’ and ‘outstanding to outperform’, with case studies that evidence these themes in action also included. At the other end of the spectrum, many of the Indian reports state a big, all encompassing vision or mission but then fail to support this throughout the report in order to evidence the story. Defining an overall vision Top countries: South Africa 100% Europe 93% Republic of Korea 86% Brazil 82% www.blacksunplc.com © Black Sun Plc 2011 19