Bridging internal and external stakeholder expectations together: The new role of “issue brokers” in corporate social responsibility

CSR managers today are more than internal advocates for sustainability; they are “issue brokers” navigating between internal priorities and external stakeholder demands. This blog explores their dynamic role, detailing key strategies like mobilizing external voices, buffering expectations, and moderating collaborations to align organizational goals with societal needs.

Authors

Michiel de Roo
VU Amsterdam
Christopher Wickert
VU Amsterdam
Frank de Bakker
IESEG school of management in Lille, France
Tom Elfring
EMLyon Business School

Keywords

3 February 2025

In the ever-evolving landscape of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable business practices, organizations face a critical question: how can they effectively respond to societal challenges while aligning these efforts with organizational goals and internal priorities? Our recent research, published in the journal Strategic Organization, uncovers a transformative shift in the role of CSR managers, a type of manager that has become increasingly critical in today’s sustainability-driven business environment. CSR managers are no longer just “issue sellers” advocating internally for change, they now act as “issue brokers” who strategically navigate between internal and external stakeholders to advance CSR agendas.

CSR managers are no longer just “issue sellers” advocating internally for change, they now act as “issue brokers” who strategically navigate between internal and external stakeholders to advance CSR agendas.

This blog unpacks the findings of our study, highlighting the practical strategies CSR professionals can employ to meet the demands of today’s complex business and social environment.

Key takeaways from the research

  1. A dual role for CSR managers: CSR managers must address the expectations of two distinct yet interconnected groups: internal “issue buyers” (e.g., functional departments and senior management) and external stakeholders (e.g., NGOs and advocacy groups). Balancing these relationships is critical to achieving meaningful change.

  2. Three core tactics:
    • Mobilizing external stakeholders: When internal support is low, CSR managers bring external voices into the organization to create urgency and legitimacy for sustainability issues. They create an outside-in push for CSR.
    • Buffering external expectations: When external demands clash with internal realities, CSR managers assess the relevance of external demands and act as gatekeepers, managing and tempering expectations to avoid internal resistance to overwhelming change.
    • Moderating between stakeholders: For issues that are complex and challenging to implement, CSR managers repackage issues raised by external stakeholders and facilitate collaborations that align external demands with internal priorities.

  3. The emergence of the “issue broker” role: In consequence of the above, CSR managers are no longer confined to internal advocacy. They now serve as brokers who engage with internal and external audiences, deftly balancing stakeholder pressures with organizational sustainability goals, ensuring both alignment and progress.

Why practitioners should care: Three implications

The insights from our research are not just theoretical—they offer actionable strategies for practitioners navigating the intricate web of corporate social responsibility. Here’s how CSR managers, business leaders, and even NGOs can use these findings to drive impactful change.

1. Mobilize the power of external stakeholders

External stakeholders, such as NGOs, are often seen as critics of corporate behavior. However, this perspective overlooks the strategic value they bring to companies. NGOs, with their credibility and societal reach, can amplify the visibility and urgency of key issues within organizations.

External stakeholders, such as NGOs, are often seen as critics of corporate behavior. However, this perspective overlooks the strategic value they bring to companies.

For practitioners:

  • Use NGO endorsements to validate CSR initiatives internally.
  • Leverage NGO influence to pressure resistant internal stakeholders while framing their input as collaborative rather than confrontational.

Example: In our study, CSR managers invited NGO representatives to present on pressing environmental issues during internal meetings, which helped gain support from senior management and operational teams.

2. Buffer external demands for greater internal alignment

Not all external demands are practical or aligned with an organization’s strategic goals. CSR managers must evaluate these requests, tempering them when necessary to maintain internal buy-in and avoid overwhelming functional teams.

For practitioners:

  • Establish clear communication channels with external stakeholders to set realistic expectations.
  • Avoid bringing every external demand directly to internal teams; instead, filter and prioritize based on organizational relevance and feasibility.


Tip: A CSR manager who assesses the relevance of issue raised by external stakeholders and buffers the organization from overwhelming expectations can foster trust both internally and externally, ensuring that only high-impact, actionable issues are brought to the table and effectively implemented.

3. Moderate between external and internal stakeholders

The role of the CSR manager is evolving from advocacy to brokerage. This involves understanding and translating the needs and priorities of both external and internal stakeholders. By aligning external pressure with internal objectives, CSR managers can unlock innovative solutions that benefit all parties.

By aligning external pressure with internal objectives, CSR managers can unlock innovative solutions that benefit all parties.

For practitioners:

  • Develop negotiation and moderation skills to navigate between divergent stakeholder priorities.
  • Translate abstract external demands into concrete internal action plans that resonate with business objectives.

Example: In our study, an NGO’s confrontation over a single issue led to a collaborative effort focused on addressing biodiversity as a broader, overarching theme, thus translating external demands to internal business objectives.

The role of “issue brokers” in shaping the future of CSR

The concept of CSR managers as “issue brokers” is a game-changer for the field of corporate social responsibility. It underscores the importance of agility, strategic thinking, and stakeholder engagement in driving meaningful organizational change. As brokers, CSR managers are uniquely positioned to orchestrate collaborations that benefit both their organizations and society at large.

The concept of CSR managers as “issue brokers” is a game-changer for the field of corporate social responsibility. It underscores the importance of agility, strategic thinking, and stakeholder engagement in driving meaningful organizational change.

For practitioners, this evolving role requires a shift in mindset:

  • See external stakeholders as partners, not just pressure groups.
  • Embrace complexity and develop strategies to align conflicting priorities.
  • Invest in building the skills and systems needed to support effective brokerage.

Final thoughts: Seizing the opportunity for impact

The path to a sustainable future lies in collaboration. CSR managers must leverage their unique position to bridge the gap between internal operations and external expectations. By adopting the strategies outlined here, practitioners can become effective issue brokers, driving transformative change within their organizations while meeting societal needs.

Now is the time to seize this opportunity. By stepping into the role of an issue broker, you can lead your organization toward a more sustainable and socially responsible future.

Authors

Michiel de Roo
VU Amsterdam

Michiel de Roo is a Strategy Consultant at Jester Strategy and a Visiting Scholar at the Department of Management & Organization at the VU Amsterdam’s School of Business and Economics (SBE), where he also obtained his PhD. His research interests include business and society, corporate social responsibility, social issues in management, and sustainability. He is particularly interested in how factors at different levels, such as the national, organizational, and individual level, influence corporate social responsibility and its outcomes.

Christopher Wickert
VU Amsterdam

Christopher Wickert is a Full Professor and Chair of Corporate Social Responsibility, Research Director at the Department of Management & Organization at VU Amsterdam’s School of Business and Economics (SBE), as well as Director of the VU Business & Society Knowledge Hub (www.business-society.org). His research examines corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability as well as the broader relationship between business and society by drawing on various strands of organization and management theory.

Frank de Bakker
IESEG school of management in Lille, France

Frank de Bakker is a Full Professor of Business and Society at IESEG school of management in Lille, France and a member of CNRS-LEM (UMR 9221). He is coordinating ICOR, the IESEG Center for Organizational Responsibility and serves as the Academic Director of the Master in Management for Sustainability. In his research he combines insights from institutional theory, social movement studies and stakeholder engagement to examine interactions between activist groups and business firms on issues of corporate social responsibility (CSR). He also studies firms’ responses to such interactions, examining corporate political activity (CPA) and the role of sustainability managers within firms.

Tom Elfring
EMLyon Business School

Tom Elfring is a full professor of Entrepreneurship at EMLyon Business School. He has been teaching at different levels on entrepreneurship, venture dynamics and strategic management. His research interests include networking in emerging organizations, corporate entrepreneurship and venturing, and strategic entrepreneurship. He has published eight books, his latest in 2021 on Entrepreneurship as networking with Oxford University Press. His research has been funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), Royal Academy of Sciences (KNAW), The Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR), and European Science Foundation (ESF).