Alliances for Sustainable Futures

Creating and Managing Purpose-Driven Alliances

Sustainable Futures

Jaap Boonstra, Professor of Organizational Dynamics, Department People and Organization, Esade Business School Barcelona, Spain and Professor of Global Leadership, CEMS – The Global Alliance in Management Education and Marcos Eguiguren, Director International Center in Sustainable Finance, Department of Management, Law, Society and Humanities, UPF Barcelona School of Management, Spain and former Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values

Providing an in-depth exploration of the formation, building, development, and evolutionary phases of sustainable alliances, this book presents a new perspective on organizational change in value-driven alliances. Combining theoretical ideas, practical concepts, and critical reflections on the topic, this insightful and timely book supports the conception and progression of purpose driven alliances which contribute to a more positive and sustainable world.

‘Collaborating across disciplines and organizational borders is the only way to tackle current societal challenges. The book Alliances for Sustainable Futures is an inspiring work on all facets of alliances and contains many practical insights and methods. A must-read for anyone who wants to contribute to a better and sustainable world.’
– Yvonne Burger, Free University Amsterdam, the Netherlands

‘New technologies, sustainability goals, and economic networks are changing societies and how organizations can create value for their communities and society. Collaboration across sectors and multidisciplinary thinking are prerequisites to navigating today's paradigm shift. Alliances for Sustainable Futures challenges engaged business leaders to break down old boundaries, chart a new course for the future and contribute to a sustainable world. The concepts and elaborated case studies offer a holistic and particularly compelling view of how strategy, innovation and sustainability work interlinked.’
– Greo Belgers, BMW Financial Services

‘Alliances for Sustainable Futures is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future and is committed to creating alliances to get there. The book offers practical advice based on successful real-world examples that provide a blueprint for alliance leadership and action.’
– Tamara Vrooman, Vancouver Airport Authority, Canada Infrastructure Bank and former CEO, Vancity Credit Union, Canada

‘The creation of purpose-driven alliances will help address and resolve social issues’ is a sentence at the end of this fascinating book that summarizes the depth and width of what this book tells us about alliances. In a convincing way the authors introduce 12 paradoxes and how to deal with them in creating and building purpose-driven alliances. Their personal insights in both CEMS and the GABV makes it concrete and provides an action perspective. A must-read for everybody looking for guidance and inspiration in creating momentum for social change.’
– Peter Blom, former CEO, Triodos Bank, co-founder and former chair, Global Alliance for Banking on Values

“inter-organ作者做一个伟大的服务izational leadership field by showing us that while “alliances” exist throughout history, there are a new set of relationships that are making a difference in purpose-led companies and organisations. This book clarifies that we need to pay attention to the qualities of relationships as a source of impact and results. The authors challenge us to consider that mutuality and interdependence is a new paradigm that we would be remiss not to pay attention to as leaders. Well done to the authors for pushing our thinking in new directions and challenging our assumptions in this pathfinding book.’
– Tom Cummings, Executive board member NOW partners, Non-excutive board member Tallberg Foundation, B Lab Europe and Club of Rome

‘Jaap Boonstra and Marcos Eguiguren are writing about alliances that have the ambition to contribute to a better and sustainable world. Alliances for sustainable futures is an indispensable guide for those who want to give substance to responsible leadership and do so in connection with others. Clarifying insights into dealing with paradoxes in the alliance life cycle are an important contribution to our profession as alliance managers and above all a helpful guideline for leaders and alliance managers in purpose driven alliances.’
– Edwin Kaats, Alliance expert and consultant Common Eye, the Netherlands

‘Today’s students and graduates often find themselves in circumstances where they want to influence their professional environment to actively direct an organization’s efforts towards more sustainability and equitability. Alliances for Sustainable Futures offers a unique perspective on purpose-driven alliances and provides them students and alumni with a toolbox to put their ideas and aspirations into practice and outlines success factors along with best practices based on tangible examples enabling them to become the changemakers and leaders they want to be.’
– Jan-Niklas Franke, Alumnus Master in International Management at Cornell University and Esade Business School, and consultant McKinsey & Company

‘This book is a wonderful reflection and learning history on how CEMS has evolved from a European to a global alliance in management education. The concepts, reflections and stories in Alliances for sustainable futures provide helpful guidance and inspiration to partners in global alliances and to future business leaders who want to work according to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and aim to contribute to a sustainable and better world.’
– Xavier Mendoza, Esade Business and Law School, Spain

‘A highly accurate and stimulating analysis of value-based alliances that are both complex and fascinating forms of collaboration. Alliances for sustainable futures beautifully emphasizes the importance of the human dimension, the power of trust and the need for a professional organization in global alliances. As an experienced practitioner of social alliances, I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to understand and develop sustainable alliances.’
– Nicole de Fontaines, Executive Director CEMS - The Global Alliance in Management Education

‘Without a doubt, the economy, and businesses, need to shift towards a new paradigm. There is no question that this shift will be easier and faster only if it is based in cooperation or in cooperative competitiveness. It is from this point of view that Alliances for Sustainable Futures is a must read. In this work, Boonstra and Eguiguren leverage their substantial hands-on experience to build a theoretical framework that serves as the foundation for plenty of practical recommendations, based on a case study around two very successful alliances that have generated significant contributions to a better world: CEMS and the GABV. Alliances for Sustainable Futures is required reading for top executives, scholars and consultants and for anyone that believes that the cooperation by different economic actors is what can make companies more competitive and the economy as a whole, more sustainable.’
– José Manuel Martínez Sierra, Director General, UPF-Barcelona School of Management and former faculty director at RCC, Harvard University, US