{
  "url": "https://stakesproject.org/",
  "language": "en",
  "type": "home",
  "title": "STAKES | What is the Purpose of Responsible Business? | University of Oslo",
  "description": "STAKES is a four-year research project at the University of Oslo asking what corporate social purpose actually delivers in seven fragile countries. Research Council of Norway project 353416, 2025 to 2029.",
  "updated": "2026-08-02",
  "project": {
    "name": "STAKES",
    "grant": "353416",
    "funder": "Research Council of Norway",
    "funder_id": "https://doi.org/10.13039/501100005416",
    "host": "Centre for Global Sustainability (GLOBE/SUM), University of Oslo",
    "term": "2025-07-01/2029-06-29"
  },
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "alternates": {
    "en": "https://stakesproject.org/",
    "no": "https://stakesproject.org/no/",
    "es": "https://stakesproject.org/es/"
  },
  "headline": "What is the purpose of responsible business?",
  "standfirst": "In 2019 the British Academy and 181 American chief executives said within months of each other that a company exists to serve society, not only its shareholders. STAKES asks what that promise has been worth in the seven countries where it is hardest to keep.",
  "tally": [
    {
      "value": "7",
      "label": "country cases"
    },
    {
      "value": "7,000",
      "label": "survey respondents"
    },
    {
      "value": "350",
      "label": "interviews planned"
    },
    {
      "value": "8",
      "label": "research questions"
    },
    {
      "value": "5",
      "label": "partner institutions"
    }
  ],
  "cases": [
    {
      "slug": "colombia",
      "country": "Colombia",
      "sector": "Industrial technology",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/cases/colombia/"
    },
    {
      "slug": "lebanon",
      "country": "Lebanon",
      "sector": "Pharmaceuticals",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/cases/lebanon/"
    },
    {
      "slug": "dr-congo",
      "country": "DR Congo",
      "sector": "Brewing and beverages",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/cases/dr-congo/"
    },
    {
      "slug": "bangladesh",
      "country": "Bangladesh",
      "sector": "Apparel sourcing",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/cases/bangladesh/"
    },
    {
      "slug": "mozambique",
      "country": "Mozambique",
      "sector": "Liquefied natural gas",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/cases/mozambique/"
    },
    {
      "slug": "ukraine",
      "country": "Ukraine",
      "sector": "Consumer goods",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/cases/ukraine/"
    },
    {
      "slug": "indonesia",
      "country": "Indonesia",
      "sector": "Palm oil",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/cases/indonesia/"
    }
  ],
  "questions": [
    {
      "n": 1,
      "question": "How do varied interpretations of business purpose influence corporate action in fragile societies?",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/project/questions/rq1/"
    },
    {
      "n": 2,
      "question": "How are corporate social purpose initiatives understood and evaluated by local communities?",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/project/questions/rq2/"
    },
    {
      "n": 3,
      "question": "How do European regulators set the corporate purpose agenda, and to what ends?",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/project/questions/rq3/"
    },
    {
      "n": 4,
      "question": "What societal ventures do companies deliver, and how do they land on communities?",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/project/questions/rq4/"
    },
    {
      "n": 5,
      "question": "What do CEOs, boards and country managers actually decide, and why?",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/project/questions/rq5/"
    },
    {
      "n": 6,
      "question": "Where is the corporate purpose agenda gender sensitive, and where is it not?",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/project/questions/rq6/"
    },
    {
      "n": 7,
      "question": "Can heightened social purpose improve a firm's strategy in fragile settings?",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/project/questions/rq7/"
    },
    {
      "n": 8,
      "question": "What does an expanded stakeholder theory tell us about grand challenges?",
      "url": "https://stakesproject.org/project/questions/rq8/"
    }
  ],
  "team": [
    {
      "name": "Jason Miklian",
      "role": "Principal investigator",
      "affiliation": "University of Oslo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sarah Cechvala",
      "role": "Postdoctoral fellow",
      "affiliation": "University of Oslo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Angelika Rettberg",
      "role": "Professor of political science",
      "affiliation": "Universidad de los Andes"
    },
    {
      "name": "John Katsos",
      "role": "Professor of sustainability and law",
      "affiliation": "American University of Sharjah"
    },
    {
      "name": "Harry Van Buren III",
      "role": "Patten Chair of business ethics",
      "affiliation": "University of Tennessee at Chattanooga"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jamal Maalouf",
      "role": "Assistant professor",
      "affiliation": "American University of Sharjah"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mark van Dorp",
      "role": "Research fellow",
      "affiliation": "London School of Economics"
    }
  ]
}