Product details

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Abstract

This case illustrates the first years of the Adecco Group Foundation (AGF), its challenges, and strategic pathways. The AGF was established in 2017 as the legally independent philanthropic arm of the Adecco Group - the biggest HR services company in the world and a Fortune 500 Company. The story follows Cynthia Hansen, Managing Director of the Foundation, as she questions the Foundation's growth strategy after three years of operation. The case shows the antecedents of the Foundation's creation and the key decisions that were taken to ensure the success of this venture. CEO for One Month, Win4Youth, and the Athlete Programmes were three social projects within the Group, coined as the legacy programs. Each was created with different goals, for clearly distinct beneficiaries, and under different departments and country offices. However, the three were significantly successful and had also become programs at a global level. After the successful relocation of the legacy programs, the Group continued to shift over additional initiatives for the Foundation to incubate. From the three programs they managed in 2017, after three years there were nine in total. The Foundation was being used as a unit to house all social projects that the Group started developing but couldn't continue nurturing. All of these had the HR industry as the common denominator, but they required very different skills and knowledge, operated in unrelated fields, engaged with unique partners and beneficiaries, and demanded international coordination within the Adecco Group. The portfolio diversification was creating operational tensions. As COVID-19 arrived in 2020, Cynthia led a deep revision of all programs, their organizational structure within the Foundation, and the impact created. This raised concerns about the dilution of the Foundation's purpose, with diversification and complex stakeholder management as the main catalysts. Therefore, Cynthia started to look for ways to improve the current strategy by focusing their social impact in more specific areas, letting some programs go, returning them to the Group, or dropping them completely.

Teaching and learning

This item is suitable for undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education courses.

Time period

The events covered by this case took place in 2020.

Geographical setting

Region:
Europe
Country:
Switzerland
Location:
Zurich

Featured companies

The Adecco Group
Employees:
10000+
Turnover:
EUR 20.9 billion
Type:
Public company
Industry:
HR conglomerate
Other keywords:
S&P500
The Adecco Group Foundation
Employees:
11-50
Turnover:
EUR 0
Type:
Non-profit
Industry:
HR (human resources)
Other keywords:
Corporate foundation

Featured protagonist

  • Cynthia Hansen (female), Managing Director The Adecco Group Foundation

About

Abstract

This case illustrates the first years of the Adecco Group Foundation (AGF), its challenges, and strategic pathways. The AGF was established in 2017 as the legally independent philanthropic arm of the Adecco Group - the biggest HR services company in the world and a Fortune 500 Company. The story follows Cynthia Hansen, Managing Director of the Foundation, as she questions the Foundation's growth strategy after three years of operation. The case shows the antecedents of the Foundation's creation and the key decisions that were taken to ensure the success of this venture. CEO for One Month, Win4Youth, and the Athlete Programmes were three social projects within the Group, coined as the legacy programs. Each was created with different goals, for clearly distinct beneficiaries, and under different departments and country offices. However, the three were significantly successful and had also become programs at a global level. After the successful relocation of the legacy programs, the Group continued to shift over additional initiatives for the Foundation to incubate. From the three programs they managed in 2017, after three years there were nine in total. The Foundation was being used as a unit to house all social projects that the Group started developing but couldn't continue nurturing. All of these had the HR industry as the common denominator, but they required very different skills and knowledge, operated in unrelated fields, engaged with unique partners and beneficiaries, and demanded international coordination within the Adecco Group. The portfolio diversification was creating operational tensions. As COVID-19 arrived in 2020, Cynthia led a deep revision of all programs, their organizational structure within the Foundation, and the impact created. This raised concerns about the dilution of the Foundation's purpose, with diversification and complex stakeholder management as the main catalysts. Therefore, Cynthia started to look for ways to improve the current strategy by focusing their social impact in more specific areas, letting some programs go, returning them to the Group, or dropping them completely.

Teaching and learning

This item is suitable for undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education courses.

Settings

Time period

The events covered by this case took place in 2020.

Geographical setting

Region:
Europe
Country:
Switzerland
Location:
Zurich

Featured companies

The Adecco Group
Employees:
10000+
Turnover:
EUR 20.9 billion
Type:
Public company
Industry:
HR conglomerate
Other keywords:
S&P500
The Adecco Group Foundation
Employees:
11-50
Turnover:
EUR 0
Type:
Non-profit
Industry:
HR (human resources)
Other keywords:
Corporate foundation

Featured protagonist

  • Cynthia Hansen (female), Managing Director The Adecco Group Foundation

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