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Friends to grow and foes to know: lessons in successful stakeholder management from Orlando: An interview with William C. Peeper, President (retired), Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Robert C. Ford (College of Business Administration, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida,USA)

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management

ISSN: 0959-6119

Article publication date: 12 July 2011

1102

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer insights and lessons learned about how to successfully balance the interests of the many competing stakeholders who can or do influence the CVB's strategy for marketing a destination.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a qualitative case study approach utilizing an extensive interview as the method for data collection. A series of structured questions specifically designed to focus the interview on the topic of interest was used to facilitate data collection.

Findings

The paper presents insights from Mr William C. Peeper, the person largely responsible for building the Orlando Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau from a two‐person organization into the multi million‐dollar operation it became by the time he retired 25 years later. Since the focus of the paper is on how to successfully balance the differing goals of stakeholders to achieve organizational goals, this interview offers a number of lessons learned that can be used by any organizational leader seeking to balance the interests of diverse stakeholders.

Originality/value

This study provides fresh ideas and new insights into how to successfully manage an organization's stakeholders in ways that make it possible to achieve an organization's mission across time. The success Mr Peeper had in gaining sustained support for the mission and goals of the Orlando CVB provides important lessons on how to manage all stakeholders especially the corporate governance structure that is pertinent to any organization that has to accommodate many diverse viewpoints and interests. There is little existing knowledge on managing stakeholders across time as their interests and needs change and the management of them must also adapt.

Keywords

Citation

Ford, R.C. (2011), "Friends to grow and foes to know: lessons in successful stakeholder management from Orlando: An interview with William C. Peeper, President (retired), Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 696-712. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596111111143412

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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