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This chapter focuses on an innovative effort in the Italian context in which a complex web of partnerships was created as the foundation of an alternative model of health care. More specifically, the start-up of a health-care organization – Welfare Italia Servizi (WIS) – is analyzed and discussed with respect to its sustainability.

The process of organizing a sustainable health care is analyzed through the theoretical lenses of multi-stakeholders management and partnership perspectives.

The possibility of developing dense knowledge about the WIS’s case has stemmed from our collaboration with the organization board with regard to a research process intended to monitor the organizational start-up and its sustainability challenges.

The case provides new insights into the dynamic nature of building multi-stakeholder partnership in a complex environment; the developmental life-cycle challenge of multi-stakeholder partnership, and the meaning of sustainability. The case suggests a tapestry of issues such as how sustainability may be “paradoxical,” dynamic, led by different and sometimes conflicting logics, and changeable over time like a growing tree in an intricate forest.

The case can stimulate learning and discussions both within the community of practitioners and the community of academics with respect to which promising conditions could help address the challenge of starting-up a sustainable organization in the health-care field.

We conduct a literature review on forms of organizing that address grand challenges, which are operationalized as the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, as this framework is universal and widely adopted. By analyzing the articles that match our criteria, we identify six differentiable organizational forms: movements, temporary organizations, partnerships, established organizations, multi-stakeholder networks, and supranational organizations. These six forms are differentiated based on the two following categories: organizing segment and communicational technological approach. Our analysis shows that tackling a grand challenge often starts with collectives as a protest culture without any expected goal, besides sending an impulse to others. This impulse is received by criticized institutionalized organizations that have the capacity and resources to address the problem properly. However, new challenges arise as these organizations inadequately resolve these problems, thereby leading to conflict-laden areas of tension, wherein emergent organizations complement institutionalized organizations that have created the first infrastructure. To solve the most complex problems, a trichotomous relationship between different forms of organizations is necessary. Moreover, communicational technological approaches become more sophisticated as grand challenges increase in complexity.

This chapter explores the principles of community empowerment and active participation in community development, highlighting the importance of inclusive practices for sustainable and equitable outcomes. It draws from diverse strategies and practical examples, showcasing the transformative potential of empowering community members. Through real-world case studies from places like Namibia, Bangladesh, and Brazil, readers gain insights into effective strategies for amplifying marginalized voices and enabling them to shape their destinies. The chapter addresses the challenges and benefits of participatory approaches, helping practitioners tailor strategies to complex community dynamics. It emphasizes the pivotal role of partnerships in strengthening community bonds and fostering collaborations among stakeholders. By embracing empowerment and participation, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers can contribute to a more equitable and sustainable future where communities thrive, and individuals actively shape their paths.

This chapter examines Slovenia’s failed attempt to develop a national corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy via multi-stakeholder partnership. It also discusses the potential reasons for this failure.

This research is grounded in the idea of CSR as a ‘politicised’ concept, acknowledging the importance of the institutional setting and institutional support in diffusing CSR. This empirical research is based on a descriptive case study approach and a qualitative thematic analysis of the data. The data sources are IRDO institute documents, the minutes of the Partnership for National CSR Strategy provided by the Network for Social Responsibility of Slovenia and semi-structured interviews with various actors such as government and local representatives, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), companies and journalists.

Although the multi-stakeholder Partnership for National CSR Strategy, which was initiated by NGOs and other stakeholders, existed from 2011 to 2013, it later fell apart due to various factors, the most important being a complete lack of support on the governmental side, with the government being the actor with the executive power to implement and promote CSR policies at the national level.

The chapter provides an insight into the drawbacks of attempting to set a national CSR policy agenda and discusses the reasons for these drawbacks.

This chapter discusses the importance of the economic, political, and social context in which multi-stakeholder networks can foster the national CSR debate. It recognises the role of CSR in co-regulating public policies and the importance of strong engagement among relevant stakeholders and public authorities.

The Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) that aims at ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns is dependent on efficient and effective transport infrastructure. But many new transport infrastructure projects are delayed due to complex conflicts between multiple stakeholders with different stakes. This chapter illustrates how a multi-stakeholder participation process based on systems thinking can be used to generate a shared mental model of stakeholders in conflict. Using the systems thinking and modelling methodology, the complex problem situation is first structured by identifying and analysing the stakeholders. Then a participative approach is employed to develop a systems model that captures the underlying structure responsible for the problem situation. Finally, three strategic interventions are formulated by the stakeholders to improve the system behaviour in the long term. In this chapter, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using structured interviews, focus groups and secondary sources. Using a New Zealand transport infrastructure project, the chapter shows that effective multi-stakeholder participation, capable of leading to some form of multi-stakeholder partnership, can help reduce delays in a transport infrastructure project. Practically, the chapter provides a framework that can reach an accommodation between conflicting stakeholders. Overall, this chapter contributes New Zealand–based empirical research to the literature on multi-stakeholder participation for achieving SDG 12 within the context of Agenda 2030.

This chapter examines the role of higher education institutions (HEIs) as partners in multi-stakeholder initiatives to implement sustainable development goals (SDGs) in tourism. Accordingly, the study describes the actions and leadership of the HEIs, explaining how they engage with diverse stakeholders to enable transformative change at various levels. A conceptual model is proposed and used to evaluate the 12 case studies identified by a systematic literature search. The results generate insights into the actions of the HEIs in terms of modes of partnership and their commitment. The cases document the diversity of roles assumed by HEIs for creating impact at different levels when integrating SDGs in tourism and paving the way for transformative change and sustainable development through tourism. The findings suggest a critical leadership role for HEIs through sense-making, interpretation of societal challenges, and alignment of stakeholders’ values and goals by facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations.