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Acknowledging the Purpose of Partnership

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Abstract

The paper explores a case of partnership between a large pharmaceutical company and a national charity in the United Kingdom, a partnership from which the drug company sought improved public relations, and the charity money. Neither side was able to accept this reality. Managers of the partnership insisted that its only purpose was to improve the lifestyle of teenagers. They were supported by a literature on partnership that also tends to ignore the distinction between the task the partnership is set and its fundamental purpose. While much is made of the benefits of partnership, there are likely to be costs, both private and social, associated with failure to admit the purpose of partnership.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professor of Information and Organisation, University of Sheffield, 9 Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 4DT, U.K

    Stuart Macdonald

  2. Chief Executive of Arc Research and Consultancy, ARC Research and Consultancy Ltd, 15 Winsford Road, Sheffield S6 1HT, U.K

    Tom Chrisp

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  1. Stuart Macdonald
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  2. Tom Chrisp
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Correspondence to Stuart Macdonald.

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Macdonald, S., Chrisp, T. Acknowledging the Purpose of Partnership. J Bus Ethics 59, 307–317 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-004-3235-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-004-3235-5

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