The Forum of Young Global Leaders – a unique community of exceptional young leaders who share a commitment to shaping the global future – selected the multi-stakeholder partnership of Al-Markazia, Central Trade & Auto Company, with Madrasati at the Husban Secondary School for Boys. This is an example of successful cross-sector collaboration and community development to be used as a show case in various business schools around the world. As the business partner in this partnership, Al-Markazia demonstrates how an active and successful corporate social responsibility strategy integrates engagement in community development.
During the Middle East Summit of the World Economic Forum in Jordan 2009, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah invited the Young Global Leaders for a series of field visits to some development projects in Jordan in the areas of education, social development, and charity work. Inspired by the insights gained, the Young Global Leaders initiated a case study project to illustrate the challenges and success of a multi-stakeholder partnership.
The partnership at the Husban Secondary School for Boys indeed shows how a school and its students can benefit of a collaborative approach. Important for the partnership success were, in particular, the high level of commitment of the company and the other partners involved, the partnership support offered by Madrasati, and the partners’ joint contributions to develop the school’s facilities, education environment, equipment, and education methods.
The case study was conducted and written by Ms. Lea Stadtler from the University of Geneva and Professor Talah Arabiyat from the German-Jordanian University under the supervision of Professor Gilbert Probst, Managing Director and Dean of the World Economic Forum and the Global Leadership Fellows Program. Students from the German-Jordanian University also helped prepare the study by facilitating interviews with staff members of the Husban Secondary School for Boys. The study took 10 months to complete, starting last September and ending in May.
“Al-Markazia is proud to have been selected as a model company for successful partnerships with civil society organizations and corporate social responsibility strategies,” commented Al-Markazia’s Marketing Manager Nadim Haddad. “We hope this study will help motivate other companies to enter partnerships geared toward supporting their local communities and implementing sustainable development programs that benefit all.”
“I am happy to use this case as a show case for how a company and industry leader can have a positive impact on the community development through a multi-stakeholder partnership,” added Prof. Probst.
Al-Markazia, Central Trade & Auto Company, is one of the leading private sector companies in the arena of sustainable development. Under its corporate social responsibility strategy, the company consistently organizes initiatives geared toward improving the quality of life for Jordanians everywhere.
