"Target Corporation has gathered numerous awards that reflect its strong relationship with its stakeholders. It has been named on lists such as best places to work, most admired companies, most ethical companies, best in class for corporate governance, and grassroots innovation. Since its founding, Target has contributed 5 percent of its profits to education, the arts, and social services in the communities in which it operates and reached the milestone of contributing $4 million per week in 2012. To demonstrate its commitment to minorities and women, Target launched a program to bring minority- and women-owned businesses into its supply chain. Volunteerism and corporate giving strengthen the relationship Target has with its employees, consumers, local communities, and suppliers. These actions, along with many others, can help Target gain competitive advantage as a retailer as long as the benefits Target accrues from its stakeholder strategy exceed the costs of such programs." (Textbook, pg. 15)
Consider the brief description of Target’s stakeholder relationships and combine that information with your experience shopping in a department store.
How might Target’s stakeholders, in particular its employees, customers, local communities, and suppliers, influence the manager’s decisions about building competitive advantage in the analysis stage of the AFI framework?