Abstract
In this conceptual article, we critically examine prevailing approaches to individual impact thinking and measurement employed by MNCs and other actors in the context of complex international grand challenges and institutional environments. We theorize a new concept called ‘shared impact’, which captures the joint achievements of multiple actors contributing to social and/or ecological value creation in highly opaque, interdependent, and globally dispersed contexts. We build on and contribute to institutional theory, particularly to the decoupling discourse, by differentiating the construct ‘ends’ and distinguishing between individual and shared impacts. Moreover, we build a bridge between the decoupling theory and the empirical analysis of impacts. Our new ‘shared impact’ perspective addresses key conceptual and methodological limitations in existing impact research, including ambiguities surrounding ends and impact attribution that have previously resulted in unclear theoretical constructs, misleading conclusions, and stakeholder concerns. Our shared impact concept is relevant for scholars of global strategic corporate social responsibility, non-financial impact as well as institutional decoupling. In addition, we provide useful guidance for managers and policymakers concerned with the strategic coordination and governance required to address complex global socio-ecological issues and international grand challenges.