Simultaneous multi-stakeholder value creation: How Volkswagen made it happen in Wolfsburg.

This article focuses on how Volkswagen implemented a multi-stakeholder value creation approach to generate simultaneous value for employees, the community, customers, suppliers, and shareholders over multiple decades, even while overcoming the 2015 Dieselgate emissions scandal. Through a case study methodology involving archival data, CEO letters, and interviews, the research highlights Volkswagen's strategic investments in Wolfsburg's community infrastructure, public–private partnerships (notably Wolfsburg AG), and ownership of a local football club as key mechanisms for fostering regional economic development, employment growth, supplier relocation, and societal goodwill. The study illustrates that Volkswagen's integrated stakeholder management contributed to sustained financial performance and recovery post-scandal, offering empirical evidence that multi-stakeholder value maximization is achievable in practice. These findings provide insights for managers and contribute to stakeholder theory by expanding the understanding of simultaneous multi-stakeholder value creation beyond traditional financial metrics.