Engaging Our Stakeholders

Our industry has unique and complex challenges that we can only solve in partnership with other stakeholders – from patients and health care providers to major customers, suppliers, policymakers, regulators, scientists, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Engagement with these and other stakeholders is vital to our success as a company and as a global citizen.

Key Stakeholder Groups and How We Engage

The following is a brief overview of how Abbott engages with its key stakeholders across the company. Specific sections of our online Global Citizenship Report provide greater detail on specific initiatives and results.

• Employees: Engaging with our employees and gathering their feedback is intrinsic to our employee management processes, and is embedded in our line management, team structures and affiliate groups. In 2007, we conducted a company-wide survey to obtain feedback on a range of topics that included cultural attitudes at Abbott, career development opportunities, staff motivation, leadership and work environment. The results of this survey inform our approach to leadership and management throughout the company.
• Patients: Abbott engages patients through customer care lines, patient groups, customer surveys and market research.
• Customers: Many of our customers are major employers grappling with rising health care costs. Changes That Last a Lifetime, a program developed by Abbott and utilized in partnership with the Institute for Health & Productivity Management educates employees about prevention and management of metabolic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorders and thyroid disease. Between 65 and 85 percent of employees complete the Changes program, compared to the approximately 15 percent who complete other interventional programs. The success is spreading to multiple cities and employers, as they see the linkage between nutrition, fitness and health care cost containment.
• Suppliers: By fully engaging with our suppliers through regular meetings, site visits and audits, we foster dialogue about opportunities for improvement in all our supplier business practices. Abbott's Supplier Guidelines address our expectations. We participate in initiatives on specific issues, such as those supported by the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the Chicago Minority Business Development Council, Inc., ISM Pharmaceutical Forum and the Conference Board's Council on Supplier Diversity.
• Physicians: Accurate, up-to-date information about disease prevention, management and treatment options is critical for physicians as well as their patients. Guided by our Code of Business Ethics, we engage with physicians through regular meetings and information provision.
• Investors: We provide information to investors in keeping with requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the New York Stock Exchange, where Abbott Labs Inc. is listed. We provide information through our Annual Report and through SEC filings. We also hold regular meetings and investor presentations to update key investors on our strategy and performance and to answer investor questions. Shareholders can voice concerns at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and submit shareholder resolutions, which are eligible for voting by all investors.
• Policymakers, regulators and governments: Abbott's dedicated regulatory affairs teams are responsible for ongoing engagement with regulators. Our government affairs team maintains regular dialogue with governments and government agencies.
• NGOs and UN agencies: We engage with NGOs on a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from specific diseases and health issues to the health needs of specific regions. This engagement takes place throughout the year on an ongoing basis, and we also participate in specific initiatives. Our global philanthropy programs keep us in close contact with a range of non-governmental and UN agencies, with whom we share our expertise and from whom we gain insights on health issues around the world.

Engagement of Business & Industry Organizations