Humanistic Orientation in Firm–Stakeholder Technology-based Interaction and Its Impact on Stakeholder Satisfaction

Abstract

The advent of Web 2.0-based Internet technologies coupled with mobile digital telecommunication devices have altered the landscape of interaction between a firm and its stakeholders. Increasingly firms are interacting with their stakeholders through electronic means such as group e-mails, batch Short Messaging Services (SMSs), short text posts, social networking sites, and others. This is ushering a rich era in firm–stakeholder communication occurring on real-time basis (24×7) and from anywhere. Technology-based interactions are viewed as lacking the humanistic perspective. This is especially true for such stakeholders who are differently abled, illiterate, elderly, and others who are not able to adapt to the new realities in technology-based firm–stakeholder communication. In this research, the author explored the effect of inclusion of humanistic orientation in technology-based interaction between a firm and its stakeholders. One hundred and fifty two CSR managers’ responses were considered for scale development to measure the variables, firm management engagement (FME), firm technology medium deployed (FTMD), stakeholder interaction (SI), humanistic orientation in interaction (HOI), and interactional stakeholder satisfaction (ISS) with the help of a structured questionnaire survey instrument. Furthermore, a model on ISS was developed. In the model, FME and FTMD were the antecedent variables; SI was the mediating variable; and HOI was the moderating variable with ISS as the dependent variable.