The internet and change in corporate stakeholder engagement and communication strategies on social and environmental performance

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to examine the use of the web as a means of stakeholder engagement and as part of a strategy for communicating to stakeholders particularly on social and environmental performance.Design/methodology/approachA postal questionnaire was sent to over one hundred companies in Australia, Germany and in the UK and interviews were conducted with six companies (two British, one German and three Australian) identified as adopting best practice.FindingsA key finding was the limited understanding of the advantages of using the web as part of a communication strategy on all aspects of corporate performance. The study also found that the lack of resources made available for web‐based communication limited its potential.Research limitations/implicationsWeb technologies provide the possibility of communicating on performance with a broad group of stakeholders. This is particularly relevant to reporting on social and environmental performance which is of interest to a broader group of stakeholders than financial reporting. Stakeholder involvement is important in developing organisational change strategies aimed at improving social and environmental performance.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for companies developing strategies to enhance their communication with key stakeholder groups.Originality/valueThe paper considers the use of the web as part of a communication strategy to a broad group of stakeholders. This is particularly relevant to reporting on social and environmental performance which is aimed at a broader group of stakeholders than traditional financial reporting.