Stakeholder Dialogue Research Articles

Stakeholder dialogue: strategic tool or wasted words?

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify which stakeholder dialogue approach has the best outcomes. Moreover, it is investigated how stakeholder dialogue practices are linked to the quality of stakeholder management and the maturity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy.Design/methodology/approachTwelve CSR managers of 11 French enterprises are interviewed.FindingsFour different types of stakeholder dialogue are identified and their characteristics, as well as the opportunities and risks connected to each approach, are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsOnly a limited number of enterprises operating in France are studied. More research is needed to ensure the generalisability to other countries and to identify the prevalence of each dialogue type.Practical implicationsProactive companies manage their stakeholders in a mutually beneficial way and receive more stakeholder support on strategic issues. They discuss issues material to stakeholders, include a wide range of stakeholders and organise frequent meetings. This approach, the Hanoï Dialogue, has the best outcomes and is, therefore, best practice.Social implicationsStakeholder dialogue is key for the development of CSR strategies which truly benefit society.Originality/valueAlthough stakeholder dialogues become empirically more relevant, most researchers conduct single-case studies of good practices and do not systematically compare a range of practices.

Life Cycle Based CO2 Emission Credits: Options for Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Current Tailpipe Emissions Regulation in the Automotive Industry

SummaryThe current focus on the use phase in automotive carbon dioxide (CO2) legislation bares a risk of unintended consequences as often reductions in the use phase come along with increasing CO2 emissions in other life cycle (LC) phases. This study presents voluntary policy options in form of LC‐based CO2 emission credits. They were developed by desk research considering existing applications of LCA in practice (e.g., environmental reports) and feedback obtained in a structured stakeholder dialogue. A variety of credit options were identified, including rather simple ones based on life cycle thinking (LCT) and more advanced options which rely on quantitative LCA: LCT options that reward innovations leading to CO2 reductions, for example, in the production phase. LCA‐based options reward CO2 reductions along the LC (credits for an International Organization for Standardization [ISO] 14044 conforming externally reviewed LCA showing a continuous improvement) or reductions of other environmental impacts. It was shown that the credit options can be implemented throughout a simplified and robust methodology, for example, with defined rules for conducting the LCA based on international standards and established industry practice, and for calculating the credits (e.g., a credit of 1 gram [g] of CO2/km [kilometer] for savings of 10 g of CO2/km). Voluntary credit options as a complementary modality to the current automotive tailpipe‐based CO2 regulations would help to improve its efficiency and effectiveness and support and reward efforts on achieving real net CO2 emission reductions. The credit options were developed with a first focus on CO2 and automotive industry, but can generally be transferred to other environmental impacts and sectors as well.

A research-informed model for corporate social responsibility: towards accountability to impacted stakeholders

An Australian case study is presented of an ongoing conflict between Alcoa World Alumina, a multi-national mining company and the impacted stakeholders of Yarloop, a small rural community in Western Australia. The conflict has been subject to research by the author since the early 2000s and is the impetus for developing a model for corporate social responsibility (CSR). The model emphasises engaging impacted stakeholders in dialogue with powerful stakeholders to achieve social justice. This involves a three way set of relationships with key people in leadership positions from the relevant government departments, the corporation’s management group and the impacted stakeholders.The model is premised on an ethic of love approach which utilises the ideas of social justice, social sustainability, and the social pre-cautionary principle. An outline is presented of these ideas as well as a set of inter-linked strategies which are responsive to power inequalities in conflict situations. The ideas and strategies can guide efforts to address the social costs incurred by the impacted community stakeholders. This will involve a discerning commitment to work towards accountable government, sustainable business practices and social justice for impacted stakeholders. The approach requires a cultural shift in the business sector, and wider society, to equally value people, place and profit.

Acceptability of geothermal installations: A geoethical concept for GeoLaB

The growing demand for energy, natural resources and urban expansion during the last two centuries increased human interference with the geosphere far beyond geothermal usage. The increasing number of large-scale projects intervening the area of life of communities raised public concerns related to their environmental and social impact. Integration of public concerns into such projects should therefore go beyond outreach and communication measures. It requires an open approach to inclusive governance structures with respect to designing research and development processes and to modify technological options. Geoethical concepts emphasize that geoscientific knowledge may assist society in decision making as well as in dealing with risks, user conflicts and environmental threats on local, regional and global scale in order to support more sustainable practices at the intersection of human beings and the geosphere.In the present article, we analyse the social response to recent geothermal development and identify the precondition for public acceptability of geothermal projects. On this basis, the potential contribution of a GeoLaB, a Geothermal Laboratory in the crystalline Basement, to a geoethic approach in geothermal research and technology development is discussed. The underground research laboratory is planned as an infrastructure to answer scientific challenges and to offer the necessary transparency to interact with the public. The GeoLaB approach aims on transparent, tangible science and can serve to enhance mutual understanding of stakeholder groups. It may increase public awareness on geothermal research and potentially enhance the opportunity for public approval of planned activities. As a generic site, GeoLaB can develop scientific-technological solutions for a responsible exploitation of geothermal energy accompanied by sociological studies. The underground research laboratory will serve as a platform for science communication, participation and dialogue of stakeholders from industry, politics, administration and society. This complies with the comprehension of responsible research in a geoethical sense.

Understanding the contribution of effective communication strategies to program performance in humanitarian organizations

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to employ concepts drawn from communication theory to develop a structural model that it is hoped will improve the understanding of the impact of effective communication mechanisms on the performance of humanitarian organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a case study of a single humanitarian organization. The authors designed a cross-sectional study, collecting data using structured questionnaires and interviews. Structural equation modeling was used to test and estimate the model.FindingsEstimations show that the proper design of internal manuals and procedure guidelines, coupled with formal strategies to foster stakeholder dialogue in organizations and increase the perceived performance of humanitarian programs.Practical implicationsThe paper discusses the importance of designing effective communication strategies that permit humanitarian organizations to use their communication channels properly and improve operations based on lessons learned and the concerns of stakeholders.Originality/valueThis paper builds on the foundations provided by communication theory to develop a model that explains how communication affects performance in humanitarian organizations. The study further builds on a case study to test the theoretical model.

Building Stakeholder Relations Online: How Nonprofit Organizations Use Dialogic and Relational Maintenance Strategies on Facebook

Although Facebook provides organizations with the opportunity to easily engage with stakeholders online, very little is known about the effectiveness of organizational communication strategies. This study examines how nonprofit organizations (NPOs) use Facebook to engage with stakeholders through stakeholder dialogic strategies and relational maintenance strategies with the goal of fostering stakeholder relationship growth and obtaining social legitimacy. Furthermore, this study takes full advantage of the research opportunities of social media by taking stakeholders’ online responses to these organizational strategies into account. A manual content analysis of N=216 posts and N=1,676 comments of the Facebook profiles of ten international NPOs was conducted over one month in 2015. The results demonstrated that NPOs were more focused on technical and design aspects while true stakeholder dialogue and relational maintenance strategies were barely applied. Stakeholder dialogue positively influenced stakeholders’ interest and engagement. Conversational human voice as a relational maintenance strategy positively affected stakeholders’ engagement.

A multi-stakeholder portfolio optimization framework applied to stormwater best management practice (BMP) selection

In this paper, an optimization framework for complex environmental management problems involving multiple stakeholders is developed and illustrated. In the framework, problems are represented as a series of smaller, interconnected optimization problems, reflecting individual stakeholders’ interests. The framework uses interactive visual analytics to explore and analyse optimization results, and the concept of Best Alternatives to a Negotiated Agreement (BATNAs) and an approach to reframe visualizations to encourage stakeholder negotiation. To demonstrate the utility of the framework, it is applied to a realistic case study involving multiple stakeholder groups funding different stormwater best management practices (BMPs) for a catchment management plan for a region of a large city in Australia. The problem features a total of sixteen objectives for four stakeholders. The results indicate that the proposed framework enables the identification of solutions that provide optimal trade-offs between many objectives and provides an effective and efficient means of assisting stakeholders with identifying acceptable solutions.

Uncertain monitoring and modeling in a watershed nonpoint pollution program

Performance-based programs governing land use rely on environmental measurement, prediction, and assessment. Yet complex, nonlinear social and environmental change can lead to uncertainties in quantification and forecasting and create challenges for operationalizing programs. This research examines the roles that environmental monitoring and modeling uncertainty play in experimental land and water governance through an analysis of a regulatory water quality program in Wisconsin, USA. The case demonstrates how uncertainties in measurement and prediction of pollution runoff shape program design and participant perceptions. We draw on interviews, a survey, participant observation, and policy document analysis to illustrate how regulators and participants (including municipalities, sewerage treatment plants, farmers and nonprofit organizations) perceive and react to uncertainty. Because current and future water quality data are based largely on model estimates, but regulatory compliance will likely be based on measured in-stream outcomes, participants must evaluate potential risks of involvement. Stakeholders have relied on partnership building and legal modifications such as extended compliance timelines to reduce the risks associated with uncertainty. Experimentation under uncertainty led to sustained stakeholder dialogue, and an iterative process of deciding how monitoring and modeling should be used to track and prove program progress.

Assessing Equity in Protected Area Governance: Approaches to Promote Just and Effective Conservation

AbstractWith the inclusion of equity concerns in Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, equitable management has become an important objective for the world's protected areas. The way equity is defined and operationalized influences whether this strategic shift can help identify pathways commensurate with conservation effectiveness. We examined equity around a protected area in Laos, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the three dimensions of procedure, recognition, and distribution. Local understandings of equity depended on discrete, evolving issues, with attention to informal decision making and dynamic values required to uncover suitable solutions. We show that equity definitions focused on material distribution and assessments reliant on standardized indicators may result in inadequate responses that sustain local perceptions of inequitable management and miss opportunities for effective conservation. Equity should be considered a management goal to continually adapt toward, informed by stakeholder dialogue.

Value-based requirements engineering: method and experience

‘Socio-political’ issues, such as emotions, values and people’s feelings, are often cited as problems in the RE process. A method is described for analysing such issues. The method consists of a taxonomy of stakeholders’ values, motivations and emotions (VME), with process guidance for eliciting and analysing these issues for the RE process and design implications. Values are personal attitudes or long-term beliefs which may influence stakeholder functional and non-functional requirements. Motivations are psychological constructs related to personality traits which may be viewed as stakeholders’ long-term goals in RE. Emotions are cues to stakeholders’ reactions arising from value/motivation conflicts. The method is supported by a website which illustrates the taxonomy with explanations and scenarios describing problems arising from value conflicts, and from poor understanding of stakeholder values. Two method validation studies were undertaken: first, an evaluation of the website and method by novices and RE experts; and second, case study applications of RE value analysis in real-world industrial practice. The method was used by all practitioners, although in different ways, some used it to create an agenda of issues for analysis while others employed the VMEs to interpret stakeholders’ views and manage stakeholder negotiations. The validation studies provide evidence for the acceptability of the method for industrial practitioners, illustrating how value-related problems are identified and analysed effectively by the method. The utility of analysing VMEs is compared to other ‘socio-political issues’-oriented methods in RE and methods which focus on monetized values in product requirements.

Stakeholder dialogue on Facebook

PurposeGerman, Austrian and Swiss utilities are confronted with radical changes in the European energy sector. A dialogue between the utility companies and their various groups of stakeholders is gaining importance. Increasingly, utilities create their own Facebook presence enabling such a dialogue. Still, to the best of the author’s knowledge there exists no research which explicitly focuses the stakeholder dialogue of German, Austrian or Swiss utilities on Facebook. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is toanalyse Facebook as an instrument for dialogic communication in the energy sector.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was distributed to 1,280 German, Austrian and Swiss utilities, and 14 per cent of the utilities completed the survey, including 130 German, 19 Austrian and 25 Swiss companies. The participating utilities are primarily in public ownership.FindingsThe Facebook conversation of utility companies and their stakeholders meets the basic requirements of a virtual stakeholder dialogue. Nevertheless, less than half of the companies perceive their current stakeholder conversation on Facebook as truly interactive. Therefore, even if the basic requirements of a dialogue are met, most companies still do not seem to fully use the dialogue potential of Facebook.Originality/valueThis study provides first insights into virtual stakeholder dialogues in the energy sector. A suggestion to operationalise such a virtual dialogue is provided. Both operationalisation as well as the empirical results help researchers and practitioners to better understand virtual stakeholder dialogues.

Breaking barriers for a bio-based economy: Interactive reflection on monitoring water quality

In a transition to a bio-based economy new ways of monitoring waste-streams and water quality can then contribute to sustainable production processes. As niche innovation, new ways of monitoring face systemic barriers. The present article examines how barriers to change manifest in discursive practices with differing normative attachments and implications. A frame analysis revealed two competing frames: (1) the dominant ‘norm water’ frame in which thresholds of chemical compounds are used to set policy targets; and (2) the contesting ‘living water’ frame, which entails innovative continuous monitoring tools that take into account the ecological effects of chemical compounds. We introduce the concept of interactive reflectivity, as a discursive tool, to collaboratively visualize, scrutinize and overcome discursive barriers to innovations. The stakeholder dialogue shows how systemic barriers are uttered discursively in niches – or other forms of responsible research and innovation – and may hinder change even at the niche-level.

Does Corporate Social Responsibility Put Reputation at Risk by Inviting Activist Targeting? An Empirical Test among European SMEs

AbstractCorporate social responsibility (CSR) is believed to improve a company's reputation. However, CSR may also put reputation at risk by making the company a more attractive target for activists' campaigns. We test this effect on a sample of 1355 European small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). We find that CSR increases the future probability that an SME's CSR is monitored by local non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) and that this moderates criticism of the SME's CSR. The results imply that SMEs that only halfheartedly implement CSR are more vulnerable to public criticism than SMEs that do not engage in CSR at all. It is advisable that SMEs only position themselves as sustainable companies if their environmental policies have proven to contribute to sustainable development. When initiating stakeholder engagement, SMEs should prevent disappointment by tempering stakeholders' expectations, as NGOs participating in a stakeholder dialogue can use inside information to raise public criticism. © 2017 The Authors. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Nonprofit Response to the Migration Crisis: Systems-Theoretic Reflections on the Austrian and Slovak Experiences

The present paper discusses the response of the Austrian and Slovak nonprofits to the recent migration crisis. In both countries, nonprofits delivered crucial problem-solving contributions but faced serious challenges related to scaling up, capacity building, and improving coordination. Drawing on the Luhmannian systems-theoretic approach, the paper argues that these challenges gave a boost to the systemic identity of nonprofits. Triggered by the substantial inflows of public money, the systemic identity explains why nonprofits can successfully operate in the polarized societal environment and develop unique expertise which is valuable to the public sector. At the same time, the systemic identity lowers the responsiveness of nonprofits to the societal environment. The major policy implication is that this responsiveness has to be continually improved through rational discourses and stakeholder dialogues.

When Democratic Principles are not Enough: Tensions and Temporalities of Dialogic Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement and dialogue have a central role in defining the relations between organisations and their internal and external interlocutors. Drawing upon the analysis of dialogic motifs, power–conflict dynamics and sociopolitical perspectives, and based on a set of interviews with the stakeholders of a consumer-owned cooperative, the research explores the dialogic potential of stakeholder engagement. The analysis revealed a fragmented picture where the co-design and co-implementation aspects were mainly related to the non-business areas of cooperative life, while business logic dominated the most central aspects. Stakeholder engagement was mainly related to consensus building, while dialogic engagement based on a pluralistic understanding was only partially considered and then neglected. The social capital in the local area, the growing size of the organisation and the related power structure embrace stakeholder engagement, influencing the orientation of the (un)dialogic dynamic. The analysis indicates that a dialogic exchange is a relative concept which depends on the interests involved and the topics discussed. It also reveals that the key factors in the democratisation of stakeholder engagement are a mutual understanding and long-term opportunities. Common sociopolitical aspects are also important, but they do not necessarily guarantee the creation of dialogism paths. The research contributes to the critical dialogic literature in revealing whether and how stakeholder engagement has been implemented in a specific setting. It also shows the limitations of voluntarist stakeholder engagement initiatives.

Stakeholder Dialogue as Deliberation for Decision Making in Health Policy and Systems: The Approach from Argumentation Theory.

The literature on knowledge translation and dissemination in health care highlights the value of the stakeholder dialogue, namely, a structured process where stakeholders interact to identify the best solution to a given problem. By analyzing the stakeholder dialogue as a form of deliberative argumentation, this article identifies those factors that may hinder or facilitate reaching agreement among stakeholders on options to target problems. Conceptual analysis based on the descriptive and evaluation methods of argumentation theory. When stakeholders have a difference of opinion, confrontation alone does not lead to agreement. A normative model of critical discussion is needed to facilitate stakeholders in reaching this agreement and to prevent barriers to it that can result from personal factors (e.g., attitude and beliefs) or communication moves. This type of dialogue requires a training of stakeholders about the preconditions of argumentation and its different stages. The figure of the moderator is crucial in ensuring that the dialogue fulfills standards of reasonableness. This article offers a reading of the stakeholder dialogue rooted in the tradition of critical thinking. It instructs on how to promote a collaborative exchange among stakeholders as a way to go beyond any expression of views.

A spatial explicit scenario method to support participative regional land-use decisions regarding economic and ecological options of short rotation coppice (SRC) for renewable energy production on arable land: case study application for the G\xf6ttingen district, Germany

BackgroundRenewable energy (RE) production is a land-use driver with increasing impact on landscape configuration and a matter of controversial debate. Woody biomass cropping provides an opportunity to interlink RE supply with spatial planning goals, RE concepts and rural development programmes since it tackles several issues, ranging from climate or soil protection to over food production and income diversification as well as new and additional regional value cluster. Participatory scenario generation supported by interactive visualization tools facilitates the development of joint goals regarding local land-use decisions.MethodsBased on a stakeholder dialogue in the rural district of Göttingen, two scenarios were quantified and analysed. Reflecting a farmer-oriented economic perspective in (a) “Income first” and an integration of economic and ecological aspects in (b) “Ecological benefits”, the two scenarios address opportunities and constraints of poplar short rotation coppice (SRC) in comparison to three common crop rotations in the case study area. Suitable SRC parcels were determined by linking yield modelling results of annual reference crops and poplar SRC with ecological indicators of water-induced soil erosion and ecotone density as well as with annuity calculation and a risk assessment (stochastic dominance) based on the Monte Carlo simulation of price and yield fluctuation.ResultsSRC was economically superior (stochastically first-order dominant) to all three reference crop rotations (oilseed rape-wheat-barley; maize-wheat-maize-wheat; oilseed rape-wheat-wheat) on 1800 ha or 4.9% of the arable land. With a positive annuity difference ranging between 63 and 236€ ha−1 a−1 SRC provides an opportunity to diversify farmers’ income. The primary energy supply from the suitable land parcels accounted for 130 GWh a−1 or 8% of the RE supply in 2030 strived for by local climate protection goals. Around 50% of the 1800 ha are suitable as focal areas for a joint consideration of farmers’ income, erosion protection and structural enrichment. The related average economic trade-off on annuity differences for the gain of substantially increased ecological benefits is about 17€ ha−1 a−1 (13%).ConclusionsLinking ecological criteria assessment with dynamic investment calculation and risk evaluation in a joint methodology revealed that SRC is an economic viable alternative for renewable energy production and can provide ecological synergies in terms of erosion protection and structural enrichment. The presented methodology is transferrable and allows to visualize stakeholder-based scenarios with an agreed identification of opportunities and constraints that come with SRC on arable land. This helps to better integrate local land-use decisions with formal and informal spatial planning goals.

Knowledge transfer regarding the issue of animal health

The transfer of knowledge and information gained from scientific investigations into farm practice is a primary constituent of applied agricultural science. The importance of this for both agricultural practice and agricultural science is in stark contrast with the fact that only very few studies have been conducted so far which has focussed on the framework required to achieve a successful transfer of knowledge. Both the necessary prerequisites for and potential barriers to the successful transfer of knowledge regarding the issue of animal health have been the topic of this study taking different stakeholder perspectives into account. Based on a socio-cognitive approach to knowledge transfer, different communication techniques (e.g. estimations of animal health situations, environmental stakeholder analysis and dialogue cafes) were used to depict and record the views on and understanding of different stakeholders on the issue of animal health. The analysis revealed divergence in the understanding of animal health, unclear responsibilities and self-referential judgements as barriers in the process of knowledge transfer. In the face of these constraints, it is concluded that a targeted transfer of knowledge with respect to the issue of animal health is considerably compromised, requiring the creation of a framework which would provide the conditions for knowledge transfer. A common strategic goal, limiting the prevalence of production diseases, would help to bypass the current lack of a universally accepted definition of animal health. At the same time, this would function as a quality reference value in line with growing interest in animal welfare in livestock production.

Farmer attitudes and perceptions to the re-use of fertiliser products from resource-oriented sanitation systems - The case of Vellore, South India.

Relatively little research has been conducted to date on farmer attitudes towards the use of fertilisers from resource-oriented sanitation systems. This study employed a psycho-sociological approach to identify factors that encourage, or discourage, negative and positive attitudes to human waste recycling among farmers in southern India. A survey involving face-to-face interviews was performed with 120 randomly sampled farmers, taking into account the following factors: gender, age, religion, caste, type of farming, farm size, annual income and farming history. Variations in variables (χ2 and ANOVA) were considered statistically significant if p-value was <0.05. When asked whether they thought human wastes could be used as fertiliser, of the farmers who expressed an opinion 59% were positive to re-use of urine and 46% to re-use of human faeces. Farmers in Vellore appeared to display what we term, a 'not-in-my-circle' syndrome, as they would prefer their neighbours to use human urine rather than their friends, family and colleagues. The main factors that motivated farmers to respond positively to re-use of urine were improved soil quality and potential cost savings from reduced use of chemical fertilisers. Fear of crop die-off, fear of being ridiculed and uncertainty over consumer marketplace behaviour were significant factors among farmers with a negative attitude. Furthermore, the survey responses indicated that besides socio-demographic factors, other factors such as 'trust' might have to be taken into consideration when planning and implementing nutrient recycling programmes. Early dialogue, continuous interaction and integration of user stakeholders (producers and consumers) in conceptualisation, design and implementation of nutrient recycling programmes are essential to ensure future success and wider adoption.

The Interaction and Negotiation of Stakeholders in the Zoo Act Legislation Process

제19대 국회에서 발의된 동물원법안이 정부 의견을 반영한 후 국회에서 심의·의결을 거쳐 2016년 5월 29일 공포되었다. 이 논문의 목적은 동물원법 제정 과정에서 이해당사자간 상호작용을 분석함으로써, 정책 형성 이론을 검증하여 정책학 연구사례를 축적하고 정책 형성 당사자의 입법 능력을 향상시키는 데 있다. 이 논문은 절차모형과 Kingdon의 다중흐름모형을 기반으로 이해당사자의 상호작용을 정치경제적 투쟁의 관점에서 분석한다. 주요 분석 결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 정부 부처는 법률안에 부처 소관 이익을 반영시키기 위해 투쟁한다. 둘째, 국민과 언론의 입법 요구가 국회와 정부의 정책안에 반영되면 다시 국민의 정책형성 요구가 강화된다. 셋째, 정부의 법률 조문(단위정책) 개발 시 이해당사자간 이해가 대립되고, 정부는 ‘절충’, ‘대안’, ‘삭제’ 등으로 조정한다. 넷째, 국회 심의 시 정치인은 각자의 이익을 반영시키려 하지만, 공청회, 입법조사관 검토, 회의록 공개 등 제도가 견제한다. 전체적으로 절차모형과 Kingdon 모형을 동시에 활용하면 정책형성 과정에서 이해당사자간 상호작용의 이해와 조정에 도움이 될 것이다.