Stakeholder Dialogue Research Articles

Discursive strategies of legitimation on the web: Stakeholder dialogue in the agri-biotech industry

The agrobiotechnology industry has been for over two decades at the centre of a heated debate. In the face of sustained criticism, agri-biotech companies have been mounting self-legitimising campaigns aimed at generating consensus around their core activities and their business practices. The controversy is primarily fought in the cybersphere, an arena which has been shown to exacerbate polarisation, but which also offers an opportunity for dialogue (cf. Williams et al., 2015).This study investigates selected aspects of the rhetorical web- and social media presence of Bayer CropScience, Syngenta and Monsanto. The latter no longer exists as an independent entity, but at the time of writing this article it still had an online presence and was included because of its importance in the history and development of the agri-biotech sector, where it pioneered highly orchestrated self-legitimation campaigns. The investigation looks at multiple sets of data: Q&A, FAQ and similarly structured sections on websites, Twitter communication, Facebook postings and related comments, and corporate websites as whole. Recent developments in the communication strategies adopted suggest growing awareness for dialogic engagement and webcare as part of a legitimation process which is conducted first and foremost rhetorically, and which relies extensively on argumentatively framed debates and responses (cf. Colleoni, 2013; Eberle et al., 2013; Kent and Taylor, 2016).The methodology adopted draws on discourse analysis and argumentation theory (Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca, 1969; van Eemeren and Grootendorst, 2004; Walton, 2007) to investigate macro-strategies of self-representation and patterns of dialogic interaction, including favoured argumentative schemes, pairing them with analyses at the meso- and micro-levels aimed at highlighting converging and competing pragmatic implications of linguistic choices. The findings suggest that dialogic engagement is challenging for companies operating in contested fields, and that monologic approaches to communication continue to prevail despite the companies’ ostensible attempts to engage more openly and extensively with their publics. It is argued that discourse analysis and linguistics can usefully contribute to the development of effective strategies of stakeholder engagement.

Controversy over beach access restrictions at an urban coastal seal rookery: Exploring the drivers of conflict escalation and endurance at Children’s Pool Beach in La Jolla, CA

Coastal urbanization and the recovery of many marine species has caused human interactions with marine wildlife to become more common, sometimes resulting in conflict. In La Jolla, CA, the increasing presence of Pacific harbor seals at Children’s Pool Beach (CPB) resulted in a 25 year conflict over appropriate beach use. Drawing on archival analysis, stakeholder interviews, and beach-goer surveys, we present a history of the conflict and explore the drivers that have enabled the conflict’s escalation and endurance. Many factors influence people’s polarized views about seals at CPB, including personal values and sense of identity, differing perceptions of what is “natural” at CPB, the threat of change and loss of beach access, and underlying inter-personal conflict. Politicization and inaction during the early stages of the conflict also precluded conflict resolution and contributed the conflict’s escalation. While overt conflict has decreased in recent years, polarized views about seals at CPB and legal challenges continue. In order to prevent conflict escalation and persistence, it is important that coastal managers work to address conflict over marine wildlife early and decisively. We present suggestions regarding minimally controversial management measures that could be undertaken early in a conflict, and suggest that managers prioritize commonly held values to facilitate stakeholder dialogue. While it may not be possible to generate solutions that appeal to all stakeholders, understanding the values and cultural frameworks driving conflict is an important first step toward understanding and generating workable solutions to conflict over wildlife.

Political Economy of Education: Assessing Institutional and Structural Constraints to Quality and Access to Education Opportunities in Tanzania

In the year 2000, a global agenda to achieve quality education for all children by 2015 was birthed. However, even after the lapse of this period, quality of education remained low in developing countries. In light of this, the World Bank developed a framework for assessing education quality based on six facets, namely, assessment; autonomy; accountability; attention to teachers; attention to early childhood development; and attention to culture, together called 6As. Based on this framework, this paper examines education quality and attainment in Tanzania, and how Korea, which has partnered with Tanzania can help mitigate the challenges in the sector, which the two countries have set as their priority development partnership sector. The study is qualitative analysis based on secondary data. The study finds that Tanzania has made significant progress in line with education for all, exhibited by high enrollment rates, which is above the average of sub-Saharan Africa. Nonetheless, major failures exist in regard to quality of education, occasioned by policies that are inconsistent with the 6As. In situations where proper reforms have been instituted, laxity in enforcement have played a role to undermine quality. Moreover, Korea’s support to Tanzania does not involve significant cross-border financial flows. As a result, the impact of its assistance on local education system is limited. The paper recommends significant reforms in education management. Korea can leverage its partnership with Tanzania to initiate stakeholder dialog in areas of necessary reforms. It should also increase cross-border financial flows and provide technical assistance to Tanzania’s based on its success with education reforms.

Multi-objective optimal operation of cascade hydropower plants considering ecological flow under different ecological conditions

Maintaining ecological flow and mitigating impacts on river health are among the core requirements for sustainable hydropower development. Designing specific operational modes to fit specific ecological conditions of rivers remains a key practical challenge for hydropower operation, especially in terms of balancing the various tradeoffs among multiple objectives in the context of coordinated operation of cascade hydropower plants. Taking the Yalong River, China as an example, this study develops a decision-making support model that can quantitatively analyse the tradeoffs between the hydro-energy generation and river ecosystem projection under different hydrological conditions. The model contains three main components – calculation of ecological flow, multi-objective optimal operation, and determination of optimal schemes. For the ecological flow determination, we propose a revised variable monthly flow method (RVMF), which incorporates variations of hydrological conditions, also combines the classification concept of the Tennant method. For these objectives, we consider cascade power generation, the assurance rate of cascade power generation, and the assurance rate of ecological flow. The preliminary application in the Yalong River case has shown that (1) with the increase in environmental flow requirements of the river, the cascade power generation has dropped significantly, and the most affected is the Jinping-II hydropower plant; (2) there are clear tradeoffs between the cascade power generation and the assurance rate of cascade power generation, and the cascade power generation and the assurance rate of cascade power generation under different riparian ecological conditions; and (3) being able to quantify those tradeoffs provides crucial scientific evidence for stakeholder dialogue and informed decision making for hydropower operation modes that can achieve the best desirable balances between power generation and river health conservation.

Mapping the benefits of nature in cities with the InVEST software

Natural infrastructure such as parks, forests, street trees, green roofs, and coastal vegetation is central to sustainable urban management. Despite recent progress, it remains challenging for urban decision-makers to incorporate the benefits of natural infrastructure into urban design and planning. Here, we present an approach to support the greening of cities by quantifying and mapping the diverse benefits of natural infrastructure for now and in the future. The approach relies on open-source tools, within the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) software, that compute biophysical and socio-economic metrics relevant to a variety of decisions in data-rich or data-scarce contexts. Through three case studies in China, France, and the United States, we show how spatially explicit information about the benefits of nature enhances urban management by improving economic valuation, prioritizing land use change, and promoting inclusive planning and stakeholder dialogue. We discuss limitations of the tools, including modeling uncertainties and a limited suite of output metrics, and propose research directions to mainstream natural infrastructure information in integrated urban management.

Sow what you sell: strategies for integrating organic breeding and seed production into value chain partnerships

ABSTRACT The development of an independent organic breeding and seed sector poses a significant challenge for organic agriculture in Europe. It should deliver cultivars suitable to the principles and conditions of organic farming and secure the integrity of future product supply. This study seeks to identify promising pathways to address this challenge by analyzing value chain organization. It is based on a mixed method approach combining the assessment of qualitative data from a stakeholder dialogue with an analysis of quantitative farm survey data. The results from the stakeholder dialogue show that a value chain partnership is a promising strategy to distribute the burden for refinancing breeding, as the whole organic sector would profit from organic breeding. A cross-sector pool funding strategy is proposed for joining forces among all value chain partners of the organic sector to invest in organic breeding and collectively secure the integrity of the future organic product supply. Four success factors have been identified: a long-term commitment, a pool fund for organic cultivar development, awareness-raising on the importance of breeding, and a high level of transparency in the process. The funding strategy is backed up by findings on market channels. Farmers who market their products through long value chains use less organic seed than those marketing through short value chains. This highlights the need to better integrate long organic value chains such as processors, traders, and retailers, and seed supply. Regardless of the marketing channel, farmers consider the development of organic breeding a vital measure to achieve higher organic seed use. This indicates that overcoming organic seed shortage is more likely to be achieved when also including breeding activities.

Interactive Visualisation of Sustainability Indicators for Water, Energy and Food Innovations

The Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus describes the synergies and trade-offs between water, energy and food. Despite the significant attention that the WEF nexus has received in recent years, challenges remain, primarily related to gaps in integrated data, information and knowledge related to the most critical inter-linkages and their dynamics. These WEF nexus complexities and uncertainty make decision-making and future forecasting extremely difficult. Policy makers and other stakeholders are currently faced with the task of understanding longer term environmental impacts and tJhe benefits and limitations of innovations that could be potentially beneficial, such as Anaerobic Digestion as a waste solution or insect protein production. This paper describes an approach to support decision making for local-level innovations within the WEF nexus by creating a set of sustainability indicators and an accompanying interactive visualisation. The indicators were derived from stakeholder consultation processes and workshops, and they were selected to include a much broader assessment than just financial aspects when considering the viability of such innovations. By taking this bottom-up approach and placing stakeholders at the heart of the project, we produced a visualisation tool to support sustainable decision making when considering the implementation of WEF innovations. Considering other, often overlooked factors and giving greater priority to these deepens knowledge and the recognition of influential issues that in conventional processes may be overlooked. This visualisation tool is designed to support decision makers to engage in a exploration of the different interlinkages, and to be the basis of stakeholder dialogue around sustainability. The visualisation tool developed was designed to be easily modifiable in order to be updated with new insights and to include other future innovations.

Barriers to responsible innovation of nanotechnology applications in food and agriculture: A study of US experts and developers

The use of nanotechnology and engineered nanomaterials in food and agriculture (nano-agrifood) sectors is intended to provide several potential benefits to consumers and society, such as the provision of more nutritious processed foods, edible food coatings to extend shelf lives of fresh cut produce, and more sustainable alternatives to traditional agrochemicals. The responsible innovation of nano-agrifoods may be particularly important to pursue given previous case studies involving other agrifood technologies that experienced significant public consternation. Here, we define responsible innovation following Stilgoej et al. (2013) that establishes processes to iteratively review and reflect upon one's innovation, engage stakeholders in dialogue, and to be open and transparent throughout innovation stages – processes that go beyond primary focuses of understanding environmental, health, and safety impacts of nano-enabled products and implementing safe-by-design principles. Despite calls for responsible nano-innovation across diverse sectors, it has not yet been clear what types of barriers are faced by nano-agrifood researchers and innovators in particular. This study therefore identifies and builds the first typology of barriers to responsible innovation as perceived by researchers and product developers working in nano-agrifood sectors in the United States. Our findings report 5 key barriers to responsible innovation of nano-agrifoods: Lack of Data (reported by 70% of all interview participants, and represented 34.6% of all barrier-related excerpts), Lack of Product Oversight (reported by 60% of participants, and represented 28.7% of excerpts), Need for Ensuring Marketability & Use (reported by 70% of participants, and represented 21.3% of all barrier-related excerpts), Need for Increased Collaboration (reported by 40% of participants, and represented 10.3% of excerpts), and finally Lack of Adequate Training & Workforce (reported by 30% of participants, and represented by 5.1% of excerpts). We also relate these key barriers across three main nano-innovation phases, including 1) Scientific and Technical R&D, 2) Product Oversight, and 3) Post-commercialization Marketability & Use, and discuss how these barriers may impact stakeholders as well as present opportunities to align with principles of responsible innovation. Overall, these findings may help illuminate challenges that researchers and innovators face in the pursuit of responsible innovation relevant for the field of nanotechnology with relevancy for other emerging food and agricultural technologies more broadly.

Allocating the REDD+ national baseline to local projects: A case study of Cambodia

This study aimed to propose a set of decision support tools to allocate Cambodia's REDD+ national baseline or initial forest reference level (FRL) to local REDD+ projects, based on their forest cover and forest carbon stocks, and the historical deforestation trends in their reference regions. Our samples included 77 hypothetical REDD+ projects and five actual REDD+ projects. To identify reference regions for our samples, a cluster analysis of 127 districts in Cambodia was conducted using the Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM) algorithm (or k-medoids method). To calculate the baseline amount to be allocated to projects, four allocation methods were proposed. Two methods used ‘snapshot’ variables (i.e., [1] existing forest area or [2] forest carbon stock) and two used ‘change’ variables (i.e., [3] historical forest area change or [4] historical forest carbon stock change from 2006 to 2014). We weighted the baseline by the deforestation risk in 2014. We found that ‘snapshot’ methods tended to allocate more baseline if the project had more forest cover or forest carbon stocks. In contrast, ‘change’ methods tended to allocate more baseline if the project has more forest area loss or forest carbon stock loss between 2006 and 2014 in its reference region. These differences suggest that the ‘snapshot’ methods do not consider the inequity in the amount of baseline allocated to the projects. This inequity stems from the different degree of effort made by project stakeholders to protect their forests. The degree of effort varies depending on the historical deforestation trend in a project's reference region. However, the ‘change’ methods explicitly incorporate the trend into their calculations of baseline allocations. Technically, the ‘change’ method [4] seems to be the desired choice for allocating FRL to local projects; this is because it fits best with the idea of counter-factual thinking using a ‘reference period’ that a national baseline must have under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The ‘change’ methods are less likely to stimulate further deforestation, in a jurisdiction with high forest cover or forest carbon stocks that does not have a REDD+ project, compared with the ‘snapshot’ methods. However, the ‘change’ methods are more likely to face the challenge of political adjustment to balance the reduced emissions from some jurisdictions/projects with increased emissions from the other jurisdictions/projects, compared with the ‘snapshot’ methods. The findings are applicable not only in Cambodia but also in other REDD+ countries that include deforestation as one of the five REDD+ activities, within the scope of their national baseline submission to the UNFCCC. The study's outcomes will facilitate stakeholder dialogue on the proportions of national baseline allocated to sub-national programs/projects by showing the technical and political implications of the proposed allocation methods.

Preconditions of new container terminal location in the Maritime Spatial Planning framework. A case study for the Central Port Concept in Gdańsk

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) has gained momentum recently. Almost all EU coastal states prepare various types of maritime spatial plans. These will create important preconditions for port functioning and development and improve ports’ competitive position. There is no uniform attempt to prepare MSP for the sea waters of ports. Experience in that area is limited. These challenges are discussed in the paper. The Polish approach to MSP is analysed and evaluated from the perspective of port and sea transport competitiveness. Container ports and their terminals must be accessible and able to perform fast, reliable and just in time operations to remain competitive and to handle the expected growth. Sufficient space is necessary for that. Expanding ports should, however, keep their environmental footprint under control. These issues are crucial for the Port of Gdańsk, where the huge investment project ”Central Port” was launched in 2018. One of the most important elements in this project is the construction of a new deep-water container terminal and new seaward ro-ro terminal. The article explores the threats and opportunities for the processes of port and terminals relocation/migration under new MSP conditions, based on a case study of the Port of Gdańsk. Key conflicts of seaward port development were identified with the protection of cultural heritage, national defence coastal defence, well-being of marine fauna and lying technical infrastructure. They informed multi-level and multi-sector stakeholder dialogue within the Polish MSP resulting in proposal of some mitigation measures. These measures were analysed in this paper and on this basis key problems in orchestrating MSP and port development were highlighted.They are related to timing of both processes (MSP and port development), ways of deciding on necessary trade-offs and different value systems behind MSP and profit driven port investments.

Advancing Ocean Governance in Marine Regions Through Stakeholder Dialogue Processes

The poor state of the ocean and the transboundary nature of the marine environment require bold action by States coordinated across sectors and territorial boundaries in order to deal with the manifold challenges the ocean is facing—and with it humankind. Cooperation and coordination among States and stakeholders in marine regions have proven to be important levers for policy implementation and to strengthen ocean governance, yet remain challenging. Transparent and engaging stakeholder dialogue processes have the potential to provide guidance for the necessary transformation toward ocean sustainability and support the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for the ocean, SDG 14 and other interlinked ocean-related targets. The aim of this study is to review the challenges and opportunities of current collaborative efforts, namely multi-stakeholder dialogue and exchange processes, within and between marine regions to accelerate transformative action, contributing to these global goals. This paper builds on knowledge co-production and collaborative governance literature, and reviews experiences by stakeholders with ocean-related science-policy interfaces in an effort to strengthen regional ocean governance. As an exemplary case of such interfaces, this study assesses the Marine Regions Forum, a newly established inclusive dialogue and exchange platform for diverse actors from marine regions that aims to provide an informal space for joint learning and support regional action and international governance processes alike. Employing latent content analysis of interviews with experts, critical common barriers that hamper current collaborative efforts amongst stakeholders in marine regions are identified, such as fragmented governance frameworks, power and resource imbalances, and lack of meaningful stakeholder engagement. Pathways to address these challenges, such as through common goal orientation, contextualisation, inclusivity, trust building and meaningful continuous interactions are also identified. This paper concludes by discussing the value added of transparent and inclusive collaborative processes in the transformation of ocean governance toward achieving sustainability.

A dialogue approach to stakeholder engagement with urban communities: The case of Mofolo Park, Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa

Urban parks play a crucial role in conserving the biophysical environment, yet conservation efforts mostly focus on biodiversity hotspots, iconic mammal species, and nature conservation areas. A challenge in enhancing the role of urban parks in conservation relates to the varied, and often conflicted, priorities of communities and city authorities in the engagement process. Using a qualitative research approach through in-depth interviews with community leaders, councilors, community-based organizations, and youth organizations, this study explores stakeholder engagement in the planning and management of Mofolo Park in Soweto, Johannesburg. Results indicate that although the City of Johannesburg wanted to add food gardens to the park, the community was not united in support of this. Rather, the community wanted better safety, security and ablutions in the park, in contrast to the City of Johannesburg officials. Community members also expressed concerns about water pollution, sewerage spills, security and vandalism within the park, noting this inhibited their full enjoyment of the park. The study also revealed that women’s voices were mostly silenced during community discussions. The facilitator, who represented the City of Johannesburg, a few extroverted, vocal people and men dominated the discourse. This study concludes that although community engagement through stakeholder dialogues can, and should, play a crucial role in managing urban parks, the priorities and voices of the various stakeholders need to be carefully considered if the park is to be sustainably managed and fit for purpose as an urban green recreational space for local communities.

Do you like me when the sun is shining? The influence of weather and point-in-time on the stakeholder-Dialogue in Facebook

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of external factors on the Facebook dialogue. As both weather and point in time substantially. As both weather and point in time substantially influence people’s lives, it can be assumed that both factors may also affect communication on Facebook. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study focusing on the impact of the external factors “weather” and “point in time” on a public utility’s Facebook communication. Design/methodology/approach The potential influence is explored through the case study of an Austrian public utility. The study focuses on 321 postings, published via the company’s official Facebook account between August 2016 and February 2018. Findings The empirical results confirm the influence of “weather” and “point in time” indicators on the stakeholder dialogue. The findings highlight how the relevant items affect the posting behavior of a utility, as well as stakeholders’ reactions, comments and shares. Originality/value By introducing both external factors to the social media literature, this paper broadens the understanding of Facebook communications beyond the sender and receiver of digital information. In this way, the research contributes to a more holistic view of Facebook dialogue. It provides practical advice on how social media managers of public utilities may use weather forecasts and “point in time” considerations to more strategically foster stakeholder dialogue in social media.

Counterterrorism, sanctions and financial access challenges: Course corrections to safeguard humanitarian action

AbstractThis article provides an overview of the impact of United Nations (UN) sanctions and counterterrorism (CT) measures on humanitarian action. The mandatory requirements of UN Security Council Resolutions 1267 and 1373 on member States to prohibit the provision of “funds, financial assets or economic resources” to terrorists complicates the work of humanitarian actors delivering assistance in areas where groups designated under the 1267 regime control territory. After explaining the impact of sanctions and CT measures on humanitarian actors, the article explores three primary sets of challenges encountered by such actors: (1) lack of clarity and adequate legal protection for carrying out humanitarian activities in countries subject to sanctions or areas in which designated entities operate; (2) financial access difficulties or de-risking by financial institutions limiting the ability of non-profit organizations (NPOs) to transfer funds to higher-risk jurisdictions due to banks’ risk aversion or fear of regulatory scrutiny of such transactions; and (3) conditions placed in funding contracts by donors effectively offloading CT and sanctions risks onto beneficiaries. The article analyzes experience with UN humanitarian carve-outs (exceptions as employed in the Somalia sanctions regime and case-by-case exemptions utilized in the North Korea regime), explaining why exceptions are the optimal solution for humanitarian actors. New data are presented indicating that the scope and scale of financial access difficulties experienced by NPOs have grown. Financial institutions, concerned about regulatory requirements to counter terrorism financing, are increasingly reluctant to provide banking services to NPOs working in highly sanctioned jurisdictions, and the resulting de-risking by banks results in significant problems for humanitarian organizations needing to move funds abroad. Additionally, contractual conditions related to CT and sanctions compliance are routinely employed by donors, resulting in an offloading of risk onto recipients without appropriate clarity and guidance from donors. Numerous initiatives in recent years have called attention to the challenges that humanitarians face: stakeholder dialogues, high-level meetings and other discussion fora promote broader understanding among participants and acknowledgement of the impacts that these polices have on humanitarian action. UN action to renew the 1267 regime's mandate and the consideration of a humanitarian carve-out in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Taliban's takeover represent opportunities to reform sanctions in order to better protect humanitarian action. Recommendations are presented for each of the three sets of challenges, with an urgent call for the Security Council to embrace the opportunity for reform and more effectively balance the equally critical objectives of countering terrorism and safeguarding humanitarian action.

Can stakeholder dialogues help solve financial access restrictions faced by non-profit organizations that stem from countering terrorism financing standards and international sanctions?

AbstractCounterterrorism architecture has grown exponentially in the last two decades, with counterterrorism measures impacting humanitarian, development, peacebuilding and human rights action across the world. Addressing and mitigating the impact of these measures take various forms in different contexts, local and global. This article will address one particular form of engagement and redressal – that of the multi-stakeholder dialogue process – to deal with the unintended consequences for civil society of countering the financing of terrorism rules and regulations. The impact is seen in the difficulties that non-profit organizations face across the world in terms of financial access. Involving civil society, banks, government, financial intelligence, regulators, supervisors and banking associations, among others, in a dialogue process with clearly defined objectives is considered by policymakers and civil society to be the most appropriate and effective form of engagement for dealing with and overcoming this particular set of challenges. Multiple examples are provided of ongoing initiatives, with the nuances of each drawn out for a closer look at the conditions needed to sustain such dialogue, and an examination of whether such stakeholder dialogue processes are fit for purpose for solving the seemingly intractable problem at hand.

AccountAbility’s AA1000AP standard: a framework for integrating sustainability into organisations

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate corporate sustainability integration by evaluating corporate practices against the sustainability principles of inclusivity, materiality, responsiveness and impact outlined in AccountAbility’s AA1000 Accountability Principles (AA1000AP) standard.Design/methodology/approachData comprise 12 semi-structured interviews with senior managers of listed New Zealand companies. Findings are evaluated against AccountAbility’s principles of inclusivity, materiality, responsiveness and impact, which are based on a normative view of stakeholder theory.FindingsIn terms of inclusivity, stakeholder engagement is primarily monologic and is directed more towards traditional stakeholder groups. However, social media, which is gaining popularity, has the potential to facilitate greater dialogic stakeholder engagement. While most companies undertake a materiality assessment (with varying degrees of rigour) to support sustainability reporting, only some use it to drive planning and decision-making. Companies demonstrate responsiveness to stakeholder concerns through corporate governance and sustainability initiatives. Companies are monitoring and measuring their impact on stakeholders using sustainability key performance indicators (KPIs). However, measuring traditional metrics is easier than measuring areas such as the community. In rare instances, the executive’s remuneration is linked to these sustainability KPIs.Practical implicationsThe study findings offer useful examples of the integration of sustainability into corporate processes and systems. Practitioners may find the insights useful in understanding how sustainability is currently being integrated into corporate practices by best practice New Zealand companies. Regulators may consider incorporating AA1000AP into their corporate governance guidelines. Finally, academics may find the study useful for teaching business and accounting courses and to guide the next generation of business managers.Originality/valueFirst, the study brings together four streams of research on how sustainability reports are prepared (inclusivity, materiality, responsiveness and impact) in a single study. Second, the findings offer novel insights by evaluating corporate sustainability against the requirements of a standard that has received little academic attention.

Reducing the inadvertent spread of retracted science: Shaping a research and implementation agenda

Reducing the inadvertent spread of retracted science: Shaping a research and implementation agenda

Fish out of water: consumers\u2019 unfamiliarity with the appearance of commercial fish species

Seafood labels play an increasingly key role in assisting consumers in purchasing processed and featureless fish products, and in encouraging sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices. While informed purchasing choices are typically influenced by traceability and labelling awareness, they also depend on the consumers’ ability to identify and discriminate the fish species available on the market, which to date remains notably unexplored. We asked 720 people across six European countries to identify pictures of six fish species commonly sold in Europe. We reveal that European consumers have a poor understanding of the appearance of the fish they consume (overall ∼ 30% correct identification), with British consumers performing the poorest and Spanish ones doing best. We noted cultural association with some species, whereby the most regionally consumed fish are more easily recognized. We argue that despite recent improvements in technological solutions, stakeholder dialogue, and policy implementation, seafood market transparency will remain open to malpractice until consumers restore connection with their food.

Barreras y oportunidades para la comunicación de la responsabilidad social en redes sociales

El objetivo del artículo es realizar una revisión de la literatura sobre las barreras y oportunidades de la comunicación en redes sociales de los contenidos vinculados con la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC) y la gestión de la sostenibilidad. Para ello, se han seleccionado 466 artículos de Web of Science con palabras clave relacionadas con el objetivo. Para el análisis, solo se han tenido en cuenta aquellas publicaciones en revistas científicas y escritas en inglés. El número total de artículos analizados tras este filtro ha sido de 72. Los principales intereses de la RSC en redes sociales son: i) el diálogo de los stakeholders; ii) ganar credibilidad, legitimidad y reputación; iii) mejorar el engagement y iv) el impacto de comunicación de la RSC y la sostenibilidad en el marketing y el marketing social.

Muzzling social media: The adverse effects of moderating stakeholder conversations online

Many organizations struggle to meaningfully engage with their stakeholders on political, societal and environmental topics via social media. Often such discourses unravel into splintered and negative conversations, raising the question whether organizations can and should exercise some level of control and ‘steering’ in these conversations and, if so, how stakeholders would react to such ‘top down’ moderation. Existing studies lack empirical insights into the impacts of different levels of moderation in social media conversations on stakeholder attitudes. Two experimental studies were developed to test the effect of different levels of organizational moderation on stakeholder attitudes towards organizations. We show that increased levels of moderation negatively affect attitudes towards an organization, satisfaction with an organization's performance, and trust in the organization. Increased moderation also significantly undermines beliefs in the commitment of the organization to its stakeholders and control mutuality. This paper extends recent qualitative attempts to build new theory around stakeholder dialogues on social media by testing the effects of varying levels of moderation in such dialogues.