Stakeholder Dynamics Research Articles

Systems Thinking and Solid Waste Management in Puerto Rico: Feedback Loops over Time

This article uses a systems-thinking framework to analyze Puerto Rico’s solid waste system. Our findings were based on 36 semi-structured interviews from stakeholders that work within the solid waste system. Interviewees represented businesses, advocacy organizations, a university, and government agencies, including municipal, central, and federal government. This research is unique because it focuses on a case study using a historical lens to explore the policies and stakeholder dynamics that shape a system’s behavior, where the behavior is in reference to the flows of discarded materials either entering the circular economy or the island’s waste disposal facilities. Through our research, we found that Puerto Rico’s overall solid waste system is stalled within a balancing feedback loop where policies and dynamics have taken place that have created resistance to efforts to improve the current situation. In our discussion, we reflect on the policies and stakeholder dynamics that have caused this balancing feedback loop and make recommendations to better support a reinforcing feedback loop that will lead to changes to achieve Puerto Rico’s solid waste disposal and recycling plans and goals required to foster a circular economy. This study can inform future policy making and institutional coordination efforts within Puerto Rico and abroad.

Strategies for digital transformation in construction projects: stakeholders' perceptions and actor dynamics for Industry 4.0

This study explores and presents the roadmap of industry 4.0 for the Indian construction industry with particular reference to project management practices. Accordingly, this study explores stakeholder dynamics for adopting digital technologies in the construction sector, especially those affecting construction project management. The study adopted one focus group with five participating panellists that provided the qualitative data. This is followed by a questionnaire survey with wider practitioners from the public and private sectors to validate the findings and rank the hypothesis to enable the implementation. Based on a focus group, this study proposes thirteen hypotheses describing stakeholders' dynamics. Furthermore, based on the questionnaire survey validation, this study finds that the top four strategies are stakeholder integration, process re-engineering, training activities, and the need to generate federated data. We interpret the journey of industry 4.0 in the construction industry as having its effect from at least four perception frames: redundancy, accommodation, amplification, and introduction. Practitioners can make process changes in their organisations while delivering projects using industry 4.0 in the construction sector. The findings are contextual to the Indian construction industry. While there is a richness of data that emanated from experienced practitioners, future case studies could enhance the applicability of the findings. The article takes a visionary stand to enable practical aspects of adopting industry 4.0 in its full measure.

How does portfolio use support self-regulated learning during general practitioner specialty training? A qualitative focus group study

ObjectivesPortfolios are used to support self-regulated learning (SRL), but the research literature is still inconclusive on their effectiveness. This study explored experiences with portfolio use among different stakeholders, to answer...

A Qualitative Assessment of a Malaria Elimination Project in the Tribal District of Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

The Asia Pacific has committed to the regional goal of malaria elimination by 2030. In the year 2021, India constituted 10% of the total malaria burden in the region, with more than 2/3rd malaria cases concentrated in tribal pockets. In 2017, a public-privatepartnership known as the Malaria Elimination Demonstration Project was initiated in the tribal district of Mandla in central India to demonstrate malaria elimination and share lessons withthe rest of the country and the region. The present study focused on understanding the complex stakeholder dynamics including the community of Mandla, local healthcare workers, programme managers, and technical experts. The study has revealed interesting findings related to the effect of vertical health programmes on existing health systems; gaps, challenges, and opportunities for core interventions, and the importance of community participation towards making malaria elimination a reality by 2030.

Decoding Collective Action Dilemmas in Historical Precincts of Delhi

There is a growing understanding that cultural heritage needs to be understood as a “common good”, pivotal to the sustainable development of communities. Cultural goods create multiple value streams for stakeholder groups whose interests and objectives often collide, leading to governance failures. The management of cultural goods can be seen as a collective action problem arising from the interaction of numerous actors. In the first part, the article highlights the importance of analyzing cultural heritage sites and areas as common goods. Within this context, I highlight why collaborative processes of decision-making and planning are crucial for the sustainable conservation of heritage resources and tourism management. In the second section, the paper applies the Institutional Analysis and Development—Network of Adjacent Action Situations (IAD-NAAS) framework to explore collective action dilemmas at Nizamuddin Basti in New Delhi. Application of the framework allows one to explore interrelated governance dilemmas by understanding stakeholder dynamics within governance action situations with interdependent outcomes. The paper concludes with a suggestive framework for a cultural collaborative process keeping the cultural identity of residents as the focal point. While the IAD-NAAS framework is useful in diagnosing the contending interests and their consequences, the IAD framework could also be considered a starting point to define a framework for a collaborative process.

Stakeholder dynamics in Environmental Policy Making in Kazakhstan

This study explores the potential of stakeholder dynamics as they affect policy learning among government administrators in Kazakhstan, particularly in the case of the implementation of the Concept of Transition of Kazakhstan to a “Green Economy” (The Concept). While the Concept represents a commitment to strengthening environmental protection and policymaking in the country, the nine years since its adoption have revealed certain deficiencies. Based on field research conducted between May 2020 and September 2021, I have found that stakeholders in advocacy coalitions hold different views on the implementation of the Concept. One example of the many barriers to realizing the “green economy” goals is related to economic performance, which benefits from hydrocarbon and fossil fuel development. My research illustrates that the government has not emphasized collaboration with non-governmental stakeholders within its efforts to realize a Green Economy policy.

Dynamic network analysis of stakeholder-associated social risks of megaprojects: a case study in China

PurposeManagers of megaprojects face social risk management challenges throughout the various design, construction, and operation stages, owing to the various conflicts of interest among stakeholders, public skepticism, and opposition. However, most existing studies have not focused on the dynamic analysis of integrating social risks in these stages. This study developed a dynamic analysis approach to explore the dynamics of critical social risk factors and related stakeholders of megaprojects and built the managerial maps for various stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachBased on the social analysis network (SNA), a dynamic network analysis approach for understanding the dynamics of social risk and related stakeholders has been developed by literature and case analysis. The approach comprises the following steps: (1) generating social risk–stakeholder networks in different stages; (2) analysis of the critical stakeholders and social risk factors; (3) dynamic analysis of social risk factors; and (4) developing social risk management maps for various stakeholders. To verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the approach, 40 megaprojects from China were analyzed.FindingsAccording to the results, the local government is a critical stakeholder during all stages, inadequate information promotion (IIP) and imperfect communication and coordination mechanism (ICCM) are key social risk sources throughout the megaproject life cycle. Furthermore, the management maps for government organizations, project implementation groups, and external stakeholders were constructed.Originality/valueThis research has three contributions. First, a dynamic analysis approach of stakeholder-associated social risks in megaprojects is developed, which enriches the social risk management theory of megaprojects and provides inspiration for future research focus. Second, the social risk–stakeholder networks and critical social risks in different stages are confirmed to provide a more valid and accurate picture of social risk management in megaprojects. Third, the social risk managerial maps for different stakeholders built in this research will be beneficial for governments, project implementation groups, and external stakeholders to optimize management strategies.

Arenas of Contestation: A Senian Social Justice Perspective on the Nature of Materiality in Impact Measurement

Although the importance of measuring and reporting the social and environmental impact of organisational action is increasingly well recognised by both organisations and society at large, existing approaches to impact measurement are still far from being universally accepted. In this context, the stakeholder dynamics within the nascent field of impact investing demonstrate the complexity of resolving potentially differing perspectives on key impact measurement issues such as materiality. This paper argues, from an organisational perspective, that such arenas of contestation can be conceptualised in terms of social justice. Specifically, we draw upon Sen’s notions of ‘arrangement and realisation’ to explore the dynamics of contestation across a range of stakeholders concerning materiality judgements to suggest that such ‘arrangements’ may lead to suboptimal impact outcomes as ‘realisations.’ Our analysis of the nature of materiality contestations in impact measurement reveals the conflicts, tensions and paradoxes evident in this field of action. Empirically, we examine data drawn from 19 cases and 33 interviews. The analysis suggests three arenas of contestation around the materiality of impact measurement: the power dynamics between economically powerful investors and objectified investees; the conflicts between materiality norms and standards; and the interactions between all stakeholders with differing motivations towards radical or incremental materiality. Building upon this analysis, we then discuss how arenas of contested materiality may be mediated by drawing upon Sen’s notions of transcending the individual interests of the invested parties for the greater good via processes of contextualisation and case-specificity.

Understanding Stakeholders' impact on design workflow dynamics using agent-based modeling

Inadequate management of the design process can affect the process performance as well as the final product value. While several studies targeted the management of design over BIM, correlating the social dynamics of design stakeholders to the dynamics of the BIM process is not thoroughly investigated. This study uses agent-based modeling to study the impact of various stakeholders' characteristics on the performance of BIM-based design. Results show that the characteristics of involved stakeholders and the setup of the design process can affect the performance of design projects in terms of project's duration, value, rework and project's risks. This paper is significant to design managers and researchers to comprehensively understand the effects of stakeholders' characteristics and related social dynamics on design process performance. Also, the paper opens the door to future research that targets the employment of social-based parameters to enhance the reliability of design planning and scheduling.

The effective mediating role of stakeholder management in the relationship between BIM implementation and project performance

PurposeBuilding information modeling (BIM) has brought great advantages to project delivery and performance. However, BIM has also increased the complexity of projects. Research shows that for BIM implementation to have a positive impact in this innovative environment, BIM should be synchronized with stakeholder management. Therefore, this research aims to incorporate the theory of stakeholder management in BIM-enabled projects and determine the theory's intermediary role between BIM implementation and project performance.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive literature review was conducted and 13 critical success factors (CSFs) for BIM implementation, 29 CSFs for stakeholder management and 6 CSFs for BIM project performance were identified. These measurement items were tested using a questionnaire survey method and analyzed using structural equation modeling. This research was focused on Chinese megaprojects or complex projects that were under a high level of development of BIM, which could reflect the complex stakeholder relationships and BIM implementation for project performance.FindingsThe results indicate that effective use of BIM can directly improve project performance. Further, stakeholder management has an important and positive intermediary role within the path of BIM implementation and project performance, particularly through (1) stakeholder dynamics (SD) and (2) stakeholder engagement or empowerment (SE).Originality/valueThe logical relationship of mutual influence among CSFs has been revealed for BIM-enabled projects. This research contributes to the effective collaboration and practice of BIM in the construction industry.

Consultancies in public administration

AbstractPublic administrations increasingly rely on consultancies to acquire policy knowledge, assess stakeholder dynamics, and evaluate governance systems. In this symposium, we explore the drivers and effects of this trend. Consultants offer advisory services, articulate governance trends, provide technical and programming expertise, as well as evaluation functions. Historically consultancies were introduced to public administrations to prevent market dominance and to respond to demands for specialized professional services. This relationship morphed into an expanded global market for a wide range of consultancy services that national and international administrations purchase. We explore how consultancies and public administrations interact through a discussion of task‐setting based on recognition of: (i) what party can make claims to support a public ethos, (ii) what forms of expertise are most relevant for solving the problem, and (iii) status in who can best tackle uncertainties.

Unpacking the complexity of the UK plastic packaging value chain: A stakeholder perspective

The pace to achieving a sustainable plastics economy remains noticeably slow. This could be due to a lack of understanding of the role and importance of stakeholder dynamics in the plastic packaging system. Therefore, this study aims to unpack and assess the role of stakeholders in improving the plastics recycling rate and circularity in the UK, using polyethylene terephthalate (PET) drinks bottles value chain as a case study. Via the theoretical lens of stakeholder theory the study identifies and groups the stakeholders in the PET drinks bottles value chain, and tries to make sense of, and analyse, their complex interactions via the use of the Complex Value Optimisation for Resource Recovery (CVORR) systems thinking approach. This integrated approach reveals, that even though external stakeholders (e.g. NGOs, trade associations) engage with internal stakeholders (e.g. suppliers, consumers, investors), and vice versa, at different levels and scales in promoting the circularity in the PET drink bottles value chain, there is a strong drive in incentivising the production and consumption processes. This is driven by the significant lobbying power of internal stakeholders operating upstream of the PET bottles value chain (i.e. producers and brand owners), that is supported by financial institutions, and which, strongly influences national and local government policies and decision-making processes. Meanwhile, the waste management processes are short-sighted, being unable to gain improved momentum and increase the PET bottles recycling rates. This dynamic conceals, and somewhat retains, the prevailing resistance in removing the infrastructural, regulatory and technological lock-ins. A collaboration between internal and external stakeholders is paramount to sustainably managing PET drinks bottles in the UK and achieving a transition to a sustainable circular plastics economy. Creating a level playing field and fostering a closer collaboration between all stakeholders involved in the system can aid the development of new value networks, and support new policy interventions that can improve circularity in the plastic packaging sector.

Stakeholders’ involvement in service delivery at eDumbe Municipality

Background: Stakeholders have diverse interests in the provision of public services; hence, they support municipalities in responding to communities’ basic needs by engaging them in decision-making and in offering development support.Aim: This article aims at assessing stakeholders’ engagement in service provision at eDumbe Municipality, in Kwazulu-Natal. The main objective was to improve service provision and development at eDumbe local area.Setting: eDumbe municipal area is the study location where data were collected by researchers.Methods: A qualitative approach was employed to collect and analyse data, using the case study design.Results: It has emerged that resource management, socio-economic factors and governance issues are barriers in successfully achieving stakeholders’ full support in service delivery.Conclusion: This study demonstrated dynamics of limited stakeholders’ engagement at eDumbe. It is recommended that municipality must improve its relations and strategies for engaging stakeholders to improve their participation in service provision. Findings from this study contribute to the existing knowledge of participatory democracy in South Africa.

Sustainable knowledge management in academia and research organizations in the innovation context

This work proposes a conceptual knowledge management model specific for the academics researchers and business stakeholders working in the innovation context, through a bibliographic revision from the business domain and reoriented to the innovation context.This revision arise from the need of them to adapt to the fast knowledge growth and changes at the backwards of 4.0 industry. This fast growth demands them finding the synergies of diverse domain of knowledges to ensure a sustainable and efficient management of knowledge, resources, and relate dynamics of stakeholders, fostering the promotion of Research and Development (R&D) projects. This approach will help the improvement in responsible management education (RME) as a result of the collaborative work.The overall work also defines the steps for research knowledge audit and its combination with key performance indicators that differs human, organizational, and relational and innovation and development capitals. Functional maps, topic and taxonomy maps and social network analysis are proposed as tools. This guide will help the academia and research community to address stakeholder heterogeneity and find a starting point for implementing a sustainable long-term plan, under sustainable concepts. At the end this will also being translated to education for sustainable development (ESD) promoted by academics.

Stakeholder engagement and business model innovation value

ABSTRACT Despite important strides made in the business model literature, substantially less is known regarding its constituent sub-concept of business model innovation (BMI). In particular, the role and dynamics of different stakeholders’ BMI-related engagement remain nebulous, as therefore explored in this paper. Moreover, though business models are recognized to house firm-based value propositions, the nature and extent of stakeholders’ actual perceived BMI-related value (BMIV) remains tenuous, exposing a second research gap. Addressing these issues, we first develop the BMIV concept, defined as a stakeholder’s perceived value created through some nontrivial new aspect in a firm’s value creation, – communication, -delivery, and -capture mechanisms and activities. Using interdependence theory’s outcome transformation, we then develop a conceptual model that recognizes the role of different BMI stakeholders’ interdependent engagement in creating BMIV. Specifically, BMI stakeholders are predicted to consider the goals/interests of focal others, alongside their own, in their BMI-related engagement, in turn affecting all these stakeholders’ BMIV. We predict BMIV-based stakeholder engagement to differ based on whether stakeholders’ goals/interests converge or diverge: While converging stakeholder goals tend to yield cooperative/equality-based SE, diverging goals trigger altruistic/aggressive SE, as formalized in a set of propositions. We conclude by deriving important implications from our analyses.

Restrictive or expansive? European Investment Bank's challenge to equipoise climate finance with post-pandemic boost

PurposeUnique among European Union (EU) economic governance entities and multilateral banks, the European Investment Bank (EIB) possesses a dual nature, as an EU body and a bank. The EIB has been ever evolving to adapt to policy and market developments and to reflect the geo-economic landscape. In 2019, in association with the EU's Green Deal, the bank announced its metamorphosis into a “Climate Bank,” ending its fossil fuel lending after 2021. Additionaly, upon the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its attendant health and economy crisis, EU decision-makers have solicited the bank to support both urgent needs for tackling and countering the spread of the disease and the post-pandemic economic recovery. Nevertheless, devastated economic actors in need of assistance fall within many sectors, including some less green ones.Design/methodology/approachThis article is grounded on agency theory for developing a generic stakeholder framework, which is then subsequently applied in investigating the EIB, in interaction with its main stakeholders.FindingsThis article investigates the EIB stakeholders in pursuing these two seemingly contradictory objectives of exclusively restricting its activity to green funding and expanding its action for achieving a broad impact in the real economy. By exploring this tension, the article argues that by prioritizing the post-COVID restart, the EIB risks to deviate from its strict green commitment.Practical implicationsThe analysis of the EIB's divergent stakeholder stances demonstrates some ambivalence in future EIB activity in an effort to equipoise climate finance with a post-pandemic boost. The same ambivalence might equally occur with other major economic governance actors. The stakeholder framework developed and applied in the case of the EIB can be useful for studying also the stakeholder dynamics of other organizations.Social implicationsThe analysis demonstrates a tension between selective climate-related funding for “building back better” and the need for a wide broaching of countercyclical stimulus, with implications for economic and social actors alike.Originality/valueThe approach is novel, as it develops a new analytical framework for understanding stakeholder dynamics and tests it empirically on the EIB. This constitutes the first study of EIB stakeholder management.

Large scale healthcare facility redevelopment: A scoping review.

Internationally, organisations are undertaking large scale facility redevelopment as a strategy for the transformation of care systems. Redeveloping facilities provides a once in a generation opportunity to transform health service delivery, typically, however, system level changes are poorly understood. To address this gap, our aim was to investigate the empirical knowledge base regarding large scale redevelopment of healthcare facilities. A scoping review was undertaken, guided by the redeveloped health service management (HSM) scoping review framework (HSM-SRF). Across 17 articles, five key concepts were identified, and they form the principles for successful redevelopment. First, establish a strong governance framework integrating diverse expertise and evidence base. Second, engage with internal and external stakeholders to build effectual relationships. Third, consult with end users, including clinicians and patients, to encourage the acceptance of the redevelopment and actively manage stakeholder dynamics, including politics and power undercurrents. Fourth, commit appropriate resources, including time, workforce, technology and finance to ensure redevelopment success. Finally, reimagine workflows through consultation with end users, including staff and consumers, allowing them to conceptualise how the space will be utilised. This scoping review is the first to synthesise the empirical knowledge base of the redevelopment of healthcare facilities.

Who influences whom and how in river-basin governance?A participatory stakeholder and social network analysis in Zayandeh-Rud basin, Iran

Power is a central concept in studying complex governance systems as it determines how stakeholders influence each other to achieve their preferred outcomes. Little is still known about complex power dynamics in water governance networks. Along this line, this study aims to investigate who influences whom and how in river-basin governance in the case of Zayandeh-Rud river basin (ZRB) in Iran. We applied a participatory stakeholder analysis (SA) and a social network analysis (SNA) to identify the relevant stakeholders and investigate their attributes and network-based characteristics in the ZRB's water governance system. A mixed-methods approach was used for information gathering using several interviews, focus groups, workshops, and a survey. We assembled different forms of power with interest to exclusively analyze the power dynamics in water governance system. We developed a multiplex social influence network comprising 24 stakeholders related together through four types of power-laden relationships with differing strengths. Our findings show that stakeholders with the same degree of power and interest may play different roles in the governance processes, which can be explained by their position and power relations in the multiplex network. We conclude that combining the results of SA and SNA analyses can contribute to better understanding of how water resources are governed and by whom, but a careful conceptualization of power is needed for meaningful interpretations. Our findings have important implications for diagnosing the power dynamics of stakeholders, conducting negotiations and conflict resolution processes, and facilitating social learning and mutual development of engagement strategies.

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Articulating FPIC through transnational sustainability standards: A comparative analysis of Forest Stewardship Council’s standard development processes in Canada, Russia and Sweden

An increasing number of sustainability standards integrate the principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) as a requirement to ensure respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples. FPIC remains a contested norm, due in part to divergences of interpretation and gaps in implementation. Drawing on a typology based on FPIC conceptions, this paper presents a comparative analysis of the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) standard development processes in three countries, Canada, Russia and Sweden. The paper investigates the dynamics of designing FPIC requirements and conceptions of FPIC reflected in national standards. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and analysis of written standards, this study finds similarities in terms of the key debates, such as the scope of Indigenous authority and applicability of FPIC to non-Indigenous communities, however underscored by different stakeholder dynamics and outcomes. Despite the structuring presence of International Generic Indicators, different conceptions of FPIC are reflected in national standards.