Sustainable Stakeholder Engagement Research Articles

Mapping coastal resilience: a Gis-based Bayesian network approach to coastal hazard identification for Queensland’s dynamic shorelines

Coastal regions worldwide face increasing threats from climate change-induced hazards, necessitating more accurate and comprehensive vulnerability assessment tools. This study introduces an innovative approach to coastal vulnerability assessment by integrating Bayesian Networks (BN) with the modern coastal vulnerability (CV) framework. The resulting BN-CV model was applied to Queensland's coastal regions, with a particular focus on tide-modified and tide-dominated beaches, which constitute over 85% of the studied area. The research methodology involved beach classification based on morphodynamic characteristics, spatial subdivision of Queensland's coast into 78 sections, and the application of the BN-CV model to analyze interactions between geomorphological features and oceanic dynamics. This approach achieved over 90% accuracy in correlating beach types with vulnerability factors, significantly outperforming traditional CVI applications. Key findings include the identification of vulnerability hotspots and the creation of detailed exposure and sensitivity maps for Gold Coast City, Redland City, Brisbane City, and the Sunshine Coast Regional area. The study revealed spatial variability in coastal vulnerability, providing crucial insights for targeted management strategies. The BN-CV model demonstrates superior precision and customization capabilities, offering a more nuanced understanding of coastal vulnerability in regions with diverse beach typologies. This research advocates for the adoption of the BN-CV approach to inform tailored coastal planning and management strategies, emphasizing the need for regular reassessments and sustained stakeholder engagement to build resilience against climate change impacts.Recommendations include prioritizing adaptive infrastructure in high-exposure areas like the Gold Coast, enhancing flood management in Brisbane, improving socio-economic adaptive capacity in Redland, and maintaining natural defences in Moreton Bay. This study contributes significantly to the field of coastal risk management, providing a robust tool for policymakers and coastal managers to develop more effective strategies for building coastal resilience in the face of climate change.

Materiality and stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting: does it matter?

Materiality analysis and stakeholder engagement are crucial processes in sustainability reports which aim to identify material issues and prioritize them based on stakeholder interests. Subjectivity in the process of determining materiality and stakeholder engagement can affect the quality of sustainability reports because management can determine the information to be published and eliminate negative information related to sustainability. This research aims to investigate the influence of board of directors’ activity, presence of independence commissioners, company financial performance, and size on materiality disclosure and stakeholder engagement in mining companies in Indonesia. Content analysis and multiple regression analysis were carried out on 70 sustainability reports. The research results show that the involvement of the board of directors and the quantity of board members have a positive and significant effect, while the presence of independence commissioners and company size do not have a significant effect on materiality and stakeholder disclosure. It is noteworthy that disclosing materiality in sustainability reports is a crucial aspect of business practices, irrespective of the company’s financial status or size. This research contributes to the disclosure of materiality and stakeholder involvement in the reporting of companies operating in Indonesia from the perspective of stakeholder theory and legitimacy theory.

ESG combined score effects on stock performance of S&P 500-listed firms

The influence of ESG combined scores on the stock performance (excess return, volatility, and liquidity) of S&P 500-listed firms was examined from June 2013 to May 2023. Ordinary least squares and heterogeneity analyses were used, with robustness checks performed through the use of endogenous treatment and fixed-effects models. Results indicated that ESG combined scores are negatively correlated with returns and liquidity but positively correlated with volatility. The stocks of low-ESG firms were more ESG-sensitive than those of high-ESG firms. The impact of COVID-19 on stock price volatility was also considerable. The results contradicted the view that ESG enhances market performance, highlighting the need for active, sustained stakeholder engagement concerning ESG practices.

Exploring Agile Methodology in Developing a Web-Based Result Computation and Transcript System: A Case Study of Federal Polytechnic Ukana

In today's rapidly changing technological landscape, there is a great demand for efficient, adaptable, and responsive software development methodologies. This article examines how agile methodology was used in practice to create a web-based transcript and result computation system for Polytechnic Ukana. Agile methodology, which is renowned for its incremental and iterative approach, was used to increase flexibility, foster better teamwork, and produce a workable product on schedule. The article describes the goals and requirements of the project, including how Scrum was chosen as the agile framework and what stages it went through in implementation. Along with the roles and responsibilities of the development team, the planning, execution, and review processes for sprints are highlighted. The team demonstrated flexibility in responding to evolving needs, effective problem-solving, and sustained stakeholder engagement through a sequence of sprint cycles. The system was deployed on schedule, fulfilling all requirements and substantially boosting the accuracy and efficiency of the institution's transcript generation and result computation. This is proof that the project was successful. This case study provides a useful manual for implementing agile approaches for comparable educational software development projects.

Strengthening accountability and sustainability reporting: does stakeholder engagement really work? Evidence from the judicial sector

PurposeThis study aims to explore to what extent stakeholder engagement affects the sustainability reporting (SR) process and if it succeeds in facilitating the encounter between demand and supply of accountability, as well as the main challenges of this practice, by focusing on a crucial and under-investigated public sector area, the judicial system.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts an action research (AR) approach. Specifically, it focuses on a specific phase (i.e. stakeholder engagement) of the broader project that was carried on from 2019 in an Italian Public Prosecutor’s Office. Data were collected from multiple sources, i.e. written notes and reports gathered during meetings, the survey administered to stakeholders and the published sustainability reports.FindingsStakeholder engagement may be a valuable and effective tool for improving the level of accountability, as it increases the responsiveness of SR to the informative needs of stakeholders. However, the study also highlights some critical points that must be addressed to exploit this fully. Among these is the need to act upstream of the process by working on an accounting system that goes beyond the economic dynamics and can effectively answer the accountability demand.Originality/valueThe study contributes to theoretical and empirical knowledge by exploring a topic and a public sphere still limited investigated, i.e. the stakeholder engagement in sustainability in the judicial sector. The AR approach also presents some originality points, as it is low widespread in management and accounting literature.

Role of digital health insurance management systems in scaling health insurance coverage in low- and Middle-Income Countries: A case study from Nigeria

BackgroundIncreasing global commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the past decade has triggered UHC-inspired reforms and investments to expand health service coverage in many Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). UHC aims to ensure that all people can access quality health services, safeguard them from public health risks and impoverishment from out-of-pocket payments for healthcare when household members are sickAimThis paper reviews the role of health insurance as a policy tool to address health financing as a contributory mechanism for accelerating the achievement of UHC in LMICs. We focus on Nigeria's legal framework for health insurance coverage for its whole population and the role of technology in facilitating enrollment to health insurance schemes.MethodsFrom May to July 2022, we adopted a cross-sectional case study design combining: (i) a literature review of the effects of UHC with (ii) document analysis of health insurance systems in Nigeria, and (iii) secondary analysis of health insurance datasets to understand experiences of deploying MedStrat, a locally-developed digital health insurance management system, and its features that support the administration of health insurance schemes in multiple states of Nigeria. We drew on contemporary technology adoption models to triangulate diverse data analyzed from literature and documents reviews and from health insurance datasets to identify: (i) enablers of adoption of digital insurance schemes, (ii) the contribution of digital technology to expanding access to health insurance, and (iii) further scalability of digital insurance intervention.ResultsPreliminary findings suggests that digital insurance management systems can help to increase the number of enrollees for insurance especially among poor households. Three contextual enablers of adoption of digital insurance schemes were a favourable policy environment, public-private-partnerships, and sustained stakeholder engagement and training.Discussion and conclusionKey elements for successful scaling of digital health insurance schemes across Nigeria and similar contexts include: (i) ease of use, (ii) existing digital infrastructure to support electronic insurance systems, and (iii) trust manifested via data encryption, maintaining audit trails for all data, and in-built fraud prevention processes. Our findings affirm that digital health technology can play a role in the attainment of UHC in LMICs.

Conceptualising Stakeholder Engagement in Sustainability Reporting

A plethora of studies reveal that stakeholder engagement is critical in sustainability reporting. However, there is a paucity in the literature on how stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting may lead to more meaningful sustainability reports. This paper aims to conceptualise the role of stakeholder engagement in producing more meaningful sustainability reports. This conceptual paper offers avenues for future empirical research. This paper contributes to the literature and the theory by shedding light on the importance of institutional work in shifting the institutional logic of stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting from a strategic management tool to an accountability mechanism so that more meaningful sustainability reports are produced. Stakeholder engagement allows the reporting companies to become more aware of sustainability issues that are informed by their stakeholders while the engaged stakeholders also benefit from the information provided by the reporting companies on the issues, agenda, and performance related to sustainability.
 Keywords: stakeholder engagement, sustainability reporting, neo-institutional theory

Shell Failed Community Engagement in Niger-Delta Region and Implications for CSR Practices: Towards Global Best Practices for Sustainable Stakeholders’ Involvement

The study examines the experience of Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC) in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices. The study observes that the experience of SPDC is one of deep frustrations occasioned by inappropriate and ineffective stakeholders’ engagement. The study also observes that aside from making host community encounter repeated deprivations, the SPDC in the Niger Delta fails to adequately involve stakeholders in its CSR agenda in ways that are acceptable. All these raised the challenge of designing best CSR practices for stakeholders’ engagements to address communities that perennially suffer the negative impacts of business activities. The study concludes by attempting a template for global best practices for sustainable stakeholder engagement with hostile host communities in CSR practices in order to achieve sustainable business practices. Keywords: CSR, Niger-Delta, Relationship Management, SPDC, Sustainability DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/93-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2022

Stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting by Fortune Global 500 companies: a call for embeddedness

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to ascertain whether Fortune Global 500 companies embed stakeholder engagement in their sustainability reporting.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative and qualitative content analyses were undertaken on 646 sustainability reports written in English over the period from 2015 to 2017.FindingsThis research found a low level of stakeholder engagement disclosures and scant evidence that sustainability disclosures were drawn upon stakeholder engagement practices. The findings indicate that stakeholder engagement was loosely embedded in sustainability reporting.Research limitations/implicationsSustainability reports are the sole unit of analysis. Besides, this research is limited to a sample of companies and to a specific period, which limits the generalisation of the research findings.Practical implicationsEmbedding stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting holds companies accountable to their stakeholders. This is because the companies’ sustainability disclosures acknowledge the stakeholders’ concerns and information about the stakeholder engagement methods deployed to address those concerns.Social implicationsStakeholder engagement promotes accountability by encouraging stakeholders to convey their opinions about corporate sustainability, participate in decision-making processes that impact them, and partake in defining the contents of sustainability reports.Originality/valueThis paper provides insights into the need to link sustainability disclosures with stakeholder engagement disclosures, by articulating who the relevant stakeholders are and how they are engaged on the various sustainability topics – rather than conceiving them to be separate and independent disclosures in a sustainability report.

California's Stakeholder Matrix: A Liaison Tool for the first 96 hours of Response

ABSTRACT Research on crisis and risk communication continues to illustrate the need for and benefits of early and sustained stakeholder engagement during disasters, both natural and manmade. The California citizenry is deeply committed to environmental protection and expects to “engage” with their government on policy development and environmental solutions. Stakeholders expect a high-level of government transparency, driving the need for engagement even more during emergency responses such as oil spills. Within the Incident Command System (ICS), it is the responsibility of the Liaison Officer (LOFR) to coordinate and share information with stakeholders. A review of “After Action Reports” and “lessons learned” from oil spills, both nationally and within California, point to the continued need for strong stakeholder engagement by the LOFR and has become a priority of California's lead oil spill response agency, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR). Building off stakeholder engagement tools found in crises and risk communication literature and in Incident Command System job aids, OSPR crafted a stakeholder matrix that was readily scalable, easy to use, and easy to translate to Incident Commanders and other Command Staff during response. This matrix is a template of simple inputs, allowing stakeholders and engagement strategies to be identified, grouped, and prioritized. It is intended to be a planning tool for the first 24–96 hours, a precious time in a response. It is often too early to expect the LOFR to have completed a stakeholder engagement plan, yet this time is critical to initiating early stakeholder communication that will set the tone for the response. This matrix serves as the initial plan for the LOFR. This paper will describe the development of this tool, its evolution, and its use. It will also highlight feedback from exercises and response partners. It will describe the flexibility and scalability, and considerations for broader applications.

Stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting: the case study of Ukrainian public agricultural companies

Purpose. The paper aims at finding out how significantly stakeholders are consulted and involved by preparers, Ukrainian publicly-listed agricultural companies, while compiling sustainability reporting (SR) and by assurance providers, during assurance processes of SR. The paper’s main research question may be formulated as follows ‘How deeply stakeholders are involved at Ukrainian agricultural companies in the preparation of their sustainability reporting and assurance?’ 
 Methodology / approach. The study utilizes widely used techniques in this field content analysis of sustainability reports based on suggested coding rules which in turn grounded in the leading literature. Authors use a multidimensional coding system (with a maximum score of 12 points) which consists of three elements and offers an aggregate assessment of the information disclosure of the involvement of stakeholders in sustainability reporting. Also authors base on frameworks for classification of the stakeholders’ engagement level into three levels (information, response and involvement strategies). The paper’s sample although tiny, only five years/company observations, is comprehensive since it includes all Ukrainian agricultural companies presented in GRI SDD database one of the largest databases of its kind. To analyze only the latest relevant experience, authors have limited the report type to the latest GRI modification – GRI Standards. As a result of five steps in the sample formation process, it is equal to 3 companies that produced 5 reports in the period between 2017 and 2019 years. 
 Results. While the used coding structure allowed for a maximum of 12 points, the analysed reports were able to reach only half of this as one report earned 7, one – 6 and the rest was marked with 5 points. From the three companies from our sample frontrunner is Astarta Holding. Astarta Holding excels in materiality relevance (4 points) and is the only company assured its sustainability report. Authors find that the engagement strategy of the companies being analyzed mostly consists of action intended to inform (level 1) as well as consult and support stakeholders (level 2), whilst deep involvement strategy (level 3) is being almost neglected. In regards to focus, we find that the most cited stakeholders in engagement actions are on level 1 employees, consumers and suppliers. Consumers also alongside authorities and local communities are the most cited stakeholders on the level of response strategy, whereas the authorities are the single stakeholders' group being honoured to be treated on the highest third level. The authors’ general impression is that for the most part legitimacy theory is the best theory to explain the behaviour of compilers of reports from the sample because mostly management uses rhetorical tools to cover its activities, while the reporting itself lacks specifics about negative externalities. For authors, it looks like an exercise in self-legitimization. It appears that the companies studied has not yet fully performed the transfer from ‘stakeholder management’ to ‘stakeholder engagement’. It is the authors’ understanding that all this has roots in the very perverted perception of sustainability reporting as a continuation of financial reporting although it is not. In financial reporting, materiality is defined internally as a percentage of some indicators in the balance sheet and/or statement of financial performance, in sustainable reporting, materiality is not only important in the assurance, but it is a cornerstone in the preparation of SR itself.
 Originality / scientific novelty. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first that extends the analysis the stakeholders’ engagement in the sustainability reporting to the Ukrainian agricultural companies, thus shedding some light on that unexplored (underexplored) practice. 
 Practical value / implications. First, sustainability reporting practices in Ukraine is in its infancy, and therefore any shortcomings identified will be a guide to action to adjust these approaches in the future. Secondly, our analysis can also be seen as the dissemination of best practices. The companies we have chosen are pioneers in this matter, so they can at the same time be considered as role models for others, but taking into account the experience gained by them. Besides, in addition to companies, our findings can be useful for regulators and public authorities alike in terms of adjusting the approach to regulating this area.

Identification and selection of stakeholder engagement strategies: case study of an Iranian oil and gas construction project

Despite emphasizing the great importance of stakeholder management, there is a gap in applying a decision support system to adopt sustainable strategies for stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution especially in oil and gas projects. This paper presents a new framework for adopting the strategies in one of the largest oil and gas projects in Iran. In this proposed framework, firstly, the hybrid SWOT analysis and fuzzy Delphi method are used to identify and rank the sustainable stakeholder engagement strategies for managing conflicts. Then, a mathematical programming model was proposed to select the optimal strategies to maximize stakeholder engagement. The findings indicate that the results of the hybrid SWOT analysis and fuzzy Delphi method and the mathematical programming model are the same and the high ranked strategies obtained by the hybrid SWOT analysis and fuzzy Delphi method are selected in the proposed mathematical programming model as well. Also, each selected strategy can cover more than one conflict and improve stakeholder engagement.

Integrated knowledge translation to strengthen public policy research: a case study from experimental research on income assistance receipt among people who use drugs

BackgroundSolutions to complex public health issues should be informed by scientific evidence, yet there are important differences between policy and research processes that make this relationship challenging. Integrated knowledge translation (IKT) is a strategy of sustained stakeholder engagement that intends to address barriers to evidence use. We highlight an example of an IKT project alongside a randomized controlled trial of a public policy intervention that tested different disbursement patterns of income assistance among people who use drugs in Vancouver, British Columbia.MethodsA case study design was used where an IKT strategy led by a knowledge broker embedded within the research team acts as the case. This case study evaluates the process and effectiveness of the integrated knowledge translation project by measuring intermediate outcomes within a Theory of Change created to map pathways to impact. Content analysis was performed using an evaluation template through document review, post-event evaluations, and detailed tracking of media, knowledge translation activities and requests for information.ResultsA host of knowledge translation products synthesized existing research about the harms of synchronized income assistance disbursement and supported stakeholder engagement, facilitating conversation, relationship building and trust with stakeholders. Engagement improved knowledge of the contextual feasibility for system change, and contributed experiential knowledge to study findings. A combination of access to information and stakeholder and media engagement led to increased acknowledgement of the issue by policy makers directly involved in the income assistance system.ConclusionsThis project shows how a multipronged approach to IKT addressed barriers to evidence-informed public policy and successfully contributed to increased public discourse around income assistance policy reform. Additionally, sustained engagement with diverse stakeholders led to improved contextual knowledge and understanding of potential community level impacts that, along with scientific results, improved the evidence available to inform system change. This case study provides insight into the role IKT can play alongside research aimed at public policy improvements.Trial registrationThis IKT project was embedded within the study titled: The impact of Alternative Social Assistance Disbursement on Drug-Related Harm (TASA), known as Cheque Day Study, registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02457949) May 29, 2015.

Integrated phytomanagement of a carbon tetrachloride-contaminated site in Murdock, Nebraska (USA)

The application of a large-scale ( ca . 59,000 m 2 ) integrated phytomanagement system at a carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 )-impacted site at Murdock, Nebraska, USA, was assessed in terms of its effectiveness in mitigating site risk, and realizing wider social and environmental benefits. Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs) concentrations (including CCl 4 ) measured in surface water, groundwater, air and vegetation samples show that the Murdock system has achieved effective risk management over the 10+ year period since its implementation, with the phytomanagement component of the remediation system (consisting of a mixed stand of dominantly Niobe willow ( Salix x ‘Niobe’ ) and Eastern Cottonwood ( Populus deltoides )) removing 300g–600g of CCl 4 annually. Eastern Cottonwood played an increasing role in CCl 4 removal over time, from 55% of the total mass removal in 2008 to 69% in 2014. Using a site design focused on enhancement of the social and physical environment, in addition to risk mitigation, has enabled realization of a range of wider social and environmental benefits, which include carbon sequestration of ca. 77 tons CO 2 /ha/y, and educational and recreational benefits. The phytomanagement system applied at Murdock has incurred significant installation, and on-going monitoring and maintenance, effort and costs (exceeding $1.5 million) highlighting the importance of (a) sustained stakeholder engagement to ensure continued local community support, and (b) effective site design to realize as full a range of core (i.e. risk mitigation) and wider benefits as possible, to increase the overall value proposition of such schemes. • Large-scale phytomanagement was successfully applied at a CCl 4 -impacted site. • Effective risk management has been achieved over the 10+ years since implementation. • Ca. 300g–600g CCl 4 has been removed annually via plant uptake and translocation. • Effective design can realize significant socio-economic and environmental benefit.

Challenges and Trends in Sustainable Corporate Finance: A Bibliometric Systematic Review

Sustainable corporate finance is an attractive field of study in sustainability literature; however, the literature lacks systematic bibliometric analysis that provides a comprehensive review to clarify state-of-the-art sustainable corporate finance and that discusses new opportunities and potential instructions for further studies. To address this gap, this study adopts a literature review, bibliometric analysis, network analysis and co-wording technique to systematically investigate the Scopus database. In total, 30 keywords listed at least three times are used and are divided into six clusters considering six fields of research, namely, corporate finance in corporate sustainability, sustainable competitive advantages, sustainable stakeholder engagement, circular economy, sustainable corporate finance innovation and risk management and sustainable supply chain ethics. This study contributes to examining the sustainable corporate finance bibliometric status to provide directions for future studies and practical accomplishment. The sustainable corporate finance knowledge gaps are (1) corporate finance in sustainability; (2) sustainable competitive advantages; (3) sustainable stakeholder engagement; (4) circular economy; (5) sustainable corporate finance innovation and risk management; and (6) sustainable supply chain ethics. The knowledge gaps and future directions are also discussed.

Stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting: A classification model

AbstractThis study presents analysis criteria used to identify and classify the level of engagement between firms and stakeholders. We analyzed 119 sustainability reports disclosed by companies operating in the energy sector from 40 different countries. Our study adopted the following stakeholder engagement classification levels: information strategy, response strategy, and involvement strategy. The results show that, although strategic involvement actions are at a high quality level, they are the least adopted by the companies studied, which concentrate their engagement actions at the least complex levels. Our contribution is to propose a matrix of engagement strategies as a tool that is formed by nine strategic quadrants, providing clear differentiation between engagement strategies that can be used to improve sustainability reports and to rethink the quality and focus of actions with stakeholders.

Emergency Care Connect: Extending Pediatric Emergency Care Expertise to General Emergency Departments Through Telemedicine.

Increasingly, children with common and lower-acuity conditions are being transferred from general emergency departments (EDs) to pediatric centers for subspecialty care. While transferring children with high-risk conditions has benefit, transferring children with common conditions may expose them to redundant care and added costs. Emergency Care Connect (ECC) is a novel telemedicine program that uses videoconferencing to connect general ED and urgent care providers to pediatric emergency medicine physicians with the goal of keeping children in their communities for definitive care, when safe and feasible. ECC objectives are to: 1) facilitate transfer decision-making for children receiving care in general ED and urgent care sites and 2) increase access to pediatric providers for real-time management, regardless of disposition. In its first 20 months, ECC partnered with 4 general EDs and 1 urgent care location, which together made 1327 contacts with our pediatric center, of which 202 (15%) became ECC consultations for 200 unique patients. Of those consultations, 71% patients remained locally for treatment and 25% experienced a care plan change. Overall, ECC was rated highly by surveyed families and providers. Barriers to implementation, such as lack of familiarity with telemedicine and fears of changes in workflow, were overcome with strong institutional support and frequent, sustained stakeholder engagement. With greater adoption of this model, ECC and programs like it have the potential to allow more children to be treated in their communities, minimize preventable transfers, and reserve beds in children's hospitals for those with potentially higher risk and more medically complex conditions.

Planning for sustainable stakeholder engagement based on the assessment of conflicting interests in projects

Abstract The absence or lack of effective stakeholder engagement during project life cycle, especially at the earlier stages of planning and implementation often negatively impacts the expected performance of projects. These coupled consequences of the lack of contextual knowledge from the stakeholders as well as lack of their support in the field necessitates effective stakeholder engagement. However, this integration faces challenges such as limitations of project resources and conflicting interests of the stakeholders. In this sense, project resources can be allocated based on the priorities of the fields of conflicts to facilitate stakeholder engagement of the projects. The goal of this paper is to provide a framework to enhance effectiveness of the stakeholder engagement in projects by systematically ranking the potential conflicts while combining the viewpoints of stakeholders and project management team. For this purpose, we draw on stakeholder theory, value-based management, matrix-based dependency modeling, and Total Quality Management to develop a stakeholder engagement framework while considering fuzzy inputs for reflecting the ambiguities at the project life cycle. The proposed approach is then applied to plan stakeholder engagement in case of a green building project in Iran. Practically, application of the proposed framework facilitates stakeholder engagement for project managers in line with sustainable goals through early assessment of the fields of potential conflicts of interests.

Stakeholder Engagement in Sustainability Reporting: Evidence of Reputation Risk Management in Large Australian Companies

AbstractThe objective of this research is to examine whether stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting constitutes the process of managing reputational risk. This research utilises Shrives and Brennan's (2017) framework of rhetorical strategies of non‐compliance to obtain empirical evidence of reputation risk management (RRM) in the context of stakeholder engagement in sustainability reporting. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis was undertaken on 154 sustainability disclosures in both the annual and sustainability reports of large Australian companies. This research finds that large Australian companies engage with their stakeholders to manage reputational risk: to increase market share and pre‐empt social issues. It is evident that large Australian companies use several forms of rhetorical statements in their sustainability disclosures with respect to RRM. However, there is no evidence that they shirk their responsibilities.

Stakeholder Engagement in Late-Stage Translation Phase 4 Research for Noncommunicable Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: What Works and Why—The Vietnam Experience (UMMS–Vietnam Team)

BackgroundStakeholder engagement is crucial for conducting high-quality implementation research as well as for the incorporation and adoption of health interventions and policies in the community. ObjectivesThis study sought to build a mutually rewarding collaboration between stakeholders in Vietnam and investigators in the United States. MethodsA collaboration was established between investigators from several institutions in Vietnam and the University of Massachusetts Medical School that was built on mutual trust, cross-cultural learning, and shared experiences. This collaborative arrangement has led to sustainable stakeholder engagement in Vietnam. We formed a multidisciplinary transnational research team and maintained regular contact both online and in person. We also conducted a needs assessment study, in which several focus group discussions and in-depth interviews of stakeholders in Vietnam were carried out. ResultsThe formal collaboration between investigators in Vietnam and the University of Massachusetts Medical School began in 2011 and has strengthened over time. The U.S. team provided expertise in study and intervention design, data collection and analysis, and trial implementation, whereas the team in Vietnam brought a deep understanding of local health care delivery systems and expertise in the delivery of health care interventions at the grassroots level. Our initial partnership has now grown to include committed individuals at the government, academic, and community levels including the Vietnam Ministry of Health, key governmental and nongovernmental research institutions and agencies, medical and public health universities, and communities in rural settings. The needs assessment study found that there are important gaps in the delivery of hypertension management practices in many rural communities in Vietnam and that stakeholders are fully engaged in our ongoing, community-based, hypertension-control project. ConclusionsMultiple layers of stakeholders and communities in Vietnam are fully engaged with, and have contributed significantly to, our ongoing hypertension control research project in Northern Vietnam.