Stakeholder Relationships Research Articles

Sustainable Business Strategies: Exploring the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility and Virtual Reality in Enhancing Brand Value

This study explores the intersection of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in developing sustainable business strategies that enhance brand value. Employing a qualitative research methodology through a comprehensive literature review and library research, the paper investigates how CSR initiatives, when integrated with immersive VR technologies, contribute to long-term brand equity and consumer engagement. The research highlights CSR's evolving role in aligning corporate activities with social and environmental goals, which not only strengthens stakeholder relationships but also increases brand loyalty. In parallel, VR technologies are gaining traction in marketing and brand communication, offering immersive experiences that create deeper emotional connections with consumers. The study analyzes recent case studies and academic discussions, illustrating how VR can enhance CSR's impact by making initiatives more accessible and engaging to a broader audience. This synergy between CSR and VR not only fosters a stronger brand identity but also provides a competitive advantage by differentiating brands in an increasingly socially conscious marketplace. The findings suggest that businesses leveraging CSR strategies alongside VR can cultivate a sustainable brand narrative that resonates with both customers and stakeholders, thereby improving overall brand value and driving sustainable growth. Future research is encouraged to further examine specific industries where these strategies can be most effectively implemented.

Exploring the Interaction and Impact of Green Building Design on People and Space

Abstract: With the progress and development of society, people's living standards improve at the same time, environmental pollution and resource shortages environmental problems also come. Construction engineering is one of the largest energy-consuming industries in China, and the implementation of a sustainable development strategy has become a top priority. Therefore, the state put forward the concept of greening and sustainable development, and green building has become a mainstream design concept. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate on the principles and design points of green building design and to study and discuss the application cases of green building design. Analyze the interaction and impact of green building design on people and space by analyzing the effects and impacts of the implementation of different designs in green building design cases, including focusing on siting design, ventilation design, energy efficiency design, recyclable design, plant design, and lighting design. Summarise the importance of applying green building design concepts and effective designs that have a positive impact on people. The results of the study can provide practical suggestions on improving the sustainability and eco-friendliness of green buildings for green building design stakeholders, such as architects, policymakers, and related stakeholders, and this study has certain reference values and significance.

Sholawat Tradition and Conflict Resolution: A Case Study of the Kotarindau Pilgrimage Council in Sigi Regency

This research aims to explore the role of religion in dealing with inter-village conflicts through a case study at the Kotarindau Village Pilgrimage Council, Dolo District. Through a qualitative approach, this research will explore various activities carried out by the Pilgrimage Council and the role of religion in overcoming and preventing conflicts that may arise between villages in Dolo District. The research methods used include participatory observation, in-depth interviews with members of the Pilgrimage Council and related stakeholders, and analysis of documents related to activities and conflicts. The Pilgrimage Council creates a safe and loving space through religious activities such as congregational prayers, religious studies, and pilgrimages to the graves of predecessors. This deepens people's spirituality and builds soul strength to maintain daily harmony. This research also suggests further research regarding the Kotarindau Pilgrimage Council, especially in comprehensive documentation and understanding of programs such as the celebration of the Majlis's Milad, the Prophet's birthday, pilgrimages to the graves of respected elders, as well as socio-religious activities such as the Pilgrimage Council's contribution to people with disabilities. In Sigi Regency, this could be the focus of future research at the Pilgrimage Council.

Who champions environmental sustainability? A stakeholder’s analysis of public assembly venues

PurposeDespite an abundance of literature regarding the motivations of sport and entertainment managers to adopt environmentally sustainable practices (ESPs) within their venue, there is little offered on which particular stakeholders motivate such action. This study examined the venues which host such events to identify the stakeholders who influence the adoption of ESPs, their specific roles and to highlight salient stakeholders who primarily motivate ESP adoption.Design/methodology/approachGuided by stakeholder theory as a framework for analysis, a qualitative study was employed which consisted of sixteen semi-structured interviews with venue personnel including presidents, general managers, operations directions and recycling coordinators. Participants were asked to discuss their venue’s management structure, stakeholder relations and ESPs.FindingsInternal stakeholders – particularly ownership and operations personnel – were salient stakeholders motivating ESP adoption, but the most unique stakeholder identified was that of a motivated “doer” from no particular role who simply possessed the power, legitimacy and urgency to act on ESPs. Thus, there was no single, identifiable stakeholder role to champion ESPs so much as there was a motivated, normatively legitimate stakeholder who wanted to be that champion.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the growing sport ecology literature and is the first to present the idea of a non-particular, doer stakeholder to champion ESPs within this industry rather than one with a more defined role within organizational structure.

Dr. Meena and mission maternal health: building allies in the government hospital

Research methodology The case study is based on field data, including in-depth semi-structured interviews with the main protagonist and related stakeholders of a large government hospital in Western India. After informed consent, the interviews with the stakeholders were conducted, transcribed and analyzed verbatim. In addition, secondary data from policy reports, newspaper articles and government websites was used to create the case. Since the protagonist works in the government system, her identity and other identifying information are disguised to maintain confidentiality. Case overview/synopsis The case study investigates the leadership challenges in a healthcare facility/hospital in public health. It traces the evolution of Dr Meena Sharma (Dr Meena), a leader in the government hospital ecosystem facing challenges such as infrastructural deficiencies, manpower deficit, healthcare bureaucracy and heavy patient load. This first-generation medical practitioner who transitioned from a private practice to a governmental one juggles balancing her demanding clinical practice, administrative responsibilities and teaching in the government hospital with her family responsibilities setup. However, in the wake of the upcoming LaQshya – Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, she strives to put together and motivate her team to work toward improving the quality of care during delivery and the immediate postpartum period at her hospital. Various issues arise in the organizational leadership for a woman leader such as adopting appropriate leadership style and using appropriate motivation and communication strategies for optimal performance. Complexity academic level The case study is aimed at teaching/training a) departmental heads of public and private hospitals, b) health program managers at higher and middle-level leadership roles, c) health policymakers at various levels in the government and other organizations and d) graduate and postgraduate students of public health, hospital management/administration. In addition to this, it can also be used for general management programs to teach organizational behavior, communication and leadership courses.

Seeing the Whole Together Through Relational Mapping: A Method for Engaging in Complex Systems Change

Complex global challenges cut across organizational and sectoral boundaries, increasing calls for holistic responses. Seeing the whole across diverse stakeholders is challenging for participants in complex systems, yet doing so is essential for engaging effectively in systems change. A promising new method known as relational mapping, based on relational coordination theory, has been used to facilitate complex systems change. Here, we propose that relational mapping can be applied to help participants (1) see the whole in relation to the parts, (2) share their explicit and tacit knowledge, (3) engage in dialogue across distinct perspectives supported by the map as a boundary object, (4) reduce the impact of power differences, and (5) prepare to co-design interventions from multiple perspectives. This paper presents an illustrative case of relational mapping in the context of public administration in a South Carolina community engaging in complex systems change. Our analysis suggests a set of boundary conditions for the success of relational mapping, including the willingness of participants to seek integrative solutions to a conflict or problem and facilitation that is attentive to differential power and status among stakeholders. We conclude that relational mapping is a powerful, theoretically grounded method that enables the visual assessment of multi-level stakeholder relationships, preparing participants to engage in complex systems change and then present a template for use of relational mapping more broadly.

A Profit Cap is not yet a General Moral Duty for Companies: A Corporate Social Contract Perspective

AbstractIn both the literature and practice, it has been advocated that companies should have a profit cap. Utilizing corporate social contract theory, this article posits that under at least three conditions, companies do not have a general moral duty to cap their profits. These conditions entail that a company adheres to the contracting principles of its stakeholder relationships, that the constitutive stakeholders of the company have not otherwise stipulated in the corporate social contract, and that the macrosocial contract does not prescribe otherwise to the company. The first two conditions are company-specific and hence do not constitute a generic moral imperative, and there is currently insufficient evidence for the third, generic condition.

Collaborative Pentahelix Model In Overcoming Stunting Anomalous Increase In Stunting Rate In Bengkulu Province

Stunting is a national problem that is still a concern because it relates to the nutritional condition of toddlers as the nation's next generation. The Bengkulu Province Government launched the Pentahelix collaboration involving five elements: academia, business, communities, government, and media, to reduce stunting rates. This study aims to identify, describe, and analyze the collaboration of the pentahelix model in accelerating the reduction of stunting in Bengkulu Regency. The type of research used in this research is descriptive qualitative with data collection techniques through interviews, observation, and documentation. The data analysis technique consists of four analysis components: data collection, data condensation, data presentation, and drawing conclusions or verification. Based on the research results, the five pentahelix elements contribute according to their respective functions. The implementation of collaboration is Several elements in Pentahelix still have obstacles in terms of implementing collaboration between related stakeholders. So, the advice that can be given for implementing this collaboration is that the TJSL Forum as a business element is expected to immediately contribute to the stunting problem in Bengkulu Province. As part of the pentahelix, the community is expected to play a more active role in becoming cadre members to minimize delays in data collection and management. Social media should be improved for consistency in posting health content about stunting.

Anthropogenic nitrogen accumulation potential of Okinawa mangroves in Japan

The extent of the stable nitrogen (N) isotope ratio (δ15N) of mangrove leaves reflects the anthropogenic N accumulation potential of mangroves. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the N accumulation potential of Okinawa mangroves in Japan using three ecological indicators from four mangrove watersheds. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration in mangrove creeks, the leaf δ15N and the soil δ15N are considered immediate indicators, short-term indicators, and long-term indicators, respectively. The four mangrove watersheds are classified into two groups, human-affected and forested mangroves, based on the relative land use ratio (%) of the watersheds. The observed values of the ecological indicators were subsequently compared between two groups of watersheds to determine the relative ecosystem conditions. The results showed that both the leaf δ15N (0 to 9 ‰) and the soil δ15N (1.5 to 8.0 ‰) values are significantly greater in human-affected mangroves than in forested mangroves. The DIN of creek water samples does not indicate an immediate risk of excess N input from human perturbation in mangroves. However, the significant relationships among the indicators reflect the anthropogenic N accumulation potential of mangroves in Okinawa, Japan. These findings are highly important, especially for policymakers, environmentalists, and related stakeholders, for initiating conservation and management practices for mangroves. Controlled, limited, and/or restricted human perturbation; proper management of municipal wastes; and planned use of agrochemicals upon necessity may help reduce anthropogenic N inputs in mangrove ecosystems in Okinawa.

Female chief financial officers (CFOs) and environmental decoupling. The moderating impact of sustainability board committees

AbstractThis study analyses the link between chief financial officer (CFO) gender and environmental decoupling. Moreover, the moderator effect of sustainability board committees is tested. Based on upper echelons theory, a sample of listed firms headquartered in the European Union (2312 firm‐year observations) from the business years 2017–22 is used. In line with the theoretical framework and based on correlation and regression analyses, CFO gender is significantly and negatively linked with environmental decoupling. The existence of sustainability board committees strengthens this relationship. The results are robust to various robustness tests and endogeneity checks. This study contributes to the increasing research activity on the influence of corporate governance on environmental decoupling. Future research should analyze specific environmental decoupling dimensions and the impact of other CFO characteristics (e.g., expertise) on environmental decoupling. Regarding the stakeholder concerns on corporate environmental decoupling in recent years, firms should increase the quality of their environmental reports to build up increased stakeholder relations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical study on the relationship between CFO gender and corporate environmental decoupling. Moreover, the moderator effect of sustainability board committees is included as an innovative complementary driver.

Adapting International Business Models for EU Projects: Macro- and Micro-Foundations of the Uppsala Model in Multinational Collaborations

This study examines the adaptation of the Uppsala Model to enhance the management of European Union (EU)-funded projects, particularly focusing on the macro- and micro-foundational elements of the model. The Uppsala Model, originally developed for firm-level internationalization, provides a valuable framework for addressing the complex challenges of EU project implementation, which include bureaucratic hurdles, diverse stakeholder management, and the intricacies of European integration. This paper highlights the persistent issues faced by project managers despite improved application processes and skilled beneficiaries. By applying the Uppsala Model, which emphasizes incremental knowledge development and resource commitment, this study aims to bridge the gap between fund acquisition and project delivery. The integration of both macro- (broad external factors) and micro- (individual and organizational behaviors) perspectives of the Uppsala Model offers a comprehensive approach to managing international, multi-stakeholder EU initiatives. This approach is exemplified through the SuMaNu project, which addresses nutrient recycling and sustainable manure management in the Baltic Sea Region. The findings suggest that the Uppsala Model’s principles can be effectively applied to enhance the execution of complex EU projects by fostering better stakeholder relationships, incremental learning, and adaptive strategies. This study underscores the relevance of experiential learning and network perspectives in achieving successful project outcomes in the EU context.

Ethical Ramifications of the Dark Side of Business Practices in the International Business Area

ABSTRACTThe dark side of international business practices has attracted significant research attention recently. However, researchers are struggling to delve into the ethical ramifications of these practices because of a limited understanding of ethical and digital transformation issues in international business, which may be caused, inter alia, by sociocultural and market disparities, lack of regulatory frameworks, information asymmetries, data ubiquity, and power imbalance among key stakeholders. This paper addresses this important gap through four key themes—ethical considerations, data processing issues, legal considerations, and managerial contingencies. We discuss how to step forward in research on ethics in international business, assessing potential risks associated with privacy concerns, big data, cybersecurity, content analysis, stakeholder relationships, and discriminatory outcomes. Finally, we propose a research agenda and recommendations to address the ethical challenges and dilemmas international businesses face due to disruptive technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence) and cross‐market challenges (e.g., legal jurisdictions).

PROGRESS: A Patient-centered Engagement Infrastructure and Multi-level Approach to Enrich Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in a National Randomized Online Behavioral Pain Treatment Study

Twenty percent of individuals experience chronic pain worldwide posing significant challenges to those living with it. Pain research is crucial for developing and characterizing effective strategies to reduce the burden of chronic pain. Traditional research approaches often yield homogeneous study samples that poorly generalize and have unknown applicability across diverse patient populations. The Pain Relief with Online Groups that Empower Skills-based Symptom Reduction (PROGRESS) study aims to address disparities in pain research engagement and patient outcomes through the intentional inclusion of people with varied backgrounds and experiences of pain, and through a multilevel design informed by diverse stakeholder recommendations. The composition of three advisory boards (Patient Engagement and Diversity Board, Local Patient Advisory Board, and the National Patient Advisory Panel) prioritized diversity in patient/expert advisor background, geographic location, race, and ethnicity. Our engagement approach aligns with the Foundational Expectations for Partnerships in Research by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), which emphasizes diverse representation, early and ongoing engagement, dedicated funds for advisor compensation, collaborative decision making, meaningful participation, and continuous assessment. The first 24 months of study advisor engagement has yielded multiple recruitment strategies resulting in a study population enriched with a breadth of identities within PROGRESS (e.g., inclusive patient-facing materials). Lessons learned underscore the importance of investing time in building patient and stakeholder relationships, trust, and embracing diverse viewpoints amongst the study team. PROGRESS demonstrates the potential of diverse patient-centered engagement to support evidence-based outcomes and practices that are more inclusive, equitable, and representative of the broader population. PerspectiveThe PROGRESS study demonstrates how diverse patient engagement and inclusive advisory boards enhance research outcomes. By aligning with PCORI standards and employing innovative recruitment strategies, it highlights the vital role of stakeholder relationships and diverse perspectives. Key lessons learned emphasize adaptive strategies and continuous feedback for advancing equitable pain research.

Developing a Motion Sensor-Based Game to Support Frozen Shoulder Rehabilitation in Older Adults through a Participatory Design Approach.

Objective: Although some serious games have been developed for physical therapy, little work has been conducted through a participatory design approach. Therefore, a game prototype was developed, which involved related stakeholders in the design process. Materials and Methods: The iterative participatory design process was adopted with the input of 18 patients with frozen shoulder symptoms, 4 health professionals, 2 game designers, and 5 researchers in an iterative process to design, test, and evaluate the game prototype. In total, 17 patients participated in the interviews to explore their needs and desires for a serious game. The health professionals participated in the interviews to understand the medical requirement and experience pertaining to frozen shoulder and were included in the workshop to give feedback on the game prototype. At the conclusion of the iterative design process, a Kinect-based prototype game with three levels was used for a case study with one patient who was diagnosed with frozen shoulder and has been receiving medical treatment in the hospital. Results: Based on the outcomes derived from data collected among diverse stakeholders, the prototype game underwent iterative development by the team and was assessed by a participant with frozen shoulder symptoms. Findings revealed that the participant demonstrated enhanced shoulder mobility and a reduction in pain intensity, despite the lack of significant improvement for health-related quality of life. Nevertheless, the participant reported a positive experience with the prototype game. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of involving diverse stakeholders in the development process to create more effective and user-centric serious games for rehabilitation. The participatory approach, exemplified by the prototype game, demonstrates potential improvements in both user experience and overall effectiveness during the rehabilitation process.

PROPERTY PURCHASE: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING BY FIRST HOUSE BUYERS IN MALAYSIA DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC (YEAR 2020-2022)

This article intended to identify issues and challenges facing by first house buyers when they are buying first house in Malaysia. Theresults from this article can provide insights to related stakeholders in helping first house buyers to come up with better policies. Withthe development of the economy, housing prices are still unaffordable and are gradually rising every year. However, household income has not increased accordingly, which is the main problem affecting Malaysians’ difficulty in affording a house. Previously the Malaysian homeownership rate is already declining due to the expensive house price where the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a severe downturn to Malaysia, especially the housing market which has been affected poorly. This article adopted quantitative research method where the primary data was collected through questionnaire surveys. The sample size was determined by referring to Krejcie and Morgan method. The questionnaires are distributed through internet platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp to collect more responses as online survey brings convenience to respondents. 155 responds were collected from the respondents. From the results, unstable financial positions, unemployment rate, difficulty in obtaining loans, and location factors are the first house buyers’ main issues and challenges. These factors required intervention from the government to save the economy through several policies. Since majority of first house buyers are not familiar with the issues and challenges that they need to consider before making the decision to purchase their first house, this article’s outcomes help first house buyers to do decisions by discussing the issues and challenges that need to be considered. Furthermore, the outcomes can be referred to once the first house buyers encounter similar situations as the results can be used as guidance to help them to understand the problems.

The Influence of the PERMA Model on EMP Students’ English Speaking Performance

Despite gaining great concerns in English language teaching (ELT), students’ wellbeing and the role of the Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning in life and Accomplishment (PERMA) model has not been thoroughly explored in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and especially English for Medical Purposes (EMP). In Vietnam, the PERMA model has also been understudied, especially in ELT. These gaps trigger this study to examine the increased importance of student wellbeing in academic settings, with a particular focus on English learning and speaking performance. Conducted at a university of Medicine and Pharmacy in the Mekong Delta, the mixed-methods research involved 675 students who completed a questionnaire via Google Forms and five volunteers who attended face-to-face interviews to provide triangulated data. The sampling technique and data analysis methods used in the study included the convenience sampling technique, the Descriptive analysis of the SPSS version 22, and the thematic analysis. The results show that the PERMA model has a moderate to high impact on EMP students’ speaking performance. The aspects of the PERMA model were ranked in order of influence as follows: Accomplishment, Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationship, and Meaning in life. Based on these findings, it is recommended that EMP lecturers and ELT teachers integrate this model into their teaching methods for English speaking. These findings will inform the development of PERMA-based learning activities in future EMP English speaking lessons, supporting a larger ongoing project. Recommendations for further studies and related stakeholders were also made.

The Relationship between Sustainable Development and Organizational Performance of SMEs in Guangdong Province, China

This study investigates the impact of sustainable development on the organizational performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Guangdong Province, China, focusing on three dimensions: economic, social, and environmental sustainability. A quantitative research approach was adopted, utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with data collected from 371 SMEs in Guangdong Province. The analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0 to test the proposed hypotheses. The results indicate that all three dimensions of sustainable development positively influence organizational performance. Economic sustainability enhances financial performance and competitiveness, social sustainability improves employee engagement and stakeholder relationships, and environmental sustainability reduces operational costs and enhances market reputation. The cross-sectional nature of the study limits the ability to infer causality. Future research should consider longitudinal studies and explore the impact of sustainable development across different regions and industries. SME managers should integrate sustainable practices into their business strategies to improve organizational performance. Policymakers are encouraged to create supportive environments and incentives for SMEs to adopt sustainability practices. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the positive impact of sustainable development on SME performance in the context of a rapidly developing region. It also extends the application of Dynamic Capability Theory to sustainability practices within SMEs.

Does agricultural knowledge technical training promote adoption of sustainable agricultural practices?

ABSTRACT The promotion and adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is an important issue in China’s agricultural development policy, particularly because it offers a path to protecting land and water resources to ensure food security. Despite tremendous efforts in encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs), adoption has remained low. The lack of relevant information on the use and benefits of these SAPs has been recognized as a major constraint limiting their adoption. Agricultural knowledge and technology training (AKT) could be leveraged to bridge this gap to increase their adoption. Given the paucity of evidence, this study investigates the impact of participation in AKT on SAPs using data on a sample of farmers from Sichuan province of China. We apply the Endogenous-treatment Poisson regression to account for sample selection bias. The empirical results reveal that AKT improved the adoption intensity of SAPs by 74.6%, indicating that policy makers and related stakeholders should provide more agricultural schooling and training to improve farmers’ human capital endowment. These findings have implication on the provision of support for the development of rural policies to promote internet access and basic infrastructure to accelerate the adoption of these multiple sustainable practices.

Adaptive Stakeholder Management in Social Startups

This research examines the implementation and outcomes of stakeholder relationship management (SRM) strategies in social startups, focusing on Indonesia's Social Organization Matchmaking program. Conducting by a qualitative approach, this study explores how the Outreach Campaign team designed and implemented SRM strategies to engage diverse Organizations within a resource-constrained, emerging market context. The findings highlight a multifaceted SRM approach encompassing strategic communication, personalized engagement, value co-creation, and digital interaction. This adaptive strategy significantly enhanced program outcomes, including a higher success rate in matching Organizations with sponsors, increased retention, and overall satisfaction. Key factors contributing to effective SRM were identified, such as fostering trust through transparent communication, cultivating commitment through shared value creation, and balancing digital and traditional engagement methods. Contextual factors, including cultural norms, economic realities, technological infrastructure, and regulatory environment, shaped SRM strategies.

Corporate social responsibility and external disruptions

We propose that corporate social responsibility (CSR) investment serves as an intangible investment in stakeholder relationships to guard against external disruptions to firms' operations and tangible assets. Using a difference-in-differences setting and a database of factory locations, we show that manufacturing firms with higher CSR ratings are much less affected by major natural disasters in terms of operating performance. We then propose two mechanisms through which CSR engagement shields manufacturing firms against external disruptions: employee motivation and customer loyalty. Empirical evidence suggests that CSR helps manufacturing firms survive major natural disasters by motivating employees, which leads to higher post-disaster productivity, and keeping customers, which leads to more stable post-disaster sales.