Research summary: The efforts of multinational corporations to be socially responsible do not always engender positive evaluations from overseas stakeholders. Drawing on attribution theory, we argue ...that two heuristics guide stakeholders in evaluating firms' social performance: foreignness and the valence of firms' social responsibility. We provide evidence from afield study of secondary stakeholders and an experimental study involving 129 non-governmental organizations. Consistent with attribution theory, the liability of foreignness is minimized when firms engage in "do-good" social responsibility (focused on proactive engagement creating positive externalities) but is substantial when firms engage in "'do-no-harm" social responsibility (focused on attenuating negative externalities). In online supporting information, Appendix S1, we demonstrate that these evaluations have consequences for whether stakeholders subsequently cooperate, or sow conflict, with firms. Managerial summary: There is no guarantee that efforts to be socially responsible will improve multinational corporations' relations with overseas stakeholders, such as customers, governments, and activists. In afield study and an experiment, we unpack when foreign firms suffer from harsh stakeholder evaluations. Foreign firms especially suffer from harsh evaluations when they conduct "do-no-harm" CSR rather than "do-good" CSR. Stakeholders attribute the motive for foreign firms' do-no-harm CSR to managerial interests and shareholder pressures, perceiving a wedge between managers and owners (who may be unmotivated to reduce the negative impacts of their business activities) and local stakeholders (who bear the social costs). A practical implication is that foreign firms gain more from highlighting do-good rather than do-(no)-harm CSR initiatives.
Despite growing engagements between firms and nonmarket stakeholders—such as local communities and nongovernmental organizations —research has yet to examine the emergence of formal contracts between ...them. Given that a very large number of such contracts are theoretically possible but only a small number exist, we seek to understand what factors explain the use of contracts to govern some relationships between firms and nonmarket stakeholders but not others. We draw on transaction cost economics to study transactions wherein a nonmarket stakeholder provides a firm access to a valuable resource and to understand when these transactions are governed by formal contracts. We propose that, when a firm makes site-specific investments, a stakeholder’s use rights to the resource sought by the firm, the negative externalities generated by its use, and the stakeholder’s capacity for collective mobilization increase holdup risk for the firm and therefore the probability of a contract. We collect novel data on the location of indigenous communities and mines in Canada to identify a plausible exhaustive set of indigenous communities “at risk” of signing a contract with a mining firm. We test our hypotheses by relying, respectively, on historically assigned property rights over lands, the mine-community colocation in a watershed and proximity on transportation routes, and archival records of community mobilization events. We find support for our propositions by examining which of the 5,342 dyads formed by 459 indigenous communities and 98 firms signed 259 contracts between 1999 and 2013.
Many nature conservation projects fail primarily not because of a lack of knowledge about upcoming threats or viable conservation concepts but rather because of the inability to transfer knowledge ...into the creation of effective measures. Therefore, an increase in information exchange and collaboration between theory- and practice-oriented conservation actors, as well as between conservation actors, land user groups, and authorities may enhance the effectiveness of conservation goals. By considering the interactions between conservation stakeholders as social networks, social network analysis (SNA) can help identify structural optimization potential in these networks. The present study combines SNA and stakeholder analysis (SA) to assess the interactions between 34 conservation stakeholders in the major city and district of Osnabrück in northwestern Germany and offers insights into cost/benefit optimizations of these stakeholder interactions. Data were acquired using a pile sort technique and guideline-based expert interviews. The SA, based on knowledge mapping and SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, identified individual stakeholder’s complementary properties, indicating which among them would most benefit from mutual information exchange and collaboration. The SNA revealed discrepancies in information exchange and collaboration between theory- and practice-focused stakeholders. Conflicts were found predominantly between conservation associations, authorities and land user groups. Ecological research, funding, land-use conflicts, and distribution of conservation knowledge were identified as fields with high potential for increased information exchange and collaboration. Interviews also showed that the stakeholders themselves see many opportunities for increased networking in the region. The results are discussed in relation to the existing literature on nature conservation networks and used to recommend optimization measures for the studied network. Finally, the conclusion reflects upon the developed approach’s implications and possibilities for conservation stakeholders and planners in general.
Highlights
A combination of social network analysis and stakeholder analysis using knowledge mapping and SWOT analysis as a basis for cost/benefit optimization of regional conservation stakeholder interactions.
A discrepancy in information exchange between theory- and practice-focused conservation actors.
A high concentration of conflicts between conservation associations, authorities, and land users.
Intensified networking in the fields of ecological research, land-use conflicts, and conservation knowledge might be prioritized.
Transfer of the developed method to other regions seems feasible.
In this article, I provide a critical analysis of the politics of corporate social responsibility. I argue that corporate social responsibility is a strategy that enables multinational corporations ...to exercise power in the global political economy. Using the global extractive industries as a context, I focus on conflicts between communities, the state and multinational corporations that arise owing to the negative social and environmental impacts of mining and extraction. In particular, I analyse the role of political corporate social responsibility and multi-stakeholder initiatives in managing conflicts and argue that these initiatives cannot take into account the needs of vulnerable stakeholders. Power asymmetries between key actors in the political economy can diminish the welfare of communities impacted by extraction. Several governance challenges arise as a result of these power asymmetries and I develop a translocal governance framework from the perspective of vulnerable stakeholders that can enable a more progressive approach to societal governance of multinational corporations.
BackgroundDue to medical advances, the population of care homes is becoming increasingly frail, often with co-morbidities. Recent innovations have seen paramedics take on non-emergency roles within ...or supporting care homes. This workforce innovation requires urgent evaluation, taking account of the multiple perspectives at stake. Research is more relevant, feasible and accountable if those who commission, deliver and use healthcare services are able to input their professional and personal insights.MethodWe conducted a stakeholder event as part of research development work for paramedics working in care homes (PERCH: Preliminary Exploration of paramedic Roles in Care Homes). We invited representatives from care homes, including Enabling Research in Care Homes (ENRICH) network members, ambulance services, primary and secondary care, patient/resident and public members, and the research community. To inform discussion, we presented examples of paramedics working in care homes. We then facilitated small-group discussions about how to evaluate such innovations and recorded views on sticky notes and flipcharts.Results23 people attended the event. Clarity of roles and communication processes were considered important to implement the pilot project. Attendees agreed that research outcome measures should include changes in avoidable hospital admissions, emergency department attendances and 999 calls plus staff, patient and family satisfaction. They identified some potential benefits to ambulance services and general practice, such as time saved for other patients, but believed these could be difficult to measure.DiscussionGaining the insights of a wide range of stakeholders prior to research being designed is an important, but under-utilised approach in research development. People who deliver and receive community-based care have insight derived from personal and professional experience which complements research expertise. Research in care home settings is challenging, and insights from stakeholders were significant in the development of a research proposal about the role of paramedics in care homes (PERCH study). We submitted this to the Health and Care Research Wales Research for Public and Patient Benefit funding scheme in 2019.
Beyond the “Win-Win” de los Reyes, Gastón; Scholz, Markus; Smith, N. Craig
California management review,
02/2017, Letnik:
59, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
While Porter and Kramer’s Creating Shared Value (CSV) works well as a management framework to address “win-win” business and society issues, it leaves managers ill-equipped to legitimately manage ...issues where they face the prospect of “win-lose” or “lose-win” social engagements. For legitimacy, managers need to bolster CSV with ethical frameworks—specifically, norm-taking and norm-making frameworks. Managers can be better positioned to create shared value through CSV+, a multi-part framework built around CSV and augmented by ethical frameworks.
Corporate stakeholders, corporate valuation and ESG Cornell, Bradford; Shapiro, Alan C.
European financial management : the journal of the European Financial Management Association,
March 2021, 2021-03-00, 20210301, Letnik:
27, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
In addition to explicit contracts, corporations issue their stakeholders implicit claims, including fair treatment of employees and the promise of continuing service to customers. Corporate value is ...created by selling these implicit claims for more than it costs to honour them. Recently, a new class of non‐investor stakeholders, related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, has arisen. Although many ESG advocates stress their role in creating shareholder value, they do not explain how this value creation occurs. This paper shows that implicit claims provide a critical link that ties non‐investor stakeholders and ESG to shareholder value, both its creation and its possible destruction.
Partnerships are demanded to implement a more integrated approach to sustainable development problems. The complex character of sustainability requires the participation of many societal spheres to ...resolve them. Sustainable Development Goal #17 “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development” recognizes multi‐stakeholder partnerships as important vehicles for mobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technologies, and financial resources to support the achievement of the SDGs in all countries. Innovation Ecosystems (IE) are dynamic purposive multi‐stakeholders' networks with complex relationships built on trust, co‐creation of value, and exchange of complementary technologies or competencies. Few studies investigated the IEs relating to sustainability and specially within the SDGs. This study provides a descriptive analysis of the relationship between IE and the SDGs, concerning the question about how the IE framework can orient the SDG #17 partnership implementation. The methodology is based on the literature review and analysis of documents from the United Nations, available at the UN Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform ‐ 2021. Four core drivers were identified and discussed: Geographical Governance, Collaboration, Knowledge Transmission, and Value co‐creation. Considering the IE lens, the SDGs can be addressed as the purpose engaging the Major Groups, which are the key contributors in terms of being part of the challenges and solutions. There is a need to prepare stakeholders to be ecosystem conscious and aware of the demanded innovations. Future research should include describing methods to measure IE performance considering the SDGs and empirical studies to analyze the ecosystem roles and relations of the Major Groups.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine scholarly impact which is critical to universities in their aspiration to create, disseminate and apply knowledge. However, scholarly impact is an ...elusive concept. First, the authors present a conceptual model to clarify different dimensions of scholarly impact (i.e. theory and research, education, organizations and society) and four key stakeholders (i.e. other researchers, students, practitioners and policy makers). Second, the authors provide actionable recommendations for university administrators, researchers and educators on how to enhance impact. The scholarly impact model is flexible, expandable, scalable and adaptable to universities in different regions of the world and with different strategic priorities.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a general review of the literature and offered a multidimensional and multistakeholder model of scholarly impact to guide future actions aimed at enhancing scholarly impact.
Findings
The authors describe the multidimensional and multistakeholder nature of the critical and yet elusive concept of scholarly impact. The authors delineate multiple dimensions of impact, different stakeholders involved and recommendations for enhancing scholarly impact in the future.
Practical implications
The authors offer practical and actionable recommendations on how to enhance scholarly impact. For university administrators, the authors recommend aligning scholarly impact goals with actions and resource-allocation decisions; ensuring that performance management and reward systems are consistent with impact goals; being strategic in selecting a journal list; developing a strong doctoral program; and promoting practical knowledge and applications. For researchers and educators, the authors recommend developing a personal scholarly impact plan; becoming an academic decathlete; finding ways to affect multiple impact dimensions simultaneously; and leveraging social media to broaden impact on external stakeholders. Implementing these recommendations will benefit other researchers, students, practitioners (e.g. managers, consultants) and policy makers.
Originality/value
The authors provide an innovative way of conceptualizing scholarly impact. In turn, the conceptual analysis results in actionable recommendations for university administrators, researchers and educators to enhance impact.
In recent years many initiatives have been developed under the Smart City label in a bid to provide a response to challenges facing cities today. The concept has evolved from a sector-based approach ...to a more comprehensive view that places governance and stakeholders' involvement at the core of strategies. However, Smart City implementation requires lowering the scale from the strategy to the project level. Therefore, the ability of Smart City initiatives to provide an integrated and systematic answer to urban challenges is constantly being called into question. Stakeholder involvement in both the projects and the city strategy is key to developing a governance framework that allows an integrated and comprehensive understanding. This can only be done if Smart City strategies take the stakeholders' opinion into account and seek a compromise between their views and the implementation of the strategy.
Multiple attempts have been made to analyse Smart Cities, but tools are needed to understand their complexity and reflect the stakeholders' role in developing Smart City initiatives and their capacity to face urban challenges. This paper pursues two objectives: (A) to develop a conceptual model capable of displaying an overview of (a) the stakeholders taking part in the initiative in relation to (b) the projects developed and (c) the challenges they face; and (B) to use this model to synthesise the opinion of different stakeholders involved in Smart City initiatives and compare their attitudes to the key projects implemented in a corresponding SC strategy. The methodology combines project analysis with surveys and interviews with different groups of key stakeholders (governments, private companies, universities and research centres, and civil society) through text analysis. The conceptual model is developed through discussions with different European stakeholders and is applied to the case of the Vienna Smart City strategy.
Display omitted
•An integrated conceptual model is proposed for Smart Cities.•The model highlights the importance of governance and stakeholders.•It provides an understanding of the complexity of Smart City projects and dimensions.•The proposal places the focus on urban challenges and global trends.•An application methodology is developed, comparing Smart City Strategy implementation with stakeholders’ discourses.•The model is applied to the case of the Vienna Smart City Strategy.•Guidelines are proposed to narrow the gap between the strategy and the stakeholders’ opinions.
PDF
