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1 – 10 of over 38000This paper aims to introduce a new integrated strategic framework entitled, “The corporate identity, total corporate communications, stakeholders’ attributed identities…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce a new integrated strategic framework entitled, “The corporate identity, total corporate communications, stakeholders’ attributed identities, identifications and behaviours continuum” and elucidates the central and strategic importance of corporate identity apropos corporate communications, corporate image, attributed stakeholder identifications and resultant behaviours. The strategic importance of corporate identity is noted. The continuum incorporates a variety of disciplinary/theoretical perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper/framework is informed by corporate marketing and strategic perspectives; legal theory of the firm; social identity branch theories; and stakeholder theory. The effects and management of corporate identity are seen as a continuum. The framework accommodates Tagiuri’s (1982) scholarship on corporate identity.
Findings
This paper formally introduces and explicates “The corporate identity, total corporate communications, stakeholders’ attributed identities, identifications and behaviours continuum”. Corporate identity management is an on-going strategic senior management/strategic requisite. Notably, the legal theory of company law – routinely overlooked – and its impact on corporate identity management is accepted, acknowledged and accommodated. The importance of stakeholders and stakeholder identification (a derivative of social identity theory) is underscored.
Practical implications
Via the explication of the continuum, managers can comprehend the nature and importance of corporate identity; appreciate that corporate identity adaptation/change is on-going; comprehend its interface/s with corporate communications, stakeholder attributed identities, identifications and the business environment; understand the need for on-going fidelity to an institution’s legally based core purposes and corporate identity traits (juridical identity); cognise the efficacy of constant stakeholder and environmental analysis. Corporate identity sustainability requires corporate identity to be advantageous, beneficial, critical, differentiating and effectual. Stakeholder prioritisation is not solely dependent on power, legitimacy and urgency but on legality, efficacy, ethicality and temporality.
Originality/value
The resultant framework/approach, therefore, aims to make a meaningful advance on the territory and, moreover, seeks to be of utility to scholars and practitioners of corporate marketing, strategy and company law. Arguably, therefore, the framework is more ambitious than extant framework on the domain. The resultant framework/approach, therefore, aims to make a meaningful advance on the territory and seeks to be of utility to scholars and practitioners of corporate identity, communications, images, identification, stakeholder theory, company law and, importantly, corporate strategy.
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Janita F.J. Vos and Marjolein C. Achterkamp
The management of stakeholder involvement within innovation projects is a task of growing importance. The purpose of this paper is to present a method for the first challenge in…
Abstract
Purpose
The management of stakeholder involvement within innovation projects is a task of growing importance. The purpose of this paper is to present a method for the first challenge in stakeholder management: the identification of those stakeholders to be involved in innovation projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Analysis of stakeholder literature leads to the conclusion that stakeholder identification is considered a problem of classification. Although the availability of a classification model is necessary, it is argued that for a classification model to be of use in identifying stakeholders, such a model needs to be supplemented with an identification procedure for identifying real world parties. Furthermore, a classification model should fit the context the stakeholders are identified for, in this case for innovation projects. These insights have led to the development of a classification model fitting the innovation context, and to the embedding of this model, along with a matching identification procedure, in an identification method.
Findings
A partial and integral evaluation of the method on four cases showed its efficacy in the managerial practice of identifying stakeholders within innovation projects.
Originality/value
The method as proposed in the paper can be used for identifying stakeholders in innovation projects. The method can be considered a first step in managing stakeholder involvement.
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Vinod Kumar, Zillur Rahman and A. A. Kazmi
This paper aims to review the literature on stakeholder identification and classification related to sustainability marketing from 1998 to 2012 and provides a generalized approach…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the literature on stakeholder identification and classification related to sustainability marketing from 1998 to 2012 and provides a generalized approach to stakeholder identification and classification in the field of sustainability marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
Beginning with brief introductions of the key concepts, the research discusses landmark studies on the subject in detail. The review process then begins by identifying and selecting relevant research papers from various online databases. Finally, 60 research papers are found suitable for the review and are examined to theoretically analyze the stakeholder identification and classification schemes used in sustainability marketing literature.
Findings
This study identifies trends of growth in stakeholder identification and classification literature. In addition, there are two major findings. First, stakeholder identification can be done with the help of previous studies, with support from managers or via a combination of both. Second, future research can adopt generic stakeholder classification schemes or relative classification schemes based on dimensions of sustainability to classify stakeholders in relation to sustainability marketing. In relative stakeholder classification, regulatory stakeholders may be considered separately.
Research limitations/implications
While the literature review may be incomplete, as it uses only a title-based advanced search, researchers and practitioners can still benefit from this simplified approach to manage stakeholders.
Originality/value
The study introduces a generalized approach to stakeholder identification and classification related to sustainability marketing and provides a bibliography from 1998 to 2012 that can be used by academics and managers.
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Chunqing Li, Xiaoli Wang, Jieli Zhang and Chenxi Li
This paper aims to explore the key elements and dynamic formation mechanisms involved in the company identity construction during multicompany identification.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the key elements and dynamic formation mechanisms involved in the company identity construction during multicompany identification.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a longitudinal single case study method, selected a representative company as the study case and analyzed the interactive practice of identity construction between the company and its external stakeholders based on the theory of organizational identity and sensemaking.
Findings
This study finds that the process of company identity construction for external stakeholders involves six elements. Companies mainly use a highly controlled, equality and interaction model to develop identity for a single stakeholder. Company identity is based on the company’s core identity claims and is formed by gradually integrating and cooperating with the identity claims of different stakeholders. Meeting the self-defining needs of stakeholders is a key driving force behind the evolution of company identity.
Practical implications
This study offers practical implications for companies to pursue and construct multicompany identity. For different types of external stakeholders, companies can adopt different identity sensemaking models. To build a new company identity, a company needs to do more on the basis of identity insights to break cognitive constraints and build new identity claim. Companies need to integrate new identity claims with the original identity claims. If different identity claims conflict or are difficult to reconcile, it may damage their original identity claims and companies need to evaluate the trade-offs.
Originality/value
This study expands the concept of company identity construction from the individual perspective to organizational identity and contributes to research in relationship marketing. This study identifies the key elements of company identity construction with multistakeholder participation and contributes to theory building in company identity research. The results of this study reveal the company identity construction mechanism for different external stakeholders and the dynamic formation process of multicompany identity.
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Nathaniel Ayinde Olatunde, Imoleayo Abraham Awodele and Henry Agboola Odeyinka
The purpose of the study is to examine the stakeholder identification (SI) methods used in building projects procured by private corporate organisations in Southwestern Nigeria to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to examine the stakeholder identification (SI) methods used in building projects procured by private corporate organisations in Southwestern Nigeria to draw a correlation between methods used for SI and project performance in the study area, thereby enhancing project performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a census survey to purposively select 30 projects managers (who indicated from a first-stage questionnaire) that they have participated in structured stakeholder management (SM) from a list of 106 project managers and client representatives who have been involved in SM of building projects procured by private corporate organisations between 2008 and 2017 in the study area. A second-stage questionnaire was designed to elicit information from the respondents. The quantitative data that were collected were analysed using mean score (MS) analysis and Analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Findings
The study found that brainstorming in group meetings (MS = 4.33), interviews with the expert (MS = 3.20) and identification by other stakeholders (MS = 3.00) are the most frequently used SI methods in the study area. It was also found that the use of a questionnaire (MS = 0.87), Delphi method (MS = 0.80) and public hearing (MS = 0.57) was rare for SI in the study area. A further result showed that there was no significant difference in the opinion of project managers on 85% of methods used for SI in the study area irrespective of the procurement method employed.
Practical implications
The study examined the methods project managers used for SI on building projects procured by private corporate organisations to advocate for more robust and all-inclusive SI methods.
Originality/value
The study empirically examined methods used for SI and correlated them to project performance.
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Anna Maria Gil‐Lafuente and Luciano Barcellos Paula
This paper aims to focus the research on the identification of stakeholders through an analysis of an empirical study by a consulting firm in Brazil. In this case study, the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus the research on the identification of stakeholders through an analysis of an empirical study by a consulting firm in Brazil. In this case study, the company needs to identify the stakeholders that can exert some influence in its sphere of activity.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper considers the question: to do sustainable business, companies must have good knowledge of all actors with influence in their sphere of activity. This identification of stakeholders is the first step. Based on stakeholder theory, the authors discuss the importance of management with stakeholders in the pursuit of sustainability in business. To achieve this objective, the consultant hired has used fuzzy logic algorithm, applying the theory of clans.
Findings
In applying the model through an empirical study, it has been possible to provide a tool based on the use of grouping algorithm that can facilitate decision making by obtaining qualitative data from a dialogue with managers or specialists on a particular topic. The model also serves to establish the level of relationship between different stakeholders and obtain affinities.
Originality/value
The paper provides an innovative and a useful tool to be used in the process of identifying stakeholders. The paper's main contribution is the application of algorithms in the identification of stakeholders considering sustainability criteria in enterprises, and providing a useful model in making decisions.
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Felix Beske, Ellen Haustein and Peter C. Lorson
This paper aims to assess the disclosure on materiality analysis in sustainability and integrated reports through the lenses of legitimacy and stakeholder theory. The following…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to assess the disclosure on materiality analysis in sustainability and integrated reports through the lenses of legitimacy and stakeholder theory. The following three research questions are addressed: to what extent do companies report on their materiality analysis, what are the methods used for the analysis of the stakeholders and their topics/aspects and is there a higher disclosure of information of materiality assessment because of G4.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses an archival research approach and deploys content analysis. Thus, a binary disclosure index was developed that indicates whether materiality related information are mentioned and explained in detail. The sample contains 132 reports from 33 companies of the German 110 HDAX stock market index between 2014 and 2017.
Findings
The paper reveals that materiality analysis is a growing phenomenon. Nevertheless, companies disclose only a small amount of related information and fail to explain the methods for the stakeholder and topics/aspects identification. Thus, the underlying processes to define the report content remains unclear. Through the lenses of legitimacy theory, the study indicates that materiality analysis can strategically be misused to define report content without considering the interests of legitimized stakeholder groups and thus, does not improve the reports to those groups.
Practical implications
Managers are urged to regard the importance of reporting about ongoing materiality assessments, as otherwise, concerns about the overall reliability of the information presented may arise.
Social implications
Poor reporting about materiality assessments might lead to potential conflicts with stakeholders that do see their important topics not sufficiently reflected in the sustainability or integrated report.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature regarding materiality in sustainability and integrated reporting and uses the assumptions of disclosure theories to evaluate the disclosure of a specific disclosure item.
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Alessandro de Nisco, Angelo Riviezzo and Maria Rosaria Napolitano
The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the identification of stakeholders involved in town centre management (TCM) projects and the main areas of intervention…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the identification of stakeholders involved in town centre management (TCM) projects and the main areas of intervention according to their interests and needs.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed framework is tested in the town of Benevento, Italy. On the basis of stakeholder theory, key stakeholders were interviewed according to the different kinds of linkages they had with the TCM organisation.
Findings
Results from the paper support a stakeholder‐based approach to the development of TCM projects. In addition, a set of categories is proposed to define and evaluate the overall town centre offer.
Practical implications
The proposed framework can be used by cities or towns for the evaluation of the role of different public and private stakeholders in TCM projects, and for the assessment of their “stake” in the town centre.
Originality/value
Despite the need to promote a partnership approach between the public and private sectors having been recognised as a vital ingredient for the implementation of TCM, literature is still lacking which provides clear guidance for stakeholder analysis. This is one of the first papers to propose a theoretical framework addressing this issue.
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Chika Amadi, Pat Carrillo and Martin Tuuli
The implementation of public–private partnerships (PPPs), particularly in low- and middle-income countries, has been hampered by external stakeholders’ opposition leading to the…
Abstract
Purpose
The implementation of public–private partnerships (PPPs), particularly in low- and middle-income countries, has been hampered by external stakeholders’ opposition leading to the failure of several projects. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework to improve external stakeholder management in PPP projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Two case studies consisting of 23 interviews with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders were employed. This was supplemented with a focus group approach to validate the framework.
Findings
A new framework for the management of external stakeholders is developed. It encompasses new features such as the dynamic identification of stakeholders at each project phase and their corresponding interests.
Research limitations/implications
The scope is road transportation projects in Nigeria and thus the recommendations may not be globally applicable.
Practical implications
The findings can help the public sector and their agencies to manage external stakeholders and maintain successful relationships on PPP projects.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to existing knowledge in four key areas: it confirms that the skill and actions of internal stakeholders are vital to the stakeholder management process; it shows that one-off stakeholder identification proposed in literature is a flawed approach; it proposes that the identification of external stakeholders’ interests be dynamic; and it adds the perspective of low- and middle-income countries in stakeholder management in PPP projects.
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Charikleia Karakosta, Alexandros Flamos and Aikaterini Forouli
The purpose of this paper is to identify knowledge gaps on insinuations of possible directions of European Union (EU) and international climate policies.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify knowledge gaps on insinuations of possible directions of European Union (EU) and international climate policies.
Design/methodology/approach
This study has used participatory approach of highly experienced stakeholders’ engagement, involved directly or indirectly in the process of policymaking. A range of priority issues has been initially identified through desk analysis and key stakeholders have been selected and invited to partake in the process. Preliminary results have been validated through interaction with stakeholders during a series of workshops.
Findings
The results show the identification of a series of sectors, where climate policy is expected to focus in the future and the definition of 11 specific topics upon which knowledge gaps are expected to appear. Results on the identified knowledge needs are analysed and categorized by each prioritized main topic and compared with literature findings. Emphasis is identified to be placed on the topics of renewable energy, EU climate policy and international climate negotiations, which are the most popular ones, followed by energy policy and energy efficiency.
Originality/value
A key element of the approach is the consideration of key experts’ feedback on their specific area of expertise, instead of general public engagement, therefore leading to accurate results. Despite the fact that our approach was applied to a specific problem, the overall analysis could provide a framework for supporting applications in various problems in the field of priorities’ identification and even expanding to decision-making problems.
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