Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Stakeholder'

This thesis argues that the stakeholder paradox (Goodpaster, 1991) has hindered the achievement of meaningful consultation processes because it perpetuates a management-centered discourse of stakeholder engagement aimed at producing stakeholder consent and legitimating organizational action. In order to advance beyond the use of stakeholder consultation as a sophisticated public relations tool, and instrument of organizational power and persuasion, it must be treated as a series of activities (discussion, deliberation and decision making) linked together through the common modality of negotiative communication.
An analysis of practice guidelines, protocols and key informant interviews using a critical organizational communication approach evaluates the extent to which contemporary instances of consultation practice account for the specificity of stakeholder context, address power and capacity gaps between consulting organizations, and enables all stakeholders to engage in a negotiative dialogue that has a direct influence upon the decision-making process of a project. This thesis argues that operationalizing tenets of a critical communication framework within consultation practice has the potential to produce the conditions for conducting a meaningful consultation with community stakeholders.

Stakeholder management relates to how business organisations manage their relationships not only with their market stakeholders, but also with their nonmarket stakeholders. It requires firms and business managers to identify and develop effective strategies to balance the interests of many diverse groups or constituents. This requirement has of course been judged to be impractical by those who uphold narrow traditional views about how a firm operates; and is unsupported by those who believe that asking managers to focus on the interests or concerns of groups of constituents that do not directly contribute to the economic achievements or strategic objectives of a firm, is a distraction and an attempt to derail corporate objectives. However, in spite of the criticisms levelled against the notion of stakeholder management, firms can no longer ignore the fact that there are constituents who can affect, and are affected by their business objectives. The aim of this research is to illustrate the practical implications of stakeholder management by exploring how multinational oil corporations operating in the Nigerian oil and gas industry manage their relationships with nonmarket stakeholders; such as the local communities who are affected by their operations. In order to achieve the aims of this research, a case study approach has been adopted; the case study companies include Shell Petroleum Development Company (Shell), Total Exploration and Production (Total), and the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (AGIP). Furthermore, to achieve a balanced perspective regarding the stakeholder management practices of the oil companies, the research incorporates the views of stakeholders from local communities, and those from non-governmental organisations (NGOs). A mixed methods research strategy is employed in the data collection and analysis process to achieve not just triangulation, but also to assist in the comprehension of the research findings. The research established that each of the companies being studied has employed different stakeholder management strategies in order to manage their relationships with the local communities. The strategies employed by the companies, however, appear not to address the issue of environmental impact; the concern which triggered the breakdown in the relationship between the oil companies and the local stakeholders in the first place. They have instead mostly focused on ameliorating the socio-economic issues resulting from oil exploration and production activities, in part as a consequence of pressure from the local communities themselves. Additionally, the findings indicate that the companies have employed hostile and controlling engagement strategies such as intimidation, appeasement, and manipulation, when dealing with local community stakeholders. These strategies are believed to have undermined the quality of their relationship with the local communities. The most notable consequence of these engagement practices is damaged trust amongst community members, as well as between the communities and the oil companies. The findings of this research have strong implications for stakeholder theory, as well as future research into stakeholder management practices, particularly in relation to non-contractual or nonmarket stakeholders; they also shed light on several important practical issues in business management.

Para aqueles que acreditam que ética e negócios são instâncias separadas (tese da separação), Freeman e outros (2010) argumentam que eles podem estar juntos (tese da integração). Os autores defendem que a teoria do stakeholder é uma forma através da qual isso pode ocorrer. Nos certames da teoria do stakeholder, Phillips (2003) propôs o princípio de equidade do stakeholder, que resumidamente consiste em uma proposta que visa garantir um relacionamento ético entre organização e seus stakeholders. No presente estudo, se considera como stakeholder aqueles grupos que possuem obrigações mútuas com uma organização que vão além daquelas determinadas pelo que a moralidade da sociedade estabelece. Assim, com o objetivo de compreender como o princípio de equidade do stakeholder está presente, ou ausente, em uma organização específica, foi realizada uma pesquisa exploratória qualitativa, através de entrevistas em profundidade. As entrevistas transcritas foram analisadas através da análise de conteúdo, com técnica categorial, se tendo, as seguintes categorias: (A) moral, ética e justiça; (B) esquema cooperativo; (C) stakeholders: meios ou fins? Durante a análise, se compreendeu que o princípio de equidade do stakeholder está presente no relacionamento da Organização em questão com seus stakeholders conforme propôs Phillips (2003). Como achados, o trabalho levanta reflexões sobre o modelo genérico de esquema cooperativo, mostrando que os stakeholders derivativos podem ser menos frequentes do que aparentam ser. Também foi percebido pelo autor do estudo que ética, moral e justiça são conceitos que causam confusão aos entrevistados, o que leva a crer que é possível que outros membros da sociedade não tenham esses conceitos assimilados, merecendo mais atenção ao ensino de tais disciplinas. Por fim, o autor da presente dissertação destaca que o uso do bom senso, assim como agir honestamente e criar laços com outros indivíduos são caminhos para se manter uma boa relação com stakeholders. De forma a concluir o estudo, é feito um apelo para maior conscientização moral, não só dos administradores, mas também da sociedade, visando um mundo melhor para todos.
For those who believe that ethics and business are separated instances (separation thesis), Freeman et al (2010) argue that it can be together (integration thesis). The authors defend that the stakeholder theory is a way by which it can happen. In the field of stakeholder theory Phillips (2003) proposed the principle of stakeholder fairness which consists in a proposal that aims to guarantee an ethical relationship between organization and its stakeholders. In the present study stakeholder is considered as those groups which have mutual obligations with an organization. This obligations goes beyond those determined by what the society's morality has established. This study aims to comprehend how the principle of stakeholder fairness is, or is not, present in the management of an organization's stakeholders. For this purpose a qualitative explanatory research was done using deep interviews that were also transcript and analyzed by the categorical content analyses technique. It was proposed the following categories: (A) moral, ethics and justice; (B) cooperative scheme; (C) stakeholders: ways or endings? It was comprehended that the principle of stakeholder fairness is present in the relationship between the studied organization and its stakeholders as it was proposed by Phillips (2003). As findings the work brings thoughts about the generic model of the cooperative scheme showing that derivatives stakeholders can be less frequent as they seem to be. It was also realized by the author of the study that ethics, moral and justice are concepts that made confusion on the interviewers. It leads to believe that it's possible that other members of the society also do not have understood this concepts. This way the teaching of this disciplines deserves more attention. At the end, the author of the present dissertation detaches that the use of good sense, honest behavior and also the creation of ties with other individuals are good ways to keep a good relationship with stakeholders. In a way of concluding the study it was made an appeal for more moral consciousness not only for managers but also for the society, aiming a better world for everybody.

This thesis explores how governance networks prioritise and engage with their stakeholders, by studying three exemplars of “Regional Road Group” governance networks in Queensland, Australia. In the context of managing regionally significant road works programs, stakeholder prioritisation is a complex activity which is unlikely to influence interactions with stakeholders outside of the network. However, stakeholder priority is more likely to influence stakeholder interactions within the networks themselves. Both stakeholder prioritisation and engagement are strongly influenced by the way that the networks are managed, and in particular network operating rules and continuing access to resources.

Thesis advisor: Lauren Saenz
Stakeholder involvement is widely acknowledged to be an important aspect of program evaluation (Mertens, 2007; Greene, 2005a; Brandon, 1998). However, limited work has been done to empirically study evaluators’ practices of stakeholder involvement and ways in which stakeholder involvement is affected or guided by various factors. As evaluators interact with and place value on the input of stakeholders, social, cultural, and historical backgrounds will always be infused into the context (Mertens & Wilson, 2012; MacNeil, 2005). The field of evaluation has done little to critically examine how such contexts impact evaluators’ perceptions of stakeholders and their involvement. The present study attempts to fill these gaps, focusing specifically on the relationships among evaluator identities and characteristics, evaluation models, and stakeholder involvement. Using the frameworks of critical evaluation theory (Freeman & Vasconcelos, 2010) and a theory of capital (Bourdieu, 1986), the present study utilized a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach. A sample of 272 practicing program evaluators from the United States and Canada provided quantitative survey data, while a sample of nine evaluators provided focus group and interview data. Regression analyses and thematic content analyses were conducted. Findings from the quantitative strand included relationships between: (1) measures of individualism-collectivism and stakeholder involvement outcomes, (2) contextual evaluation variables and stakeholder involvement outcomes, (3) use of use, values or social justice branch evaluation models and stakeholder involvement outcomes, and (4) whether the evaluator identified as a person of color and the diversity of involved stakeholders. Findings from the qualitative strand demonstrated the role of dominant frameworks of evaluation serving to perpetuate systems of power. Participating evaluators revealed ways in which they feel and experience systems of power acting on them, including participation in, recognition of, and responses to oppression. The qualitative strand showed that evaluation models may be used to help recognize power dynamics, but that they are also used to reinforce existing power dynamics. Implications and recommended directions for future research are discussed
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation

Stakeholder management is a topic that has received increased attention in later years. Researchers have tried to answer the question of which stakeholders that really matters to organizations and developed ways for identifying and prioritizing among stakeholders. This thesis fills a void in academia by looking exclusively on external stakeholders in large and complex projects such as the construction of power plants. The thesis investigates the approach towards external stakeholders as well as the process of identifying and prioritizing external stakeholders in this specific setting. By using attributes identified in earlier research, a theoretical framework was created that was used to investigate two of Sweden’s largest companies through a qualitative case study. The thesis describe how stakeholder identification and prioritization occurs in the different case companies and ultimately contribute with a new model that can be used by managers to prioritize among external stakeholder in organizational projects.

Att ha kunskap om vilka stakeholders som spelar en viktig roll och därmed förtjänar organisationsledningens uppmärksamhet har visats vara extremt viktigt för en organisations framgång. Mitchell et al (1997) presenterar ett ramverk som introducerar sju stakeholder-typer baserat på tre attribut; power, legitimacy och urgency. Modellen bestämmer stakeholder salience, hur viktig en stakeholder är, baserat på hur många av dessa tre attribut denna tillskrivs. I en vidareutveckling av modellen insamlas data i denna studie genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer med verkställande direktörer för svenska småbolag, i syfte att utöka kunskapen om vilka stakeholders som spelar roll för bolagen inom denna viktiga och växande sektor. Fem småbolag i skilda branscher studeras, och studiens kvalitativt insamlade data resulterar i en ny två-stegsmodell; en för avgörande av stakeholder salience, och en för kravprioritering. Power visas vara viktigast för stakeholder salience, följt av ett helt nytt attribut; utbytbarhet. Legitimacy delas upp i två delar; stakeholder legitimacy och kravets legitimacy, som är avgörande i varsin del av modellen.  Urgency visas för småbolag endast vara aktuellt i modellens andra del, kravprioritering.

In times of deep restructuring of the national welfare systems, social enterprises have progressively received the attention of practitioners, policy makers and scholars for the role of agents of the social change in the provision of a wide range of human services and the development of entrepreneurial initiatives aimed to the sustainable regeneration of the local community. As social economy organizations serving the general interest, they distinguish themselves more from the other third sector organizations for the involvement of user and local stakeholders in the service activities and decision making processes as a way of balancing multiple objectives. The purpose of the dissertation is threefold. The first two chapters aim to introduce to the study of third sector’s social enterprises by reviewing and comparing main concepts and meanings affecting this term as much as they were emerged in the academic and managerial literature of three different regional contexts (USA, Western Continental Europe, and UK) in the last decade. The third and fourth chapters provide a basic theoretical framework to approach the governance of the social enterprise by a stakeholder perspective, focusing on the role of incentive played by the multi-stakeholder structures to the balance of the firm’s multi-dimensional performance. Finally, last chapter presents, describes and analyzes findings from a study that compares the CSR performance of worker members in Italian social co-operatives with single-stakeholder and multi-stakeholder structures, in order to gain evidence of the potential positive effects of the multi-stakeholder governance structures on the CSR performance of the social enterprise.
In un periodo di profonda ristrutturazione dei sistemi nazionali di welfare, le imprese sociali hanno ricevuto una progressiva attenzione da parte di professionisti, amministratori pubblici e studiosi per il loro ruolo di agenti del cambiamento sociale nell’erogazione di servizi alla persona e nella promozione di iniziative imprenditoriali volte allo sviluppo sostenibile delle comunità locali. In quanto organizzazioni di economia sociale con finalità di interesse generale, esse si distinguono maggiormente dalle altre organizzazioni di terzo settore per praticare il coinvolgimento di utenti e stakeholder locali nei processi produttivi e decisionali d’impresa allo scopo di bilanciare molteplici obiettivi istituzionali. L’obiettivo della dissertazione è triplice. I primi due capitoli esaminano e confrontano le principali definizioni e significati del termine ‘impresa sociale’ così come emersi dalla letteratura professionale ed accademica Statunitense, Europeo-Continentale e Britannica degli ultimi anni. Il terzo e il quarto capitolo mirano a fornire un quadro di analisi organizzativa utile a rilevare i vantaggi dello stakeholder management nelle imprese sociali, prestando particolare attenzione al ruolo svolto dalle strutture di governo multi-stakeholder. Infine, l’ultimo capitolo presenta, descrive ed analizza i risultati di uno studio comparato sulla responsabilità sociale di soci lavoratori in imprese sociali con strutture organizzative single-stakeholder e multi-stakeholder, allo scopo di mettere in evidenza eventuali relazioni positive intercorrenti tra strutture di governance multi-stakeholder e responsabilità sociale d’impresa.

There often exist hard-to-identify or unforeseen external parties that emerge as indirect stakeholders of a project who can significantly influence its execution and outcome. The broader stakeholder landscape in both theory and practice recognizes the local community including other interest groups of a project site as such key stakeholders. However recent cases have revealed shortcomings in managing this category of stakeholders, leading to authoritative rejection of development permit applications and strong local opposition that consequently increase costs and delay to the project. There is indication that a weak community stakeholder management process in the planning stages can cause problems to the project, or worse, in some cases lead to project failure and abandonment by the developer. Wind energy development projects are not exempted from this condition and are possibly even more prone as they involve the erection of tall wind turbines across wide-open landscapes that are deemed controversial and unacceptable to a wider population. Endorsed by the persuasive rationale for wind energy especially in view of the environment and sustainable development, a more comprehensive and effective guidance for community stakeholder management in the planning stage is required to mitigate, if not eliminate, potential issues that can hinder the successful implementation of wind energy development projects. Hence this thesis primarily seeks to answer the research question of: “How should community stakeholders of wind energy development projects be managed in the planning stage prior to permit application?”.

Using a qualitative approach to research through interviews with several industry practitioners and reviewing secondary data of industry best practices, policies, literature and case studies, 16 community stakeholder management key conclusion points could be made from research data collected. These points are individually important while in aggregate form a broad and novel framework that serves to further raise the awareness and readiness of wind energy development project managers in their community stakeholder management initiatives. A baseline list of community stakeholders and their common concerns were identified, together with suggested approaches to identify community stakeholders in each project. Community consultation is key to the process and engaging the community as widely and early as possible is recommended. Furthermore, key principles and an array of common methods for community stakeholder management in the planning stages of the project are presented, while acknowledging that not all stakeholders can be satisfied at each instance. Ultimately these findings were consolidated in a community consultation checklist that serves as a more systematic and practical tool in guiding project managers in their community stakeholder management initiatives during planning.

The research findings herewith contribute valuable insights to the existing body of knowledge in this area and also provide enhanced practical guidance to project managers in achieving successful community stakeholder management during planning, facilitating higher acceptance for the proposal, carrying out a more efficient and effective planning process and improving the likelihood for project approval from both authoritative and judiciary standpoints.

This study explored stakeholder behaviour during consultation processes for development, implementation, and evaluation of multi-faceted tourism strategies, using the Victorian Alpine Resorts 2020 Strategy as a case study. Stakeholders were classified using six stakeholder types (Government/Semi-government, Alpine Resort Management Board, Industry Group, Ski Club, Community-based Organisation, Individual) and five behaviour groups (allied, cooperative, neutral, competitive, threatening). An examination was made of stakeholder behaviour across the consultation process from engagement in the development of the Strategy to implementation and in attitude toward participating in an evaluation of the Strategy, behaviour recorded and factors contributing to changing behaviour analysed. Stakeholders displayed complex behaviour patterns moving between behaviour classifications during and across the consultation process. Stakeholder behaviour and commitment to strategy implementation changed; neutral, competitive or threatening behaviour often led to less commitment to strategy success and higher levels of cynicism in the consultation process, allied or cooperative behaviour supported strategy development but did not always lead to a commitment to strategy success. Behaviour toward an evaluation of the strategy often reverted to that exhibited during development. The majority of the stakeholders exhibited behaviour changes in both positive and negative directions and key factors in this change were associated with the consultation process itself to varying degrees of disappointment or satisfaction with the content of the final strategy document. However, negative or positive stakeholder behaviour bore no relation to stakeholder commitment to the Strategy. The findings of this study have added the element of behaviour to stakeholder theory and analysis of stakeholders, which is currently limited to describing and identifying stakeholders. Using this understanding a model of stakeholder behaviour has been developed comprising four behaviour groups (allied, disconnected, guarded and neutral), with indicators of behaviour and suggested consultation strategies to overcome negative responses. The model may facilitate the management of stakeholder consultation processes for positive long-term outcomes, the result of which would be the ongoing support and commitment of stakeholders to strategy or policy development and implementation.

In today's knowledge-driven economy, the majority of a typical firm's value comprises intangible assets ranging from its brand to the expertise of its employees. However, intangible asset valuation is inherently subjective, context dependent, and future oriented. This study addresses the empirical correlation between the quality of a firm's relationships with its stakeholders and indicators of shareholder value. Its main purpose was to develop and test a quantitative research method that would enable practitioners to identify the intrinsic value of relationship capital. This study is based on a multidisciplinary theoretical foundation that contributes to a holistic understanding of relationship capital. These theoretical contributions include Homans' social exchange theory, Freeman's stakeholder theory and Eisenberger's perceived organizational support theory. The research design used concurrent mixed methodology. The first phase incorporated a phenomenological study to verify a conceptual model that was designed to measure the value of relationship capital. Phenomenological data were used to develop a quantitative instrument and to test its validity and reliability using the data analysis technique of structural equation modeling (SEM). The second phase operationalized the variables and tested them empirically in a field-based process. The results of this study demonstrated that relationship capital is predicted by the variables of perceived reciprocity, reputation, relational duration and economic value. These results offer a significant contribution to social change by enabling a firm to correlate social investments to indicators of value creation, thereby allowing practitioners to test quantitatively the impact of these social investments on firm performance.

In this thesis, we have identified the difference between Agile and Lean methodsbased on stakeholder’s perspectives. To achieve the goal we have dealwith only Agile and Lean principles. In addition, in order to identify thestakeholders from Agile and Lean principles we have used the relevant practicesfrom both sides. As the principles of Agile manifesto are directly followedby most of the organizations, we have also used Agile principles directlyin this research. On the other hand lean methods have no pure principles,as a result we have used the most common and popular lean principlesderived from different authors. We have only considered the mostrelevant principles that might be useful in software development. To achievea stronger result of this thesis we have also considered stakeholder theory.Moreover we have identified the stakeholder’s involvement with Agile/Leanprinciples and stakeholder theory.

Human behavior threatens to ruin irrevocably our long-term existence; the downhill slide is steep and seemingly soon will be incurable. Shifting from unsustainable development would require substantial and far-reaching changes in lifestyles and living standards. As stakeholders (customers, consumers, shareholders, suppliers, distributors, employees, and local communities), through different kinds of dialogue we can influence organizations’ performance by applying pressure on them to change unsustainable behaviors. This doctoral thesis is concerned with the dialogue occurring in the interface between service organizations, under pressure to change their behavior, and their stakeholders, and the link between stakeholder dialogue and organizations’ performance management. The overall aim of the thesis is to describe and understand how stakeholder dialogue can contribute to the value-creation process of a sustainable service. The theoretical frame of reference finds its inspiration in research on management accounting, service management, and sustainable development/corporate social responsibility. In this way, it attempts to bridge the gap between business and ethics. Theoretically, the thesis is a melting pot of ideas on stakeholder value creation. Herein, the customer focus of service research expands to a stakeholder focus, and the management approach of the quality movement, more specifically total responsibility management, develops the thinking of performance management beyond the functionalistic tradition. The thesis also applies a triple bottom line (economic, social, and environmental) approach. The thesis is a compilation of five different studies that follow an interpretative case study approach. The empirical framework stems from the public and private sectors through studies of Swedish public organizations (the Swedish Road Administration and Sveaskog), parts of the Swedish public transport industry, and Swedbank.

The thesis contributes to an understanding of what sustainable service is and the complexity of the transformation process of an organization towards sustainability. Further, it reflects on the role of stakeholder dialogue in a sustainable service. Finally, the thesis contributes to an understanding of how sustainable service matches with performance management by developing a sustainable performance management framework. The framework is a total quality value-creation concept that avoids reducing the complexity of the studied problem by solving it in three parallel, continuous processes or dimensions coupled with each other: the descriptive, instrumental, and normative dimensions. The descriptive dimension involves a social, ethical, and political documentary contextualization through sustainability reports purposed for stakeholder communication. The instrumental dimension contains a traditional set of management controls and techniques supported by triple bottom line performance measurement. The normative dimension is founded in sustainability- and triple bottom line-thinking, values-based leadership, and a feedback and learning process dedicated to genuine stakeholder dialogue.

The main objective of this study is to determine how individuals involved in the accounting process view the role of accounting information in an economic environment where capital markets are dominant. The study also attempts to determine whether International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) play a part in fulfilling this role. To this end, we compare the perceptions of financial officers, financial analysts and auditors from two distinctly market environments, using Europe as a proxy for a highly developed capital market environment and Brazil as a proxy for a less developed capital market environment. By means of a survey, we investigate whether producers of accounting data (financial officers), users of that data (financial analysts), and controllers of accounting information (auditors) share the same views on the usefulness and goals of the financial accounting process. Extending the study to several countries is a useful means for determining whether and how the economic environment affects the respondents\' views of accounting information. We use descriptive statistics, univariate tests and multiple correspondence analyses (MCA) to analyze the responses to our multiple-choice questions. Results suggest that respondents\' activity has less influence on their answers than the country where they are located.
O principal objetivo dessa pesquisa é determinar como os indivíduos envolvidos no processo contábil veem o papel da informação contábil em um ambiente econômico, onde os mercados de capitais são dominantes. A pesquisa também tenta determinar se os International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) desempenham uma parte no cumprimento desse papel. Para este fim, comparam-se as percepções dos diretores financeiros, dos analistas financeiros e dos auditores em dois ambientes de mercado diferentes, usando a Europa como uma variável para mercados de capitais bem desenvolvidos e o Brasil como uma variável para um mercado de capitais menos desenvolvidos. Através de um questionário, identificam-se os produtores das informações contábeis (diretores financeiros), os usuários dessas informações (os analistas financeiros) e os verificadores da informação contábil (auditores) compartilham a mesma opinião sobre a utilidade e os objetivos do processo de contabilidade financeira. Ao estender a pesquisa para vários países, pode-se observar/determinar se e como o ambiente econômico afeta as opiniões dos usuários das informações contábeis. Foram utilizadas as estatísticas descritiva, análise univariada e análise de correspondência múltipla (ACM) para a análise e interpretação dos resultados. Os resultados sugerem que a atividade dos nossos participantes (analista financeiro, auditor ou diretor financeiro) produz menos interferência em seu comportamento ou opinião do que o país em que eles trabalham.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2013.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-108).
The number of Joint Urgent Operational Needs has exploded with the Global War on Terror and the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. The challenge to smaller urgent programs is the programs are not large enough to obtain top priority for all stakeholders. Even if the entire stakeholder landscape agreed to the urgency of the requirement not all stakeholders can or will increase their urgency the same amount. Four critical stakeholder attributes are examined in rapid acquisition: Cachet, Advocacy, Operational Need and Optempo. A method of dynamic tracking of these four stakeholder attributes is presented along with data from three rapid acquisition programs confirming the importance of Cachet, Advocacy and Operational Need to the success of rapid acquisition programs.
by Michael J. Meyer.
S.M.

Матеріал присвячено питанням групування потенційно зацікавлених сторін проекту.
Материал посвящен вопросам группировки потенциально заинтересованных сторон проекта.
The material is devoted to the grouping of potential stakeholders of the project.

Widespread car usage of around 800 million of cars travelling 30 billion of kilometres on a daily basis has led to many benefits but also to significant environmental and societal impacts such as congestion, air and noise pollution and urban sprawl. This thesis aims to investigate the stakeholder values of car parking in order to support and inform the decision makers who are tasked with how best to resolve challenging car parking dilemmas. A two phase progressive methodology is involved. Phase one begins with conducting a series of in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight academics to identify whom the stakeholders are that are affected by car parking. Then a second series of 20 interviews are conducted with sector leaders of stakeholder groups to establish how the stakeholders are affected by car parking and importantly, how they value car parking. Finally a third series of nine interviews are conducted with nine different experts to help to bridge the gap between phase one and phase two. Phase one found that a broader reach of stakeholders (classified into four different groups) are affected by car parking than the literature might imply, and that they value car parking in eight different key ways. It also found that the values emerged from a context of governmental, social and consumer concerns. Phase two of the methodology was quantitative and used the findings from phase one to develop four additional attributes considered meaningful across all four stakeholder groups, namely: safety, politics, public spaces and weekly household council tax. Choice based conjoint analysis was used to incorporate the attributes into three hypothetical scenarios namely; driver, strategy and social, as these were considered to be reflective of the value context unearthed previously in phase one. The scenarios were disseminated across England as part of a wider survey and achieved a sample size of 1107 responses. The results of which were then interpreted through willingness to pay (WTP) values. Key findings included: how a persistent political undertone can impact on car parking policy setting; that the car parking industry is under pressure to provide a service chiefly motivated by a perceived consumer intolerance of market prices; and that stakeholders can not only appreciate but also experience the impact of car parking choices on other stakeholder groups. Conclusions drawn included that the different stakeholder groups took issue with national government leadership believing it to currently be deficient in setting the standards for British car parking. Moreover, decision makers wrongly perceive that consumers of car parking do not pass between the groups and are therefore hostile to policies which do not directly benefit them. The key implication being that decision makers are cautious to implement policies which are not necessarily advantageous to consumers but which may lead to gains for the remaining stakeholder groups. In short, this thesis recommends amongst others that the governmental stakeholder group should seek to provide direction and guidelines for tariff setting which is reflective of the provision of a service that is conscious of the range of parking industry stakeholder values. Furthermore, as safety is an industry held value, practitioners should seek to better understand how it impacts their market. They should explore the relevance of schemes such as Park Mark to operators and their customers, by fundamentally investigating to what extent safety exists as a valid concern inside car parks and how it applies to personal safety, vehicle safety or general perceptions of safety. In addition, where the governmental stakeholder group remain mindful of the significance of securing political backing, the car parking industry would benefit from appreciating the sensitivities of political challenges faced by the governmental group when lobbying for any changes in parking policy programmes. Indeed, the parking industry should collaborate between the two parties and seek to unite in finding agreeable solutions which benefit constituents either directly or indirectly. As car parking values might differ according to their geopolitical context and lead to the extraction of a different set of attributes, further work would include looking beyond England to first the UK and then to abroad to explore the effects of potential cultural differences and learn the relevant lessons.

Teachers and parents make considerable sacrifices to affiliate themselves with Islamic schools. As they commit to Islamic education, they acquire certain expectations that they want their school to fulfill. The purpose of this study was to explore the academic, social, and cultural expectations of five teachers and five parents in an Islamic School on the West Coast in order understand how these expectations could be fulfilled in other Islamic schools across the United States. The main research questions of this study were: What are the academic, social, and cultural expectations that parents and teachers have of their Islamic schools? To what extent are Islamic schools meeting the expectations of parents and teachers? Qualitative, phenomenological research methods were used for the design of this study along with a purposeful sampling of teachers and parents, triangulation of data sources, and a thorough coding process. Findings from the study supported that teachers and parents expected children to be knowledgeable about Islam in its broadest and deepest interpretations. Additionally, teachers and parents expected children to apply their knowledge of Islam in their everyday lives. Lastly, the degree that expectations were met depended on the support that teachers and parents received from their school community. When teachers and parents felt encouraged by school stakeholders, their expectations were generally fulfilled. Conversely, when teachers and parents felt that their needs were overlooked by school stakeholders, their expectations tended to remain unmet. Conclusions from the study explored ways to bridge the gap between met and unmet expectations of teachers and parents. Implications invited teachers and parents to move beyond expectations toward transformative educational experiences for children in Islamic schools.

In destination development and planning literature much emphasis has been placed upon structural and geographical interpretations of how destinations can be viewed. There is a lack of attention to agency and stakeholder perspectives in destination development and planning. This research has sought to address this gap by focusing upon stakeholder power and engagement with tourism policy development in an English seaside context. Not only is the English seaside context important conceptually, practical connotations are also evident, particularly following the disbanding of the Regional Development Agencies in the summer of 2010 and the impact this has had on tourism organisation in Britain. The research objectives of this study focus upon compiling a conceptual framework which draws upon how power can be used in an enabling and not constraining fashion as an empowerment of people, by focusing on key concepts in stakeholder theory literature. The aim is to provide an alternative to a purely structural and geographical interpretation of the organisation of tourism policy, by focusing on agency and structure, as well as utilising the theory of planned behaviour in determining stakeholder engagement with tourism policy development. This research contributes to the stakeholder theory literature, particularly in defining the power of a stakeholder and how this can help address stakeholder engagement in tourism policy development. In addition contributions are made to the literature on English seaside tourism in utilising insights from the literature on power, structure and agency and stakeholder theory. From a methodological perspective a mixed method research approach has been adopted to add to the emerging qualitative research in the tourism literature in gaining rich contextual insights to the research problem.

Mestrado em Marketing
Apesar do termo “Stakeholders” e a sua tradução para português “Partes Interessadas” serem já reconhecidos por um grande número de gestores portugueses, a Teoria de Stakeholders, o que representa e o seu potencial como abordagem e ferramenta de gestão da empresa é ainda pouco conhecida. A aplicação desta teoria de forma sistemática nas empresas nacionais é discreta e pouco confirmada por investigação. Esta dissertação pretende alcançar uma maior compreensão relativamente à realidade da Gestão de Stakeholders em Portugal. Pretende perceber se e como a Teoria de Stakeholders é aplicada nas empresas em Portugal. E, em caso positivo, quer analisar com que motivações e razões as empresas aplicam esta abordagem e ferramenta de gestão, e com que objetivos e resultados os stakeholders são envolvidos. O número limitado de trabalhos de investigação preocupados em verificar de forma empírica a aplicabilidade desta teoria, em compreender se e como é parte da realidade da gestão e em perceber de que forma a sua aplicação influencia os resultados da organização deixa em aberto um melhor conhecimento da realidade de aplicação da Teoria de Stakeholders. Este trabalho procurou, assim, fazer um estudo qualitativo relativo à realidade da aplicação da Gestão de Stakeholders em Portugal, para perceber a aplicação, perspetiva de aplicação, objetivos e formas de implementação desta teoria em contexto organizacional. Pretende ainda compreender as perceções dos gestores relativamente aos efeitos da aplicação da Teoria de Stakeholders no desempenho das empresas em Portugal. Utilizou-se uma estratégia de design de estudo de caso, com recurso a múltiplos métodos de recolha e análise de dados, nomeadamente entrevistas, informação documental interna das organizações e documentação pública das mesmas. Os resultados da elaboração dos dez casos de estudo evidenciaram que existe aplicação da Teoria de Stakeholders nas empresas em Portugal e que, embora esta aplicação aconteça no âmbito da estratégia de sustentabilidade da empresa e das obrigações legais e normativas a que está sujeita neste contexto, a Gestão de Stakeholders é, em última análise, utilizada e percebida pelos gestores como uma ferramenta fundamental para potenciar a competitividade da empresa na esfera nacional e, sobretudo, internacional, tendo, portanto, importantes efeitos no seu desempenho.
Although a large number of Portuguese managers already recognize the word "Stakeholder", the Stakeholder Theory, what it represents and its potentiality as a strategic management approach and a tool in a company is still barely known. The systematic use of the Theory in Portuguese companies is discreet, and scarcely confirmed empirically. This dissertation intends to achieve a greater understanding regarding the reality of Stakeholder Management in Portugal. It intends to understand whether and how Stakeholder Management is used in companies in Portugal. And, if so, it intends to analyze with which motivations and reasons companies apply this management tool, and with which objectives and results the Stakeholders are involved. The limited number of research studies focused on empirically verifying the applicability of the theory, in understanding how it is part of the reality of management, and in realizing how its application influences business performance means there is a knowledge gap regarding real world use of the Stakeholders Theory in Portugal. In view of this situation, this research uses a qualitative approach on the reality of the use of Stakeholder Management in Portugal, focusing in how it is used, with which perspective, its objectives and how it is implemented in the organization’s context. It also intends to understand manager’s perceptions, of the effects of Stakeholder Theory management on the performance of companies in Portugal. This study uses a multiple case-study design strategy with multiple data collection and analysis methods per case, including interviews, company internal information of each organization and public information. Results of ten case studies show that there is application of the Stakeholder Theory in companies in Portugal. Although this happens in the framework of the company's sustainability strategy, and legal and regulatory obligations to which it is subject in this context, Stakeholder Management is ultimately used and perceived by managers as a fundamental tool, to potentiate the competitiveness of the company in the national and, above all, international sphere, and therefore it has an important effect on its performance.
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

In 2008, a financial crisis struck the world economy, causing a risk of a potential system-crash. In order to stabilize the financial system within Europe, European Banking Authority (EBA) presented new guidelines (GL44) as a way, among others, to increase the transparency among financial institutions. As a result of GL44, Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) implemented new regulations, with minor adjustments and amendments. At present, the guidelines are weeks from being completely implemented, thus meaning that the financial industry is able to start seeing the changes from the regulations.The authors have chosen to conduct a study regarding how the banks have been affected from the external authority demands during the previous recession.The focus of the study has been on three of Sweden’s four large banks, which are considered systematically important, as well as one niche bank.The study showed that the work in board and top-management was affected by external demands from authorities. The attention on business development was disturbed during the recession since more focus was put on controlling factors such as compliance, risk management and internal audit as well as on board composition and board competence.

This study addresses three aspects of basic nursing education. First, the study documents the extent to which those people whose views shape nursing education (stakeholders) disagree. Second, the study considers the sorts of reasons offered by nurse educators for curricular choices and, third, it focusses on recommendations for basic nursing education. In the first part of the study, which addresses the first four questions, the sample (n=740) consisted of five groups: nurse service administrators, representatives from the ministries of health and education, representatives from the Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia, nurse educators and physicians. Each person was asked to complete a questionnaire. In the second part of the study, which addresses the fifth research question, the random sample (n = 33) consisted of nurse educators. Each was interviewed by the researcher. Completion of the questionnaire by the five groups revealed that stakeholders differed significantly in their rating of objectives, course content and clinical areas, and in their views of the appropriate type and the length of educational preparation. Much of the disagreement occurred between physicians and other groups. While some agreement was found on objectives, course content and clinical areas among the groups, there was also disagreement among all groups studied. Types of reasons given by nurse educators for particular curricular choices were (in order of frequency): educational, institutional, client, traditional, professional and 'other'. However the emphasis given to these categories varied — depending on the type of educational institution at which the educator was employed. In the third portion of the study the author — considering, among other things, the expressed wishes of the stakeholders surveyed — offers a proposal on the general form basic nursing education in British Columbia might take. It is her opinion that a suitable basic nursing education program should be at least four years in length, be one which allows students a choice of electives and one which offers a choice of clinical specialties.
Education, Faculty of
Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of
Graduate

Purpose - To provide a unifying paradigm of project success by developing a generic model of project stakeholder satisfaction, through identifying the various theoretical constructs that contribute to it, researching their nature, relationship, dynamics and identifying any mechanisms involved. Design/methodology/approach - Initially from the project literature success and satisfaction were reviewed from the traditional approach of stakeholders and success criteria, however, a number of complementary constructs were found to contribute to stakeholder satisfaction. The multi-disciplined approach allowed the inductive development of two conceptual models the first related to the antecedents of satisfaction and the second related to a model of project stakeholder satisfaction. The conceptual models were reviewed in a case study setting consisting of experienced project team members involved in two concurrent projects taking place locally. The technique used to review and develop the model with the case study members was predominately a structured interview, however, where necessary and in order to capture the richness of qualitative data from the informants this technique was supplemented by the critical incident technique. Findings - The proposed models have implications both at theoretical and applied levels. The mapping and sequencing of satisfaction identifying how success criteria, service quality and value construct contribute to stakeholder satisfaction provides an explanation of the antecedents of satisfaction. The Model of Project Stakeholder Satisfaction identifies the influences, relationships and dynamics involved in the determination of stakeholder project satisfaction. The study also provides a success criteria hierarchy of twelve components, (four that relate to the output of a project and eight that relate to how project is delivered) that contribute to the satisfaction equation. The study also develops the argument that the formation of stakeholder attitude provides a natural boundary of when stakeholder satisfaction should be measured.

Organisations exist in a vast range of types and sizes. While it is generally known that start-ups suffer a high rate of infant mortality for various reasons, it is clear that there are many different successful approaches to achieving stability and worthwhile contribution. Even the fortunes of large companies are not immune to ebb and flow, and these phenomena are manifested in the effects they have, both on the communities in which they are placed, and on their trading partners. Therefore there is more to sustainable success than size or other traditional financial measures such as turnover, profit, return on investment etc. This thesis is inspired by the need to identify a way of characterising the contributions of organisations as a framework of performance measurement that is meaningful to all organisations regardless of type or size, and systematically relating that view of contributions to organisations' strategic and operational activities. Business processes are used within organisations to control productive activity and therefore are at the root of all aspects of an organisation's output. There are, however, a number of reasons for processes to be disconnected from the strategic intentions of an organisation, whereupon the processes, and the activities within them, become less efficient and effective in serving the needs of the organisation than they should be. Traditional methods of performance measurement do not adequately address this problem, so a new model for the measurement and improvement of organisational performance is required. In reviewing theories and empirical viewpoints concerning stakeholders it is found that there are several distinct topics of interest within that field. These are brought together in the form of a standardised list of stakeholder groups, which is then field tested for general applicability. A method for expressing the strategic intentions of an organisation, based on this standardised list, is then developed and is also field tested. The group structure is extended by identifying a number of factors that determine the satisfaction of stakeholders, and these are also field tested for applicability. Using the structured analysis of stakeholders by groups, and the factors that determine their satisfaction, a model is proposed (the Performance Boundary Model) that shows stakeholders and the organisation itself as distinct but connected domains. This concept is developed, by building on established theory and the findings of the field research, into a representation or model. This model provides a structured connection between strategic intentions and measured operational performance, and these are connected into the organisation through its processes. The model thus provides structured links between organisational strategy, operational processes and objective performance measures.

The systematic, downward trend in state funding support to public higher education has resulted in many higher education institutions undertaking large-scale, coordinated fundraising projects or capital campaigns in order to increase third stream income. There is a dearth of research which explores stakeholder management – one of the key knowledge areas in project management – in the public higher education fundraising environment. This research study set out to identify the issues which need to be considered when developing a stakeholder management strategy for fundraising projects at a South African public higher education institution. A qualitative, case study approach was adopted, with semi-structured interviews used to obtain the data. Thematic analysis was used for identifying and analysing patterns or themes within data. The University of Cape Town (UCT) was selected as the case. The research identified that there are a number and variety of stakeholders in the UCT fundraising environment. This could give rise to project complexity affecting the stakeholder landscape. The research highlighted there was a main focus on internal stakeholders, as well as certain external stakeholders necessary for providing third stream income to the university. Some of the strategies used to manage stakeholders were also those identified as critical success factors for effective stakeholder management. The research highlighted the importance of relationship management and stewardship as stakeholder management strategies, which supports the normative approach of stakeholder management. The study found that internal stakeholders possibly cause uncertainty in projects, and hence stakeholder management strategies could mitigate against the possible negative effects.

The work analyzes the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) concept and the importance of CSR for companies operating in ipercompetitive contexts. Carroll defines that companies must respect four responsibilities (economic, legal, ethic and philanthropic) and therefore they must respect people who are affected by their choices (Stakeholder view). Companies implementing CSR actions believe that organizations are successful when they satisfy requests of different stakeholders; organizations to achieve success and improve their competitive advantage by using corporate resources and capabilities (Resource-Based view). The originality of the proposed work lies in considering CSR as a dynamic capability. Resources and capabilities must be adapted to changes of the environment. Finally, companies must reconfigure their resources and capabilities to face the context in which they operate, so as satisfy stakeholder expectations before and better than competitors (Market-Driven Management) through innovative actions needed to increase their competitive advantage.

Background: Strategic place branding has gained increased recognition lately, both scholarly and inpractice. Because of globalization, cities are today constantly competing with othercities all over the world. Therefore it is today important for a city to communicate animage that is distinguished from others. However, a city’s image is not communicatedby a single organization, but by a various number of stakeholders. A city consists ofmany different stakeholders, which can make it a complex process. Problem: Much of the existing research argues for the need to involve stakeholders in theprocess of branding cities. How to successfully do so is however still not clearlydefined. This is a complicated manner since every stakeholder is different and hasdifferent needs, priorities and perspectives. This means that stakeholders are also ableto contribute to a city and its brand in a unique way, which existing research lacks indefining. As of last year, Jönköping Municipality and Jönköping University officiallybecame partners in a project called Jönköping Science City. This is a strategiccollaboration between the two parties around a common future vision for Jönköping. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how the involvement of JönköpingUniversity, as a stakeholder, looks like in the process of branding Jönköping city.Meaning that this study will analyze the collaboration and the effects that theuniversity has as a major stakeholder and as an educational center in the city. Method:  Primary and secondary data have been used in order to fulfill the purpose of thisthesis. A case study, in-depth interviews and existing literature have provided atheoretical and empirical base to for the analysis and conclusion. Conclusion: Jönköping University is a unique stakeholder and has had considerable contributionfor the city and its brand. By an established cooperation with the university, Jönköpingcity are in turn able to utilize the positive
Bakgrund: Till följd av globaliseringen som idag är ett faktum finns numera en konstantkonkurrens städer emellan. Detta har lett till en allt större betydelse och intresse kringstrategisk platsmarknadsföring, både vetenskapligt och i praktiken. I praktiken betyderdetta att städer idag har ett behov av att kommunicera en unik varumärkesimage somskiljer sig från övriga städer. Däremot kommuniceras inte städers varumärkesimageenbart av en organisation, utan genom många olika aktörer aktiva i staden. Problem: En stor del av den befintliga forskningen betonar vikten av att involvera dessa aktöreri stadens marknadsföringsprocess. Det finns dock inget entydigt svar på hur detta skallgenomföras och oklarheter råder på området. Att involvera aktörer i en sådan processär ofta komplicerat då olika aktörer har skilda behov, prioriteringar och perspektiv. Nuvarande forskning saknar även fakta kring det faktum att olika aktörer kan bidra tillen stad på unika sätt. Detta har författarna valt att kolla vidare på genom att undersökadet nyligen startade samarbetet mellan Jönköpings kommun och Högskolan iJönköping, Jönköping Science City. Jönköping Science City är ett officiellt samarbetei syfte att skapa och jobba mot en gemensam framtidsvision parterna emellan. Syfte: Denna uppsats har till syfte att undersöka Högskolan i Jönköpings medverkan iJönköpings stads marknadsföringsprocess. Detta kommer att göras genom attanalysera samarbetet mellan de båda parterna och de bidragande effekter somsamarbetet medför. Metod: Både primär- och sekundär data har bildat grunden för denna uppsatts. Författarna haranvänt sig utav en fallstudie, djupintervjuer och befintlig litteratur. Slutsats: Högskolan i Jönköping är en unik aktör i sin roll som stadens lärosäte och har bidragittill en stor del av den utveckling som skett i staden. Genom ett samarbete meduniversitetet, har Jönköping stad bättre kunnat utnyttja den positiva

The Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) was first introduced in all commercial forest reserves in Sabah in 1997. This policy gives hope to the state government to manage the forests in a sustainable manner following the forest development phase of revenue oriented timber exploitation, which has contributed to the decline in forest resources; the increase in forest degradation and the decrease in state income earned from the forestry sector. Under the SFM concept, the forest of the state was divided into Forest Management Units (FMUs) managed by FMU holders under different institutional arrangements of state, state enterprise and private sector. This study was conducted to investigate the corporate-stakeholder interrelation under the SFM concept implemented by the FMU holder in Sabah, Malaysia. The research was based on the ‘Triple Typology Perspective of Stakeholder Theory’, which encapsulates three different perspectives of ‘conceptual’, ‘corporate’ and ‘stakeholder’ centric. The ‘conceptual’ perspective explores the overall SFM concept and its relation to the FMU holder – stakeholder interaction. The ‘corporate’ view investigates how the FMU holders as the corporate part of the SFM concept deals with their stakeholders; and the ‘stakeholder’ perspective analyses the relation between stakeholders, the FMU holders and SFM implementation. Stakeholder analysis was used to gather information with the application of methods incorporating literature reviews, expert interviews, focus groups, meetings and discussion, questionnaire surveys and Q methodology. Four FMUs were selected as study areas, which managed by the state, state enterprise and private sector. The respondents were encompassed personal of Sabah Forestry Department (SFD), FMU managers and FMU workers, various governmental and non-governmental agencies, and local communities of eight villages located within and in the fringe of FMU areas involved in the study. Under the ‘conceptual centric’, different groups of stakeholders were identified based on SFM documentation, which also provide the normative basis for the SFM concept. The contemporary implementation of SFM was assessed based on stakeholders’ perspective, which indicated that the overall SFM contribution entailed mainly on satisfaction of environment objectives, followed by economic and, to a lesser degree, social objectives. Different categories of stakeholders were identified based on their perceptions of various issues under SFM implementation. These include the level of cooperation or conflict; degree of stakeholder participation; views of specific individuals and a thorough comparison of individual subjectivity. There is, however, an agreement to the statements on the influential factors towards effective SFM implementation, which include the administration and leadership of SFD, and good collaboration between SFD and the FMU holders. Other consensuses were related to the roles of participation in promoting learning about synergy and the importance of various forest uses, and that it should be able to influence the decision-making during the consultation process. The implementation of SFM was agreed in influencing towards investment in the forestry sector and the development of the rural area in the state. The ‘corporate centric’ indicates the different approaches of stakeholder management under the different arrangements of FMU holders. The SFM operations with a high level of stakeholder involvement were identified as community forestry programme followed by forest conservation, forest protection, development and preparation of plans, administration, human resource development, and research and development. The important stakeholders, according to their degree of involvement in SFM operations were the internal stakeholders of FMU workers, followed by external stakeholders of the staff of SFD, contractors, local communities, local authorities, consultants, businessmen/traders and researchers/scientists. Other stakeholders were various state government agencies, manufacturers, shareholders, NGOs (local), international agencies, NGOs (international), donors, federal government agencies and other FMU holders. The ‘stakeholder centric’ identifies the various stakeholders interests and claims associated with SFM implementation that depend on stakeholder affiliation. The main groups in this study were multi-interest stakeholder groups (n=104) and the local community groups of the selected villages (n=332). The interests and claims of the multi-interest stakeholder group were related to SFM objectives such as good management of the forest, protection and conservation of environment and biodiversity, and protection of water catchment areas. The local community groups, on the other hand, were mainly concerned with the importance of the forest as a source for foods, land for agriculture and other livelihood purposes. There are various approaches for stakeholder relation management (SRM) that are employed by the FMU holders and stakeholders. These may consist of management quality system, CSR program, the community forest development project; inter agency meetings and dialogue; and collaboration and cooperation with other agencies and institutions. SRM can assist in balancing conflicts that arise, promoting cooperation, and advancing the knowledge and understanding on the SFM concept among the stakeholders. The SRM approaches under the SFM implementation can augment participation by the stakeholders, which in turn will promote effective and efficient implementation of SFM. The mutual relation of the SFM concept and SRM is advancing stakeholder participation in promoting effective implementation of SFM at the FMU level. The inter-relation of the ‘triple perspective typology of stakeholder theory’ was integrated as new contexts to achieve objectives for sustainability under SFM policy, with the business case of corporate sustainability, and the wider scope of the ecosystem approach and the sustainable development
Das Konzept Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) wurde erstmals in allen kommerziellen Waldreservaten in Sabah, Malaysia, im Jahr 1997 eingeführt. Mit dieser Politik verbindet die Landesregierung die Hoffnung, dass die Wälder nun in einer nachhaltigen Art und Weise bewirtschaftet werden können, nachdem die fast ausschließlich auf Einnahmen orientierte Holznutzung zum Rückgang der Waldbestände, zur Zunahme der Waldzerstörung und damit letztendlich auch zum Rückgang der Staatseinnahmen aus der Forstwirtschaft beigetragen hat. Zur Umsetzung des SFM-Konzepts wurde der Staatswald in Forest Management Units (FMU) unterteilt, die von FMU Haltern aus verschiedenen Staatsinstitutionen, Staatsunternehmen und der Privatwirtschaft verwaltet werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht das Verhältnis zwischen Unternehmen als FMU-Bewirtschaftern und Stakeholdern im Konzept nachhaltiger Waldbewirtschaftung, das von FMUs in Sabah, Malaysia implementiert wurde. Die Arbeit basiert auf der „Triple-Typology Perspective of Stakeholder Theory“, welche drei verschiedene Perspektiven beinhaltet, die konzeptionell, unternehmensbezogen oder Stakeholder-zentriert sind. Dabei untersucht die konzeptionelle Perspektive SFM-Konzepte und die daraus resultierenden Beziehungen zwischen FMU-Bewirtschafter und ihren jeweiligen Stakeholdern. Die unternehmenszentrierte Sicht legt den Schwerpunkt darauf, wie FMU-Bewirtschafter als Teil des SFM-Konzeptes mit Stakeholdern interagieren. Die Stakeholder-Perspektive analysiert das Verhältnis zwischen Stakeholdern, FMU-Bewirtschafter und der SFM-Implementierung. Die Daten wurden mit Hilfe der Stakeholder-Theorie unter Anwendung quantitativer und qualitativer Methoden wie Literaturrecherche, Experteninterviews, Fokusgruppen, informellen Treffen und Diskussionsrunden, schriftlichen Befragungen und der Q-Methodologie erhoben. Als Untersuchungseinheiten wurden vier FMUs ausgewählt, die durch den Staat, den staatlichen Forstbetrieb und den privatem Sektor bewirtschaftet werden. Die Befragungsteilnehmer setzten sich aus Personal der Forstverwaltung Sabah (Sabah Forestry Department, SFD), den FMU-Bewirtschaftern und –Mitarbeitern, verschiedenen Regierungs- und Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen und lokalen Gemeinschaften in acht Dörfern innerhalb sowie im Randgebiet der FMUs zusammen. In Bezug auf die konzeptionelle Perspektive wurden, basierend auf der SFM-Dokumentation, verschiedene Stakeholder-Gruppen identifiziert, die die normative Basis für das SFM-Konzept liefern. Dessen Implementation wurde aus Sicht der Stakeholder analysiert. Es zeigte sich, dass der gesamte Beitrag zum SFM vornehmlich umweltbezogene Zielsetzungen erfüllt, gefolgt von ökonomischen und, zu einem noch geringeren Grad, sozialen Zielen. Mehrere Kategorien von Stakeholdern wurden auf Grundlage ihrer Wahrnehmung verschiedener Aspekte im Zuge der SFM-Implementation identifiziert. Diese umfassen die Kooperations- oder Konfliktebene, den Grad der Stakeholder-Beteiligung sowie individuelle Betrachtungen. Es gibt eine Übereinstimmung zu Äußerungen, welche Einflussfaktoren hinsichtlich effektiver SFM-Implementierung entscheidend sind. Dabei wurden vor allem das Management und die Führung der, der SFD sowie gute Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem SFD und den FMU-Bewirtschaftern genannt. Weitere Übereinstimmung besteht darin, die Weiterbildung über die Bedeutung unterschiedlicher Waldnutzungen und deren Ausbalancierung zu stärken, um die Entscheidungsfindung im Konsultationsprozess beeinflussen zu können. Auch herrschte Einigkeit darin, durch Investition in den Forstsektor und Entwicklung ländlicher Regionen die Implementation von SFM zu stärken. Der unternehmensbezogene Fokus konzentriert sich auf die verschiedenen Ansätze des Stakeholder-Managements unter unterschiedlichen Charakteristika der FMU-Bewirtschafter. SFM-Maßnahmen mit einem hohen Grad an Stakeholder-Beteiligung sind Gemeinschaftsforstprogramme (community forestry programmes), gefolgt von Waldnaturschutz, Waldschutz, Entwicklung und Vorbereitung von Plänen, Verwaltung, die Entwicklung von Humanressourcen sowie Forschung und Entwicklung. Die wichtigsten Stakeholder, bezogen auf ihren Beteiligungsgrad in SFM-Maßnahmen, waren intern die Mitarbeiter der FMUs und extern die Mitarbeiter der SFD, Vertragsnehmer, lokale Gemeinschaftsgruppen und Verwaltungen, Berater, Geschäftsleute/Händler und Forscher/Wissenschaftler. Weitere Stakeholder waren verschiedene Regierungsorganisationen, Produzenten, Aktionäre, internationale Behörden, lokale und internationale NGOs, Behörden der föderalen Regierung und andere FMU-Bewirtschafter. Die Stakeholder Perspektive identifiziert verschiedene Interessen und Forderungen der Stakeholder, die sich auf die SFM-Implementation beziehen und von der Stakeholder-Zugehörigkeit abhängen. Die Hauptgruppen in dieser Studie waren sogenannte Mehrinteressen-Stakeholder-Gruppen (n=104) und lokale Gemeinschaftsgruppen (n=332). Die Interessen und Forderungen der Mehrinteressen-Stakeholder-Gruppen waren bezogen auf SFM-Ziele wie gute Waldbewirtschaftung, Schutz und Erhaltung der Umwelt und Biodiversität sowie Schutz von Wassereinzugsgebieten. Andererseits stand der Wald als Quelle für Nahrung, landwirtschaftliche Flächen und andere Aspekte des Lebensunterhaltes im Mittelpunkt des Interesses lokaler Gemeinschaftsgruppen. Es gibt zahlreiche Ansätze für das Management von Stakeholder-Beziehungen (Stakeholder Relation Management, SRM), welches durch FMU-Bewirtschafter und Stakeholder genutzt wird. Der SRM-Ansatz besteht aus dem Bewirtschaftungsqualitätssystem, CSR-Programm, dem Gemeinschaftswaldentwicklungsprojekt, multilateralen Treffen und Dialog zwischen den Behörden, und Zusammenarbeit und Kooperation mit anderen Behörden und Organisationen. SRM kann dazu dienen, mögliche Konflikte auszubalancieren, Kooperation zu begünstigen sowie das Wissen und Verständnis von SFM zu fördern. Die Einbindung von SRM in die Implementation von SFM erweitert die Beteiligung der Stakeholder, was wiederum zu einer effektiveren und effizienteren Implementation von SFM auf FMU-Ebene führen kann. Die Wechselbeziehungen zwischen der „Triple-Perspective Typology of Stakeholder Theory“ und dem Ökosystemansatz, der unternehmensbezogenen Nachhaltigkeit und dem Konzept des Sustainable Forest Management bilden die Grundlage, um das Ziel einer umfassenden Nachhaltigkeit zu erreichen

This thesis aims to develop a stakeholder analysis method for the upcoming standard on social  responsibility  (SR)  ISO  26000. The  goal  is  a method  that,  by  adhering  to  three criteria regarding comprehensibility, flexibility and ease of use, can be used and applied by organizations regardless of type (corporation, NGO, municipality etc.) and value chain size. The method consists of  six different  steps which, when completed, will produce a situation map of the organization’s key SR issues and stakeholders for those issues.   The  method  is  practically  applied  and  perfected  through  two  case  studies  on  the respective Swedish  branches  of  the Nordic  corporations  ICA  (grocery  store  chain)  and Eniro  (online and printed  information  services. Although  sharing  similar characteristics in organization size, there are big differences in value chain size and services provided.  The study contributes to providing practical experience with stakeholder analysis for ISO 26000 and as a point of departure  for  further  studies on how  to  identify key  issues and stakeholders;  the  generalizability  of  the  results  suggests  applicability  not  just  for  ISO 26000 but for other preconditions as well.  The results of  the case studies suggest  that  the model developed fulfils  the  three criteria set up for  it,  thus having great practical value for all kinds of organizations  that want  to work with ISO 26000. It is suggested that the model could be improved by applying it on organizations dissimilar to the ones used in the case studies in this thesis, and fine tuning it to those organization’s specific resources and needs.

The current study investigates the mechanisms employed for analyzing and engaging stakeholders through the planning and implementation phases of the mobility management project Sustainable Travel in Umeå Region (Sweden). In alignment with researchers' epistemological and ontological assumptions, an abductive approach and the case study strategy were selected. The qualitative data collected through conducting interviews with the five project team members and through examining project's documentation were analyzed using the pattern matching technique and leading to the findings presented in detail in Chapter 4 and discussed in Chapter 5. The core finding of the study is a model of the use of mechanisms through the planning and implementation phases of a MM project. The planning phase of the project coincides with the stakeholders' analysis process, thus identifying, classifying, characterizing and a very complex process of designing the engagement strategy for citizens, which includes also deciding and starting implementing the strategy for organizations. The correspondent analysis and engagement mechanisms, developed by the project stakeholders‟ scholars for each of these stages, are mostly unwittingly used by the project team. Once the engagement strategy for citizens is decided, the implementation phase is initiated. The implementation phase is characterized by a blend between MM mechanisms and classic stakeholders' engagement mechanisms, which are constantly reassessed through project's lifecycle. In addition, the main challenges emerged in the process of stakeholders' engagement in this project are discussed, concluding that the lack of alignment between some of the regulations coming from the national and supranational level and the project's aim, combined with communication issues and the unwillingness of the targeted organization to interfere in the personal lives of their employees, are the elements that most endanger the success of the stakeholders' engagement process and implicitly of the MM project.

Thesis (M.S. in Systems Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2006.
Thesis Advisor(s): Orin E. Marvel. "September 2006." Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-95). Also available in print.

Abstract A stakeholder analysis is commonly a part of the requirements engineering process in the development of software systems. It contributes to identifying, analysing, negotiating and validating requirements from multiple stakeholder viewpoints that do not necessary share the same views on a system under development and do not necessary express themselves using a similar language. Stakeholder analysis is often integrated into a used development method or practice and doesn’t necessarily appear as a separate process. The increase in software size, availability and use in different appliances, however, requires more from the stakeholder analysis than has been recognized in Software Engineering literature. The increasing scale of software systems and connections to other systems increase the number of involved stakeholders complicating the stakeholder analysis. In addition, how the actual stakeholder analysis should be implemented in large scale software development and how it supports the development effort is problematic in practice. The purpose of this thesis is to study the role and purpose of a stakeholder analysis in a large-scale software-intensive systems development. In this thesis, an empirical approach is taken to study the large-scale software-intensive systems development as phenomena in order to observe it as a whole. This approach allows this thesis to analyse the phenomena from different perspectives in order to identify and describe the nature and purpose of a stakeholder analysis in large-scale software-intensive systems development. The contribution of this thesis is the following. First, the thesis contributes to both the practical and scientific community by describing the role of stakeholder analysis in the software-intensive systems development process. Secondly, it demonstrates how a stakeholder analysis can be implemented in a large-scale software-intensive systems development process
Tiivistelmä Sidosryhmäanalyysi on yleensä osa vaatimusmäärittelyprosessia ohjelmistojärjestelmien kehityksessä. Se edesauttaa vaatimusten tunnistamista, analysointia, sopimista ja vahvistamista useiden eri sidosryhmien näkökulmasta tilanteissa, missä eri sidosryhmät eivät välttämättä jaa samaa näkökulmaa kehitettävään järjestelmään ja eivät välttämättä käytä samaa kieltä ilmaistakseen itseään. Sidosryhmäanalyysi on usein integroitu suoraan käytettyyn kehitysmenetelmään tai käytäntöön ja ei välttämättä ilmene erillisenä prosessina. Ohjelmiston koon kasvaessa ja yhteyksien lisääntyminen yhä useampiin laitteisiin on johtanut tilanteeseen, missä sidosryhmäanalyysilta vaaditaan yhä enemmän kuin kirjallisuudessa on aiemmin tunnistettu. Ohjelmistojärjestelmien alati kasvava koko ja yhteyksien lisääntyminen muihin järjestelmiin kasvattaa sidosryhmien määrää vaikeuttaen sidosryhmäanalyysin tekemistä. Lisäksi on ongelmallista, että miten sidosryhmäanalyysin tulisi tukea suuren mittakaavan ohjelmistotuotantoa ja miten se käytännössä toteutetaan tällaisessa ympäristössä. Tämän väitöskirjan tavoitteena on tutkia sidosryhmän roolia ja tarkoitusta suuren mittakaavan ohjelmistointensiivisten järjestelmien tuotannossa. Tutkimus on toteutettu empiirisellä lähestymistavalla tarkkailemalla suuren mittakaavan ohjelmistointensiivisten järjestelmien tuotantoa kokonaisuutena. Tämä lähestymistapa mahdollistaa kokonaisuuden analysoinnin eri näkökulmista, jotta sidosryhmäanalyysin luonne ja tarkoitus voidaan tunnistaa ja kuvata suuren mittakaavan ohjelmistointensiivisten järjestelmien tuotannossa. Väitöskirjan tulosten kontribuutio jakautuu kahteen osaan. Ensimmäiseksi väitöskirjan tulokset auttavat sekä tiedeyhteisöä ja käytännön työtä tekeviä kuvaamalla sidosryhmäanalyysin suuren mittakaavan ohjelmistointensiivisten järjestelmien tuotannossa. Toiseksi tulokset havainnollistavat miten sidosryhmäanalyysi voidaan toteuttaa suuren mittakaavan ohjelmistointensiivisten järjestelmien tuotekehitysprosessissa

Determining what can be described as a 'good outcome' for people with chronic pain is problematic. It is not feasible to measure change in relation to whether individuals are within the bounds of the nonnal population as this is not possible for the majority (i.e. the pain will not cease· and return them to nonnal physical functioning). This investigation sought to derive service-user detennined criteria for the assessment of clinical significance in chronic pain. A total of 78 men and women aged 21-86 attending a local pain management out-patient clinic agreed to take part in the investigation. Participants were asked to describe an 'acceptable outcome' using common chronic pain outcome measures. Participants indicated a lower level of pain severity, impact and interference and higher level of activity as part of an acceptable outcome. Previous research has typically placed the threshold for clinically significant change at around 30%. The degree of change indicated by participants was notably higher (52.1 - 63.7%). There was considerable variation between participants. Those experiencing higher current pain intensity required a greater change in their pain experience for it to be described as an 'acceptable outcome'. For some parameters, younger age and female gender were also associated with requiring a greater degree of change. The majority of acceptable outcome ratings could be described as statistically reliable, depending on the specific pain parameter. Cut points for clinical significance were also derived for each outcome measure. Analyses revealed that a large degree of change would be required for participants to be described as experiencing a clinical significant alteration in their pain experience. Results suggest that change meeting service-user defined clinical significance criteria may be difficult to achieve in clinical practice. Suggestions for future research and possible clinical implications are discussed.