Brief description
Stakeholders play an important role for every organization, as they can influence the company in various ways. Each stakeholder’s interest, or “stake,” can change over time and is context-dependent. Therefore, it is particularly important for companies to identify, categorize, and prioritize their stakeholders and, based on these insights, engage with them regarding their sustainability challenges. Stakeholder management also provides companies with an opportunity to exert influence and communicate effectively.
Some of the questions we address in this area of research include:
Who are a company’s stakeholders? What are their “stakes,” needs, and contributions?
Which stakeholders are particularly relevant? For what reasons?
What are appropriate forms of interaction and communication with a company’s stakeholders?
Which formats (e.g., dialogue, reports, open innovation, social networks) are best suited for interacting with the respective stakeholder groups?
In the SmartHaPSSS project, for example, stakeholders are identified who are relevant to the innovation process within the company from a sustainability perspective. Furthermore, NGOs are explicitly considered as stakeholders in the project “Consumer Perception of NGO-Firm Cooperations.”