Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Stakeholder relationship management'

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.

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, System Design and Management Program, Engineering and Management Program, 2016.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 70-71).
Stakeholder engagement is a key but often misunderstood performance indicator of project success in controversial projects. Construction projects, power production, medical research, and waste disposal are examples of such large-scale projects. Many of these are critical assets and yet are often at risk of being shut down due to key stakeholder disengagement. It is a tragedy when a successful and needed project is terminated not because of technical, economic, or safety issues but due to a lack of proper stakeholder engagement. At a broad level it is generally understood that stakeholder relationship management is important, but how important and what must be done to ensure appropriate stakeholder engagement remains unclear. My research addresses this chronic problem using a newly developed system dynamics model that better illustrates complex relationships, how they change over time, and what must be done to gather enough support to ensure project success. To firmly root the system dynamics model, interviews were done at an unnamed nuclear power plant (NPP) in the United States. The strengths and weaknesses of the NPP's public outreach efforts were enumerated along with the strengths and weaknesses of the model itself. Ultimately, the model was shown to be plausibly useful to individuals responsible for success in managing stakeholder relationship on controversial projects.
by Adrien Laws.
S.M. in Engineering and Management

Corporate sustainability confronts significant challenges when supply chain managers pursue short-term financial performance to meet stakeholders' expectations. To achieve sustainable economic success, organizational managers need to understand the relationship between corporate sustainability and long-term financial performance. Based on the resource dependence theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between sustainable supply chain management (SCM), stakeholder pressure, and corporate sustainability performance. The population consisted of worldwide public organizations from Newsweek Global Green Ranking 2016 list engaged in sustainable SCM. The secondary data for the study were collected from databases hosted by Sustainalytics and Standard & Poor's. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated statistically significant relationships between sustainable SCM and corporate sustainability performance, F(5, 158) = 3,981, p = .002, R2[.112], and between stakeholder pressure and corporate sustainability performance, F(5, 158) = 2,552 p = .030, R2[.075]. Analysis of the relationship between sustainable SCM and corporate sustainability performance with stakeholder pressure as a moderator showed non-significant interaction effect, F (5, 158) = 5.54, p < .001, R2 =.11. R2 -chng =.0007, p-int = .669. With stakeholder pressure as a mediator, the relationship showed non-significant indirect effect, b = .024, z = 0.97, p = .329. The findings of this study could contribute to the social change given that sustainable development of supply chains support the conservation of natural resources and living standards of stakeholders.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to determine approaches to CRM within the luxury hotel sector in Cape Town in order to add value not only to guests, but to all stakeholders of the hotel. This was done by conducting a literature review, supported by a sound base of primary research. The findings proved that CRM theory holds true for most luxury hotels and the notion that luxury hotels in modern times cannot afford to be without a CRM initiative, was underpinned. Furthermore, the concept of an aligned strategy and vision in terms of a hotel's CRM approach was found to be integral. Staff buy-in and co-operation are of utmost importance for any hotel property implementing a CRM initiative. Additionally, training and education on the importance of CRM was highlighted as an important factor to get all staff on board. Management needs to become customer relationship management experts themselves in order to inspire and motivate staff to excel at building relationships with guests. Moreover, the common mistake of hotels to place greater impetus on CRM technology than training and lack of leveraging CRM investments was examined as some of the main reasons for the failure of CRM initiatives. Although CRM technologies are extremely powerful tools and may facilitate a hotel's CRM strategy, they cannot be viewed in isolation and made responsible for the success of such a programme. Training is vital to enable staff to use these systems optimally and to turn guest data into gold. The importance of people was also emphasised in the light of personalisation of service; having the correct staff with an aptitude for guest service and hospitality is imperative. Lastly, the concept of customer-centric processes and systems was stressed. Everything a hotel does in terms of CRM efforts should be derived from the notion of guest satisfaction. Guest satisfaction is the one essential element that will enable a hotel to flourish and enjoy a firm base of repeat business. Repeat business is the most rewarding type of business for a hotel as it means that guests are satisfied with their service and will promote the hotel to others at no additional cost to the hotel.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie navorsingstuk was om die houding van luukse hotelle in Kaapstad teenoor kliënte verhoudingsbestuur (KVB) te bepaal en vas te stel hoe alle aandeelhouers van die hotel voordeel kan trek uit KVB. Die doelwit was bereik met behulp van primêre en sekondêre navorsing. Die bevindinge het bewys dat KVB teoreties waarde toevoeg tot meeste luukse hotelle. Die feit is geboekstaaf dat luukse hotelle nie sonder KVB kan oorleef nie. Dit was ook gevind dat 'n geintegreerde strategie en visie van uiterste belang is in KVB in hotelle. Personeel samewerking en entoesiasme is ook uitgelig as belangrike elemente wat die sukses van KVB bepaal. In hierdie opsig, was opleiding 'n integrale faktor tot die bevordering van personeel deelname. Die bestuur van hotelle moet self kundiges raak op die gebied van KVB om sodoende personeel te inspireer en motiveer om ook waardevolle kliënteverhoudinge te bou. Algemene foute wat hotelle begaan in terme van KVB is die feit dat meer klem gelê word op KVB tegnologie as op opleiding en dat die opbrengs op die inisiële belegging in KVB nie in ag geneem word nie. Alhoewel KVB tegnologie van onskatbare waarde is om 'n hotel se KVB strategie suksesvol te maak, kan die sukses van so 'n strategie nie alleenlik daaraan toegeskryf word nie. Ten einde die personeel te bemagtig om hierdie sisteme optimaal te benut, moet opleiding weereens as 'n area van belang beklemtoon word. Nog 'n prioriteit is die kwaliteit van personeel wat aangestel word; personeel moet 'n natuurlike aanvoeling hê vir kliënte diens en persoonlike interaksie.

This research investigates the relationship among the stakeholders during the strategic planning process in an airline company. The concept of involving stakeholders in strategic planning is based on the assumption that engaging stakeholders in a meaningful way will increase the benefits for both the organization and the stakeholders. The growth trend of the company investigated has resulted in complexity due to the growth of its internal and external stakeholders and the influence that their relationships can have on strategic planning. Whereas studies have identified a number of factors that can influence stakeholder relations, it has also been suggested that relationships could further be influenced by host of other stakeholder-related attributes. It is in this context that the study answers the following research questions: (1) how do stakeholders understand their responsibilities in strategic planning?; (2) how do they perceive the importance of communication and coordination to their relationship during the planning process?; and (3) how do the stakeholders‘ expectations shape the challenges faced by the company and their relationship during strategic planning? The study employs the qualitative method of research using the interview technique to collect data to gain insights into how the participants perceive and make sense of their relationships during strategic planning in their company. The conceptual dimension of the study is premised on the two streams of meaning of relationships and the dynamics of stakeholder relations during strategic planning projected in the literature. The methodological dimension is premised on the importance of lived experience as a significant source of knowledge. In this respect, the study draws on phenomenology using narrative analysis and inductive content analysis in the treatment of data. Accordingly, the study found that stakeholders bring to the table a plethora of responsibilities which have significant upward and downward influences during strategic planning. There is a consensus among stakeholders on the general importance of the relational benefits of coordination and communication. Real time coordination and communication with external stakeholders is differentially perceived within the range of poor to excellent. Likewise, there is differential perception of the relational importance of communication in terms of organizational context. Whether the coordination among stakeholders is perceived as excellent or poor, the bottom line is that stakeholder relations in the company remains a challenge. Stakeholders have multiple expectations of the company strategic plan and the strategic planning process which further raises multi-faceted challenges to the company. Based on the findings the study came up with a model that highlights the streams of thought pursued in the study. The findings affirm the view that relationships result from what transpires, happens, or occurs during strategic planning. Likewise, the inherent connectivity that results from the social nature of individuals involved in the planning process is affirmed. The former is on account of the responsibilities of the stakeholders and the latter on account of the inherent value that stakeholders place on strategic planning. The quality and extent of stakeholder relations however is moderated by extent and quality of coordination and communication before and during the planning process.

A construction project requires a multitude of people with different skills and interests and the coordination of a wide range of disparate, yet interrelated, activities. Such complexity is further compounded by the unique characteristics of a project and many other external uncertainties. As a result, construction is subject to more risk than other business activities. In a risky situation, individuals or organizations perceive the situation in their own ways and behave differently to meet their own interests. Many researchers have asserted that divergent risk attitudes are sources of mismatched risk perceptions and inconsistent behaviors among project participants in different organizations, which can disturb proactive and consistent organizational activities. The research on risk attitude has, therefore, been advocated to exploring ways to consistently arouse people‘s cognition, affection, and behavior among stakeholders. However, previous research has been a widely misunderstood concept and remains a fragmented focus in the construction field. Evidence on the construction of risk attitude and how it manifests itself is unavailable. To date, prior researchers have suffered from an issue-oriented focus that has resulted in simplified models by studying single level of antecedents of risk attitude and consequences of management performance, rather than multi-level. Moreover, previous studies only focused on the direct relationship between risk attitude and management performance instead of providing a profound conceptualization of the indirect relationship between risk attitude and management performance or empirically exploring risk attitude‘s antecedents and consequences. The current study seeks to bridge this research gap. Triangulation research is employed as an appropriate research methodology in which both qualitative and quantitative data collection are used to test the research propositions. The research plan draws upon ontology and methodological pluralism. By adopting the Critical Incident Technique (CIT), coupled with an intensive literature review, one can explore the manifestation of risk attitude and its antecedents by analyzing critical incidents derived from preliminary interviews. Cognitive Motivation Theory (CMT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) provide rationales to combine a processed view of risk attitude and the antecedents and management performance of individuals and organizations into a multi-level model of risk attitude. Responses to a questionnaire survey of 239 individuals nested in 61organizations were analyzed with a blend of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) to establish and examine the hypothesized relationships in the theoretical model. To capture the practical manifestation of risk attitude and its influence on management performance, case studies of two ongoing construction projects were performed. The findings summarized from both qualitative and quantitative studies indicated that risk attitude diverged due to the multi-level influences of its antecedents on project participants, resulting in inconsistent risk perception and risk inclinations. Risk attitude has two levels of manifestation – an individual and organization level. Individual risk attitude manifests itself as cognition, affection, and behavioral inclination, while organizational risk attitude mainly shows up as managerial trust, formalization, an ambiguity of goals and objectives, and a merit system. The findings confirmed that motivated individuals tend to present more consistent risk attitude and be more willing to and capable of exhibiting good management performance. The motivation behind this study is beyond the traditional motivational means. It extends from internal motivation with its locus of control and self-efficacy to external motivation with its interpersonal exchanges, external controls, and observational learning. The risk attitudes of motivated people to evoke better management performance, especially in the process of integrating risk management into a safety management system and the outcome performance of a stakeholder‘s satisfaction and potential to organizations. The research attempts to advance risk attitude theory by re-conceptualizing the antecedents of risk attitude and the consequences of management performance make the underlying theorizing mechanism explicit and testable. This study also provides practical indications of concrete interventions by managers to make risk attitudes converge and then strengthen safety risk management. The thesis contributes to multi-level analysis in the management research field and differentiates the different levels of participants in construction projects. Methodological pluralism and blended qualitative and quantitative research methods will be addressed to demonstrate the different and complementary perspectives of research. Due to limited samples, the generalizability of the findings in the different project types or across other levels needs to be further verified.
published_or_final_version
Real Estate and Construction
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis: S.M. in Engineering and Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Engineering, System Design and Management Program, Engineering and Management Program, 2016.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 79-81).
Stakeholder relationship management is a key component for the successful design, implementation and operation of complex and socially controversial projects, yet a discipline that is often misunderstood or underrated. In a world were socially controversial projects have become and will continue to be ever more frequent and important, the need to improve the knowledge of stakeholder relationship management in controversial projects is very important. The objective of this report is to contribute to scholarship on stakeholder relationship management by using a newly developed system dynamics model developed at MIT called, the Golay-Williams stakeholder acceptance model. The model seeks to better illustrate complex stakeholder relationships, their dynamic nature and what must be done to gain enough support to ensure project success. This paper studies an emblematic U.S. controversial project, the Cape Wind offshore energy project, located in the Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts, in order to test the model capabilities to represent complex stakeholder dynamics and best practices in stakeholder engagement. The assessment of the Golay-Williams model derived from the Cape Wind Project case study, suggests that the Golay-Williams model can contribute significantly to the successful management of stakeholder relationships on socially controversial projects..
by Sebastián Luque.
S.M. in Engineering and Management

Large multi-national corporations experience more and more pressure to maintain good relationships with their stakeholders, including employees. Concurrent with this, the focus of Corporate Communication management has shifted from pure communication management to relationship management. Lonmin Platinum, a mining company within the South African mining and minerals sector is no exception in this regard. In fact, due to the apartheid legacy and government regulations that are aimed at safety and equity, it is especially difficult to manage employee relationships in the mining industry. Apart from historical and environmental factors, Lonmin Platinum's task is further complicated by its diverse work-force. At the time of the study the work-force of approximately 20 000 employees consisted of literate, semiliterate and illiterate employees. In addition, the company comprised five business units, each with their own corporate identity. In order to manage relationships effectively, a company needs to understand the nature and quality of its relationships as well as which factors might influence its stakeholder relationships. Studies have already indicated that a company's corporate identity can contribute to the stakeholders' images of the company. Over time, the image impacts on the company's reputation and consequently on the stakeholders' relationships with the company. In the case of a company such as Lonmin Platinum, with an endorsed corporate identity, it can be expected that corporate identity will also play a role in the nature and quality of relationships, including employee relationships. Previous studies have investigated the link between corporate identity and relationships focussing on communication, and on behaviour elements of identity. Up until now, no examples of research of the possible influence of symbolic corporate identity elements on relationships in the South African mining industry could be traced. Against this background, the following research question was asked: What is the relationship between employees' perceptions of symbolic corporate identity elements and employer-employee relationships at Lonmin Platinum? Semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and quantitative questionnaires were applied as data collection methods. The results confirmed that Lonmin Platinum did not have a good relationship with its employees in general. The lack of trust was seen as one of the most apparent problems. It also seemed that the employees did not understand the company's endorsed corporate identity. They, for example, did not understand the company structure and identified themselves more with the symbolic corporate identity of their respective business units than with the company itself. With regard to the correlation between symbolic corporate identity and relationships, this study indicated a relationship between employees' perceptions of how effective the company reached it objectives and the quality of its employee relationships. Company objectives, such as a safe working environment, a healthy working environment, socioeconomic empowerment and accountability, as well as a company that unites its workforce and creates a family feeling amongst the employees impacted most on employee relationships.
Thesis (Ph.D. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

For the past couple of decades, third sector organisations have registered a fast growth over the world with a focus on social, economic and political concerns whilst holding a presence in public matters. This study is mainly focused on non-profit organisations (NPOs). Organisations supporting social concerns on a not-for-profit (NFP) basis. Nowadays, NPOs are a social trend where people with different backgrounds and purposes aim to get involved in. Their participation is to either assist a community or a cause (as a contributor), or to obtain assistance when being part of a community (as a beneficiary). Nonetheless, the challenges as well as the opportunities faced by NPOs are widely acknowledged in both practice and theory, with a special focus on the different organisation’s participants involved, that is, stakeholders. In order to “do the right project” whilst “doing the project right” (Williams & Samser, 2010, p. 38), NPOs need the support and collaboration of stakeholders to obtain funds, operate, meet a community needs, and survive in the market. Aiming to find out how are relationships between stakeholders and NPOs managers stablished and maintained, the study analyses the managerial approaches undertaken by the organisation’s employees towards stakeholders. Further, in order to identify the characteristics of entrepreneurial project-based NPOs, the study explores the organisation requirements to properly develop within the mentioned sector. By hence, the NPO concept is analysed within the entrepreneurial context to understand and recognise the stakeholder management practices employed in such scenario. There is limited literature drawing on stakeholder management within NPOs. However, there is even less research done studying the link between NPOs and entrepreneurship. For the purpose of this study, which is to contribute to the general body of knowledge by analysing stakeholder management in an NPO within the entrepreneurship field, this study has selected a Swedish NPO as a main focus. With grounds on the existing literature discussing stakeholder classification and participation in the mentioned type of organisations, this study identifies the different groups of stakeholders and their different meanings to the organisation. At the same time, the lack of research in entrepreneurial project-based NPOs is highlighted, encouraging further research in related areas. This research is based on a single case study of an NPO operating in Sweden, given the particularity and uniqueness of the phenomenon studied. Qualitative data is collected through the implementation of unstructured and semi-structured interviews with top management team (TMT) members and managers in the NPO selected as study focus, a total of five people contacted out of twelve employees. Then data is analysed and the study findings are presented and linked to existing literature. Further, the suggestion of five propositions for further research are presented. Finally, the study conclusions are outlined, along with the managerial and theoretical implications, and the study limitations.

As demands on companies’ accountability have increased, researchers have turned their attention towards the social auditing practice and studied its role in companies supply chains. This study highlights a theory gap, questioning existing praise and criticism correlated to the categorization of social auditors. By comparing two different social audit categories, namely the independent and internal auditors, this paper contribute with a broader understanding of the similarities and differences between the two audit types. This study addresses the research question; how does the independent and internal social audit type support companies’ work with improving social standards in the supply chain? The theoretical framework includes aspects within the area of social auditing, buyer-supplier relationships and theories regarding the categorization of the two audit types. The study draws upon a qualitative approach investigating two cases with different social auditors, finding that both auditor types have their strengths and weaknesses, and therefore support companies in different ways. Referring to this tradeoff, this study concludes that the praise and criticism correlated to the two audit classifications of independent and internal auditor might not be completely valid, which calls for further research.

Consumers are demanding that corporations become more socially responsible. Executives are challenged to maximize shareholders' returns with achieving a favorable corporate citizen status. The research problem was a gap in knowledge and understanding of the impact of corporate social responsibility on financial performance. This study used multiple linear regression to assess the relationship between key indicators of corporate social responsibility and financial performance from 372 corporations in the S&P500 in 2014. The theoretical foundation was Freeman's stakeholder theory. Environment, community, human rights, diversity, employee relations, product quality, and corporate governance were measures of social performance. Return on assets was used to measure financial performance. When corporate social responsibility was evaluated as an aggregate variable, a significant and negative relationship was found in the financial and material sectors. When corporate social responsibility variables were evaluated independently, employee relations and product quality in the healthcare sector, and community in the financial sector, were found to be positively significant. Environment, product quality, and corporate governance in the financial sector, and employee relations in the consumer and energy sectors, were found to be negatively significant. This study revealed that the relationship between some social variables and financial performance are significant, but not always in a positive direction. Practitioners, executives, and managers can use the findings to evaluate their firm's social position, develop strategies to address gaps, and undertake actions to enhance their firm's social performance, thereby creating positive social change in the community.

Cyber attackers targeting large corporations achieved a high perimeter penetration success rate during 2013, resulting in many corporations incurring financial losses. Corporate information technology leaders have a fiduciary responsibility to implement information security domain processes that effectually address the challenges for preventing and deterring information security breaches. Grounded in corporate governance theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between strategic alignment, resource management, risk management, value delivery, performance measurement implementations, and information security governance (ISG) effectiveness in United States-based corporations. Surveys were used to collect data from 95 strategic and tactical leaders of the 500 largest for-profit United States headquartered corporations. The results of the multiple linear regression indicated the model was able to significantly predict ISG effectiveness, F(5, 89) = 3.08, p = 0.01, R-² = 0.15. Strategic alignment was the only statistically significant (t = 2.401, p <= 0.018) predictor. The implications for positive social change include the potential to constructively understand the correlates of ISG effectiveness, thus increasing the propensity for consumer trust and reducing consumers' costs.

Citizens in many provinces in South Africa have increasingly become more vocal about their unhappiness concerning service delivery in many departments of Government; their needs are not being met. Their violence and anger are usually aimed at emergency planners and government institutions, such as the police services, emergency medical services and fire services, therefore adding to various other challenges and difficulties these institution experience in carrying out their responsibilities (News Today, 2008). These institutions are also directly involved in the Disaster Risk Reduction process and play a key role in building a culture of safety and prevention within their communities by distributing knowledge and teaching skills (Twigg, 2004). Twigg (2004) argues that providing communities with information is the only way in which the scale, frequency, and complexity of disasters can be addressed. This should be done by following a multi–disciplinary approach that includes participatory development communication as a tool. The term participatory development communication refers to communication between parties where information transfer is de–emphasised and the process of dialogue between participants is favoured (Jacobson & Kolluri, 1999). This allows for solutions to problems to be identified in a collective fashion (Twigg, 2004; Jacobson & Kolluri, 1999). In light of the above the Maquassi Hills Fire Service’s relationship with the community has a major impact on the contribution the fire services make to building a culture of safety and also to what extent the community works towards building a culture of safety –– and thereby reducing disaster risk within the community. This study, consequently, aims to investigate the current relationship between the Maquassi Hills Fire Services and the community they serve, as well as the role of participatory development communication in this relationship. In order to do so this study explore various guidelines and principles set out by the literature in terms of participatory development communication and culture of safety to establish to what extent the Maquassi Hills Fire Services adhere to these principles and guidelines in their day–to–day functioning. This has been done by using a qualitative research design. Data collection methods appropriate to the qualitative research design were used to collect the necessary data. These methods included focus group discussions with members of the communities in the Maquassi Hills area and semi–structured interviews with the staff and management of the Maquassi Hills Fire Services. Guidelines and principles established in theory were used to describe and evaluate the current situation between the Maquassi Hills Fire Services and the surrounding communities to 5 whom they provide the service of fire fighting. The two main areas of theory addressed were that of Participatory Development Communication and that of a culture of safety as it presents in the Disaster Risk Reduction field. These were also the two main areas investigated in the empirical phase of the study. From the research it was found that in terms of Participatory Development Communication very little is being done by the fire services to establish dialogical communication. Thus creating opportunities for communities to communicate with the fire services by developing relevant communication channels is not being facilitated. However communities are eager to establish such an interactive relationship with the fire services. The data indicated that when the principles and guidelines for building a culture of safety are considered there exist various positive aspects. If these aspects are utilised and facilitated in the correct manner it may facilitate the process of building a culture of safety. It is therefore recommended that the fire services should start interacting with the communities in the Maquassi Hills area. Most of the issues experienced in the relationship between the fire services and the communities can to some extent be ascribed to the fact that the fire services do not reach out to the communities they serve. Interactions with the community should be based on the principles of participatory development communication which will ensure that dialogue is established and information is exchanged. Also very important in the Maquassi Hills area is supplying the communities with relevant, regular, correct and coherent fire safety information and skills. People in these communities need the necessary fire safety information to ensure their safety in terms of fire. By allowing people in these communities to participate in planning and implementing initiatives aimed at informing people, awareness campaigns and information sessions will be suited to the specific areas. This will mean that communities receive information relevant to their situation and circumstances and ultimately initiatives will be more effective, allowing the opportunity for a good culture of safety with regard to fire to be built.
Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (The Fringe) is the largest arts festival in the world and it has inspired the creation of similar festivals world-wide. Since its conception in 1947, the Fringe has demonstrated significant growth in visitor numbers; ticket sales; and its economic contribution. Despite this, the sustainable future of Edinburgh's festivals is debated as Edinburgh, ‘the Festival City', faces threats from other festival destinations. Festivals position Edinburgh creatively in contrast to the city's traditionally perceived image as a cultural-historic centre. Despite this, little research has been undertaken into the creative and cultural significance of Edinburgh's festivals, including the Fringe. This interdisciplinary research grounded in marketing, tourism, and festival and event management; and underpinned by constructivism, presents an understanding of types of brand relationships that exist between the Fringe and its primary stakeholders. This is achieved through defining both the Fringe brand image and its primary stakeholders; and applying these definitions to the development of a typology of Fringe-stakeholders' brand relationships. The significance of this study is evident within its topic of inquiry and the research methods applied. In the little-considered arena of arts festivals and their stakeholders, this is the first in-depth study into the Fringe as a festival and festival brand. Within this, the definition of a Fringe brand image contributes to understanding the cultural and creative significance of the Fringe. Furthermore, this research contributes a unique understanding of the types of stakeholders that are engaged with the Fringe. The types of brand relationships that exist between these stakeholders and the Fringe are another significant contribution to knowledge and understanding. While specific to the present context, these findings may prove transferable to further festivals or events, and related areas and industries. The contribution made by this research to the methodological developments in festival and event studies is of additional significance. The application of visual research methods, including semiotic analysis and photo-elicitation within phenomenological interviews, has previously been applied in marketing, consumer, and tourism research, but not to the understanding of festival brands and stakeholders' brand relationship types. Findings of this research illustrate that existing marketing and consumer brand frameworks and stakeholder theories are applicable to festivals. Further, it is possible to define ‘a' Fringe brand image which is subjective and contradictory. The unique open-access and organic, operational model of the Fringe facilitates its many contributors, and consumers. Fringe stakeholders may be categorised according to their level of engagement with the Fringe (as primary or secondary) and their particular stakeholder role(s), which are varied and multiple. Fringe-stakeholder brand relationship types are overwhelmingly positive; and are based upon interpersonal relationship dimensions (including friendships, marriages, kinships and partnerships). Fringe-stakeholder brand relationship types can be classified therefore as having similar dimensions to those brand relationship types previously described for consumer products and brands.

Les objectifs principaux de cette thèse sont i) d’examiner comment la Responsabilité Sociale de l’Entreprise (RSE) affecte les relations avec les parties prenantes, ii) d’identifier les conditions aux limites dans lesquelles les actions de la RSE affecte les relations avec les parties prenantes de façon optimale, et iii) proposer les solutions pour améliorer la RSE dans les firmes. Afin d’atteindre ces objectifs, quatre études empiriques ont été effectuées dans l’Asie du Sud. Les données ont été collectées à travers une série de questionnaires envoyées aux managers d’haut niveau, employées et consommateurs. Les résultats démontrent un effet positif de la RSE sur les parties prenantes. La RSE n’est pas seulement importante pour les parties prenantes externes (consommateurs) mais aussi facilite le développement de bonnes relations entre la firme et ses parties prenantes internes (employées). Les conclusions de cette recherche soulignent le rôle important de la participation des employées dans le processus de prise de décision afin d’améliorer la RSE dans les firmes. En outre, la thèse souligne l’importance de la confiance des consommateurs envers l’entreprise ainsi que la satisfaction des consommateurs afin d’optimiser les conséquences de la RSE sur les relations avec les parties prenantes
The main objectives of the dissertation are i) to examine how corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects stakeholder relationships, ii) to identify the boundary conditions in which CSR actions optimally affect stakeholder relationships, and iii) to prescribe ways to improve CSR in the firms. To achieve these objectives, four empirical studies were conducted in South Asia. Data were collected in a series of surveys with top managers, employees and consumers. The results show that CSR has a positive impact on stakeholders. CSR is not only important for external stakeholders (consumers) but also facilitates the building of good relationships between the firm and its internal stakeholders (employees). Findings emphasize the role of employee participation in decision making to improve CSR in the firms. In addition, the dissertation highlights the importance of consumer trust in the company as well as consumer satisfaction to optimize the affects of CSR on stakeholder relationships

Crises are inevitable. There is no way to prevent all crises from happening. In fact, in today's business environment crises are an integral part of organizational life. Crisis situations are by nature novel, unstructured, frameworks. Crises are sudden, acute, and demand a timely response. Most man-made crises are in principle preventable. Crisis management is a new field of research that addresses the problems of dealing with crises, and the stress that accompanies crises. Crisis management involves efforts to prevent crises from occurring; to prepare for a better protection against the impact of a crisis agent; to make for an effective response to an actual crisis; and to provide plans and resources for recovery and rehabilitation in the aftermath of a crisis. It is no longer enough to consider "if" a crisis will happen but rather "when" a crisis will occur, "which type", and "how". There is no doubt that the travel and tourism industry is especially susceptible and vulnerable to crises. It is argued that the hotel industry, given its operational characteristics, management practices (which is strongly influenced by long established traditions), and its operating environment, is even more prone to crises. However, very little has been done to understand crisis (that is, how a crisis evolves, crisis typology, anatomy, and management of crisis). This study describes and discusses all major relevant elements and issues to the emerging field of crisis management. Within the domain of crisis management theory, the study describes and elaborates on critical issues such as crisis typology, anatomy of crisis, crisis planning and training, crisis decision making, crisis communication, and crisis management. It is argued in this study that organizational culture is the most fundamental element in crisis preparedness. That is, organizational culture, not organization structure, size, financial history, etc., is the main determinant of crisis preparedness. The research also argue that stakeholders are fundamental in crisis prevention, crisis management and crisis recovery. 2 This study, in a first instance, examines the crisis preparedness of 33 of the 50 top hotel organizations operating in the UK (HCIMA, 1995). Crisis preparedness is examined in the light of organizational culture. For that, top executives in those organizations were interviewed and responded to two questionnaires. A crisis preparedness framework (or continuum) was derived from the application of factor analysis on the questionnaire data. The results suggest that the hotel industry is not prepared for crises. Given that a crisis is a multi-stakeholder phenomenon (it inevitably involves other agents) this study also explores, building upon the results obtained from the crisis preparedness continuum, the notion of stakeholders relationships in crisis situations. More specifically, the research proposition states that organizations that are crisis "prepared" are more consistent on their opinions about stakeholders' role and behaviour in crisis situations than those organizations that are not prepared for crises. The study confirmed both the research question and proposition. The study also presents an operational definition of crisis management and proposes a model for crisis management.

Els gerents s'enfronten a una pressió cada vegada més gran per reduir les emissions de gasos d'efecte hivernacle, substituir substàncies perjudicials per a la salut, millorar l'eficiència en el consum d'energia i aigua de l'empresa, millorar les condicions laborals dels seus treballadors, i contribuir amb el benestar de la societat. No obstant això, les empreses tenen poc coneixement o experiència per fer front a aquest complex fenomen. A més, gran part de la recerca en cadenes de subministrament sostenibles s'ha focalitzat en les pràctiques que fan menys insostenibles a les cadenes, en comptes de fer-les realment sostenibles. En aquest sentit, s'ha suggerit que les futures investigacions abordin com les empreses cooperen amb els seus grups d'interès i implementen innovacions sostenibles. Aquesta tesi respon a aquestes propostes i estudia com les iniciatives de col·laboració amb grups d'interès secundaris (e.g. ONG i instituts públics de recerca) creen valor en cadenes de subministrament sostenible en contextes amb poques sinergies entre les dimensions de la triple línia de resultat. La tesi ofereix dos marcs conceptuals que expliquen com les empreses i les ONG arriben a un equilibri inter-organitzacional, i com les ONG implementen programes de desenvolupament de proveïdors per reduir la pobresa dels agricultors. Addicionalment, la tesi també utilitza els avenços de la teoria dels recursos estratègics per a formular un model sobre el desenvolupament de capacitats innovadores mediambientals. Els resultats indiquen que la capacitat innovadora mediambiental és el resultat d'una seqüència de dos agrupaments. Primer, els recursos d'innovació s'agrupen per crear la capacitat d'innovació en processos. Segon, , aquesta capacitat s'estén i s'agrupa amb el coneixement obtingut a través de la cooperació amb instituts públics d'investigació i crea la capacitat d'innovació mediambiental. La tesi conclou amb recomanacions per als gerents i futures línies de recerca.
Los gerentes enfrentan una presión cada vez mayor para reducir las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero, sustituir substancias perjudiciales para la salud, mejorar la eficiencia en el consumo de energía y agua de la empresa, mejorar las condiciones laborales de sus trabajadores, y contribuir con el bienestar de la sociedad. Sin embargo, las empresas tienen poco conocimiento o experiencia para hacer frente a este fenómeno complejo. Además, gran parte de la investigación en cadenas de suministro sostenibles se ha enfocado en las prácticas que hacen menos insostenibles a las cadenas, en vez de hacerlas realmente sostenibles. En este sentido, se ha sugerido que las futuras investigaciones aborden como las empresas cooperan con sus grupos de interés e implementan innovaciones sostenibles. Esta tesis responde a estas propuestas y estudia como las iniciativas de colaboración con grupos de interés secundarios (e.g. ONG e institutos públicos de investigación) crean valor en cadenas de suministro sostenible en contextos con poca sinergias entre las dimensiones de la triple línea de resultado. La tesis ofrece dos marcos conceptuales que explican como las empresas y las ONG alcanzan un equilibrio inter-organizacional, y como las ONG implementan programas de desarrollo de proveedores para reducir la pobreza de los agricultores. Adicionalmente, la tesis también utiliza los avances de la teoría de los recursos estratégicos para formular un modelo sobre el desarrollo de capacidades innovadoras medioambientales. Los resultados indican que la capacidad innovadora medioambiental es el resultado de una secuencia de dos agrupamientos. Primero, los recursos de innovación se agrupan para crear la capacidad de innovación en procesos. Luego, esta capacidad se extiende y se agrupa con el conocimiento obtenido a través de la cooperación con institutos públicos de investigación y crea la capacidad de innovación medioambiental. La tesis concluye con recomendaciones para los gerentes y líneas futuras de investigación.
Managers face an ever increasing pressure to cut greenhouse gases emissions, substitute hazardous materials, enhance the firm’s energy efficiency, reduce firm’s water consumption, improve the labor conditions of their employees, and contribute to the welfare of general society. Yet firms have little knowledge or experience to deal with this complex phenomena. Additionally, most research in sustainable supply chain management has focused on the practices that make supply chain less unsustainable instead of truly sustainable. In this regard, it is suggested that future research should address how firms cooperate with their stakeholders and undertake sustainable innovation. This thesis answers this call and studies how cooperative initiatives with secondary stakeholders (i.e. NGOs and public research institutions) create value in SSCM in contexts with no foreseen synergies between the dimensions of the triple bottom line. The thesis provides two theoretical frameworks that explain how firms and NGOs achieve inter-organizational fit, and how NGOs implement supplier development programs to alleviate poverty. Moreover, the thesis also builds upon the advances of the resource-based view and test a model about the process of developing firm’s environmental innovativeness. The results indicate that environmental innovativeness is the result of a two-sequenced bundling. First, innovation resources are deployed into process innovativeness. Then, process innovativeness is extended and bundled with the knowledge brought in by R&D cooperation with public research institutions into environmental innovativeness. The thesis concludes with recommendations for managers and future lines of research.

Project management involves many different actors. Rather than solely looking at those actors as individuals, the interaction between them should not be forgotten either. This thesis tries to provide a better understanding of one specific type of interaction: the project owner-manager relationship. This relationship is approached as the dyadic interaction between one project manager and one project owner. Previous studies indicate that project owners and project managers depend on one another, but that they can have diverging perspectives as well. The goal of this study is to get a deeper understanding of how these different perspectives can influence the success of the project-owner relationship. In order to achieve this understanding, a multiple case study involving 8 project owner-manager relationships was employed. Both project owners and project managers were interviewed, in order to get closer to a multi-actor perspective. The results show that there are both similarities and differences between the perspectives of these actors. However, a lack of understanding between these perspectives can cause the project owner-manager relationship fail. In the end, the potential effects of this relationship cannot and should not be ignored, as this study shows that it can be the difference between project success and project failure. Therefore, in a world that is ever more dominated by projects, this thesis has multiple practical and scientific implications.

Bakgrund: I maj 2017 beslutades det att EU-reglering 2017/821 om konfliktmineraler kommer träda i kraft den 1a januari 2021. Regleringen kräver att företag inom EU kan försäkra sig om att tenn, volfram, tantal och guld (3TG) endast importeras från ansvarsfulla och konfliktfria källor. Inom litteraturen presenteras en problematik kring försörjningskedjors komplexitet och svårigheterna att spåra konfliktmineraler. Studien avser därför att skapa ökad förståelse för leverantörshantering avseende konfliktmineraler och praktiska implikationer för bolag som önskar ökad förståelse inför införandet av EU-reglering 2017/821.  Syfte: Syftet är att skapa ökad förståelse för hur företag strategiskt arbetar mot hållbarhet genom leverantörshantering avseende konfliktmineraler, samt vilka möjligheter respektive utmaningar som kan uppstå under detta förändringsarbete. Metod: Studien har ett realistiskt perspektiv samt ett induktivt angreppssätt med abduktiva inslag. Kvalitativ data har inhämtats genom sex semistrukturerade intervjuer med representanter från Atlas Copcos inköpsfunktioner, från två affärsområden, som arbetar med alternativt är bekanta med Atlas Copcos upprättade process för leverantörshantering avseende konfliktmineraler. Slutsats: Studieförfattarna finner att strategiskt arbete mot hållbarhet genom leverantörshantering avseende konfliktmineraler kan delas upp i tre övergripande områden; identifiering av prioriterade intressenter, utveckling av förändringsarbetesstrategier samt strategiska partnerskaps bidrag till synlighet inom leverantörskedjan. Dessa tre aspekter bidrar tillsammans till identifieringen och arbetet med möjligheter respektive utmaningar inför fortsatt hållbarhetsarbete med leverantörshantering avseende konfliktmineraler, vilket kan sammanfattas genom fortsatt utveckling av intern dialog samt värdet av att arbeta med Supplier Relationship Management. Kunskapsbidrag: Studiens teoretiska kunskapsbidrag är att skapa ökad förståelse för hur drivkrafter för implementering av hållbarhetsarbete, förändringsarbete samt arbete med försörjningskedjan kan bearbetas inom kontexten för leverantörshantering vid hållbarhetsarbete, samt hur dessa aspekter inverkar på varandra.
Problem discussion: In May 2017, it was determined that EU-regulation 2017/821 will enter into force the 1st of January 2021. The regulation requires that companies within the EU are able to assure that tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold (3TG) merely is imported from responsible and conflict free sources. Within literature, issues regarding supply chain complexity and difficulties with tracking conflict minerals are presented. This study therefore aims to create increased understanding for supplier management regarding conflict minerals and practical implications for other companies that aim for increased understanding before the introduction of EU-regulation 2017/821. Aim: The aim is to create increased understanding for how companies strategically work towards sustainability through supplier management regarding conflict minerals, and which opportunities respective challenges that may occur during the process of change. Method: This study has a realistic perspective and an inductive approach with abductive features. Qualitative data has been obtained through six semi structured interviews with representatives from Atlas Copco’s sourcing functions, from two business areas, who work with or are familiar with Atlas Copco’s constructed process for supplier management regarding conflict minerals. Results: The authors of this study find that strategic work towards sustainability regarding conflict minerals can be divided into three overall subjects; the identification of prioritized stakeholders, development of change management strategies and strategic partnerships contribution to visibility within the upstream part of the supply chain. These three aspects contribute to the identification and work with possibilities and challenges regarding continued sustainability efforts with supplier management concerning conflict minerals, which can be summarized through continued development of internal communication and the value of working with supplier relationship management. Science contributions: The study’s theoretical science contribution is to create increased understanding for how drivers for implementation of sustainability efforts, change management and work with the supply chain can be processed within the context of supplier management concerning sustainability work, and how these aspects affect each other.

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A presente pesquisa, de caráter exploratório, qualitativo e descritivo, surge diante necessidade em jogar luz à crescente preocupação das empresas, em especial as extrativistas, em relação à pressão exercida sobre as suas atividades e operações por parte das comunidades nas localidades onde se instalam. Os impactos e os riscos gerados, inerentes aos seus processos, quando não tratados de forma correta são propulsores de movimentos capazes de gerar prejuízos operacionais, financeiros, patrimoniais, de segurança e reputacionais. Neste sentido as empresas buscam estabelecer orientações corporativas adequadas e um modelo de gestão eficiente para se relacionarem com as comunidades. A temática relacionamento comunitário, enquanto ciência, é muito recente, assim a coleta de dados demandou uma triangulação de métodos que garantissem a validação de seus resultados. Foi realizada uma extensa revisão literária, a partir dos conceitos chave da pesquisa, um estudo de caso aprofundado, com uma empresa extrativista brasileira a partir de análise documental e observação de campo e entrevista com profissionais e especialistas. Destaca-se que as orientações e diretrizes analisadas na empresa estudada se mostram coerentes com a revisão literária realizada, rendendo um rico material técnico e teórico para a escassa literatura existente sobre o tema. Como conclusão do trabalho, ainda, revela-se a importância da prática, da rotina das atividades de relacionamento para o sucesso do processo. Diante da destacada importância do tema o presente estudo apresenta orientações eficientes, a luz da bibliografia científica e técnica existente, para as empresas do segmento e uma nova perspectiva científica para pesquisadores ao confrontar um modelo real e a revisão literária visitada.
This research, exploratory, qualitative and descriptive, arises from the need to understand the growing concern of extractive companies, about the pressure exerted on their activities and operations by the communities in the places where they are installed. The impacts and risks generated, inherent in their processes, when not treated in a right way can start movements capable of generating operational, financial, property, safety and reputational losses. In this sense, companies seek to establish adequate corporate guidelines and an efficient management model to relate to communities. “Community relations”, as a science, is very recent, so the data collection required a triangulation of methods that could guarantee its results. An extensive literary review was carried out, based on the key concepts of the research, and a case study, with a brazilian extractive company based on documentary analysis and field observation and, finally, interviews with professionals and specialists were realized. It should be noted that the guidelines analyzed in the studied company are consistent with the literary review, yielding a rich technical and theoretical material for the scarce existing literature on the subject. As conclusion, it also reveals the importance of practice, from the routine of relationship activities to the success of the process. In view of the importance of the topic, the present study presents efficient guidelines, if compared with the existing scientific and technical bibliography, for the companies of the segment and a new scientific perspective for researchers when confronting a real model and the literary review visited.

Il progetto di tesi si basa su uno studio di carattere qualitativo focalizzato a costruire un framework teorico relativo ai processi di comunicazione lungo la Supply Chain (SC), identificando come la stessa comunicazione sia in grado di supportare il complesso processo di Supply Chain Management (SCM) sia sul piano strategico, sia sul piano operativo. Il progetto di tesi si articola quindi in tre parti specifiche: 1. una review sistematica e critica della letteratura internazionale sui temi della Supply Chain e della comunicazione che fornisce un’analisi approfondita del dibattito internazionale sui processi relationship-based della SC, evidenziando inoltre il fondamentale ruolo della comunicazione nello scambio di flussi sociali, informativi e fisici tra i partner; 2. due studi esplorativi di tipo induttivo-deduttivo che costruiscono una mappatura concettuale preliminare dei ruoli e dei canali di comunicazione che supportano le fasi strategiche ed operative del SCM; 3. uno studio Grounded Theory (GT) progettato sulla base dei risultati emersi dai precedenti studi preliminari e basato su una ricerca empirica approfondita che ha coinvolto SC executives e managers di aziende italiane ed internazionali.
The Ph.D. research project is based on a wide qualitative study aimed at building a theoretical framework of the communication processes along the SC identifying how communication supports strategic and operational SCM and providing managerial insights on how to make an effective and efficient use of communication resources over time. The project emphasizes how relationships and processes are affected by communication flows, depicting the links among SC processes, communication and SC performance dimensions. More specifically, the project methodological design is articulated in three subsequent interrelated research phases: 1. a systematic and critical literature review on SC and communication providing a focused analysis of the international debate on SC relationship-based processes highlighting communication as an enabler of social, information and physical flows among SC partners; 2. a two-step exploratory inductive-deductive study aimed at building a preliminary conceptual mapping of communication roles and channels supporting strategic and operational SCM; a comprehensive Grounded Theory (GT) study designed according to emergent insights from both the preliminary inductive-deductive analysis carried out and an in depth empirical research investigating widespread SC communication representations, practices and aspirations.

Theorists and management in the South African non-profit sector agree that strong stakeholder relationships are essential in negotiating the challenges faced by the South African non-profit sector. Despite the acknowledgement from the non-profit sector that strong relationships are key to achieving organisational goals, there is an apparent lack of knowledge and strategic thinking amongst them pertaining to the concept of stakeholder relationship management. Against this background the purpose of this study was therefore to develop a metamodern model for stakeholder relationship management, aimed specifically at the South African non-profit sector, that could be implemented by NPO management in a practical manner. The blurring lines between the opposing views of modernism versus postmodernism motivated the choice of metamodernism as a relevant worldview for this study. Metamodernism does not imply a balance between these poles, but rather a constant swinging of the pendulum during which metamodernism negotiates between modernism and postmodernism. It is the construction of a workable, interrelated worldview, recognising the intimate relationship between modernism and postmodernism. It was therefore concluded that a metamodern worldview in which both modernism and postmodernism feature, would not only make it possible for nonprofit organisation managers to understand and join the discussion on stakeholder relationship management, but also to implement the proposed metamodern stakeholder relationship management model. The resultant metamodern stakeholder relationship management model for non-profit organisations is framed by so-called modernistic communication and stakeholder relationship management theories, but it was done in line with the metamodern worldview of the study, allowing for initiative and innovation. The flexible, organic and cyclic nature of the proposed model echoes this worldview. A qualitative, exploratory and interpretative research design was implemented to test a conceptual framework and face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior management in the non-profit sector. The design of the framework and subsequent model was guided by a number of assumptions and propositions arising from a thorough literature review, all of which were supported and confirmed by the research results. The most significant contribution of the study is the application of a metamodern worldview emanating from a reluctance to choose between a modern or postmodern stance when discussing communication science and stakeholder relationship management practices. It is therefore foreseen that it would offer the field of communication science new and creative means of combining modernism and postmodernism approaches when studying communication phenomena. It will also expand the responsibility for communication and stakeholder relationship management beyond that of the communication specialists to senior management in the non-profit sector.
Communication Science
D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)

Abstract in English with Afrikaans and SeTswana translation
Evidence from relevant literature indicates that abandoned and failed projects have become prevalent in the Botswana context. Poor stakeholder management has been identified as a salient contributor to this challenge. To this end, various stakeholder management (SM) frameworks, models and methodologies have been developed. Nevertheless, the increasing incidence of project failure and abandonment in the Botswana construction industry indicates significant underperformance of these SM methodologies. A cursory appraisal of SM models highlights the linearity of the stakeholder relationship management (SRM) curve, i.e. between the client, consultants and contractors, with SRM responsibilities being domiciled with the client or their representative in most cases. Also, the dynamics associated with changes in stakeholder attributes during project delivery are not catered for by extant SM and relationship management models. In addition, extant SM models focus on the relationship between the project stakeholders on the one hand and the external stakeholders on the other, and others cater for project stakeholders alone. This implies that the models currently deployed for SM in the Botswana construction context remain defective. Contracting organisations (contractors) have been blamed for their inability to manage relationships with projects and external stakeholders during project delivery. Yet, these entities are not at the epicentre of SRM on construction projects. This study provides answers to the gaps highlighted. As its central objective, this study set out to develop and validate a contractor-driven stakeholder relationship management framework (CSRMF) for the Botswana construction industry. The emergent framework which leverages on the attributes of the customer relationship model (CRM) overcomes the shortcomings mentioned previously. An interpretivist philosophical paradigm was adopted in this qualitative case study research study based on pre-determined case selection criteria. Owing to the need to attain analytic generalisation through adherence to replication logic, a multi-case study research design was utilised. Six contractor organisations categorised according to scale and operating within Gaborone were selected. The unit of analysis centred on the relationship between the contracting organisations and other project stakeholders on selected projects being procured and delivered under a diverse range of contracting strategies. Data was collected through a sequential multi-method approach in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with project managers representing these construction contracting organisations on the selected projects. To enable replication, care was taken to select two contracting organisations per level – large, medium and small according to prevalent grades. Samples across the different sizes of the contractors allowed for better generalisability. Relevant projects and organisational documents were reviewed. Furthermore, data from the various stages was analysed using the qualitative content analysis technique. The findings of the study show that most of the contractors in Botswana related to their project stakeholders without a model or framework when handling relationship management with project stakeholders. These findings are a reflection of the small, medium and large construction contractors in the Botswana construction industry. There was further indication that the small, medium and large contractors had a way of managing stakeholder relationships and resolving conflicts, and thus the level of experience and knowledge within the contracting firm had a significant influence on how they managed their project stakeholder relationships in the course of project procurement and delivery. In addition, the study findings demonstrate that the nature of contracting strategy had a significant influence on how various categories of contractors related to their stakeholders on construction projects. The traditional method was found to be the main procurement strategy used in the Botswana construction industry, and this approach was fairly rigid to implement effective contractor-driven stakeholder relationship management. Other procurement strategies, such as design-and-build, and construction management are used in Botswana with their positive and negative impacts on contractors’ capability to manage their project stakeholder relationships and related matters effectively. Further evaluation of the findings led to the identification of key success factors for CSRMF development to foster effective contractor-stakeholder relationship management. These key success factors are effective communication, collaboration, engagement and cooperation among clients and contractors and consultants’ commitment; employee (stakeholder) engagement and satisfaction and capacity building; in-depth understanding of all project stakeholders and their importance and influence; and strategies to manage their relationship effectively in the course of project design, procurement and delivery. Based on the evaluation of formulated propositions and analysis of empirical data and results tested in this study, the findings also support the following analytical generalisations: the construction contracting organisations in Botswana do not have any SRM frameworks in place for engaging with stakeholders in their different projects; contractors in Botswana recognise the need to do better in managing their project stakeholder relationships; and there is an apparent gap in technical skills and limited ability of contractors to manage relationships with project stakeholders. Premised on the findings, a contractor-driven stakeholder relationship management framework was developed. The CSRMF was validated by two focus groups, namely sampled project managers from the semi-structured interviews, and relevant professionals and other academics in the industry. The validation was done to assess the relevance of the CSRMF in their management of relations. The CSRMF will provide guidance for bridging the gaps identified. It will be adopted and utilised by contractors to achieve efficiencies in the management of relationships with stakeholders, thus saving time and costs and securing improved quality and, most of all, client satisfaction.
Volgens die literatuur misluk die meeste projekte in Botswana. Swak bestuur deur die belanghebbendes in die projekte is die hoofrede hiervoor. Talle raamwerke, modelle en metodologieë gemik op doeltreffende bestuur van belanghebbendes (BB) is as oplossing vir hierdie probleem voorgestel. Dat al hierdie BB-metodologieë egter gebrekkig is, blyk uit ʼn toename in die aantal mislukte projekte in die konstruksiebedryf wat laat vaar is. ʼn Oppervlakkige ondersoek van die BB-modelle het aan die lig gebring dat die belanghebbendeverhoudingsbestuur- (BVB) kromme afgeplat is. Hierdie kromme gee ʼn aanduiding van die verhouding tussen die kliënt, konsultante en kontrakteurs. Belanghebbendeverhoudingsbestuur berus meestal by kliënte of hulle verteenwoordigers. Die bestaande BB- en verhoudingsbestuurmodelle maak geensins vir veranderinge in die eienskappe van belanghebbendes tydens die lewering van ʼn projek voorsiening nie. Hierbenewens fokus sommige BB-modelle op die verhouding tussen eksterne belanghebbendes en projekbelanghebbendes, en party slegs op projekbelanghebbendes. Om hierdie rede is die modelle wat tans in Botswana se konstruksiebedryf toegepas word, ontoereikend. Kontrakteurorganisasies word dikwels daarvan beskuldig dat hulle nie tydens die lewering van ʼn projek in staat is om hulle verhouding tussen eksterne en projekbelanghebbendes te bestuur nie. Hierdie groepe staan egter nie in die brandpunt van konstruksieprojekte se BVB nie. Hierdie studie poog om oplossings te bied vir die tekortkomings wat aangetoon is. Die oogmerk is ʼn raamwerk vir kontrakteurgedrewe belanghebbendeverhoudingsbestuur (RKBVB) vir die konstruksiebedryf in Botswana. Hierdie raamwerk steun op die kliënteverhoudingsmodel (KVM) om die gemelde tekortkomings te verbeter. Hierdie kwalitatiewe gevallestudie berus op vooraf vasgestelde kriteria vir die keuse van gevalle. Daarby word ʼn interpretatiewe filosofiese paradigma in hierdie studie gevolg. Aangesien analitiese veralgemening volgens die eise van replikasielogika die doelwit was, behels die navorsingsontwerp veelvuldige gevallestudies. Ses kontrakteurorganisasies in Gaborone wat volgens ʼn skaal gekategoriseer is, is gekies. Die verhouding tussen hierdie kontrakteurorganisasies en die belanghebbendes in projekte wat volgens ʼn verskeidenheid kontrakstrategieë verkry en gelewer is, was die ontledingseenheid. Data is volgens ʼn sekwensiële multimetodebenadering ingewin, en halfgestruktureerde onderhoude is met die projekbestuurders van hierdie ix konstruksiemaatskappye gevoer. Om replisering te vergemaklik, is twee kontrakteurorganisasies volgens hulle vlak – groot, middelslag en klein en graad gekies. Die onderskeid op grond die grootte van die kontrakteurs het tot veralgemening meegehelp. Insae is in die projek- en maatskappydokumente verkry. Die data wat in elke stadium ingewin is, is volgens die kwalitatiewe tegniek ontleed. Op grond van die bevindings het die meeste kontrakteurs sonder enige model of raamwerk hulle verhouding met die projekbelanghebbendes bestuur. Hulle verteenwoordig alle klein, middelslag en groot konstruksiekontrakteurs in Botswana. Die gebrek aan kennis en ervaring in die bestuur van hulle verhouding met belanghebbendes en die beslegting van geskille in die verkryging en lewering van projekte was ooglopend. Daar is voorts bevind dat die aard van die kontraktuele strategie ʼn beduidende invloed gehad het op hoe die onderskeie kategorieë van kontrakteurs verhoudings met die belanghebbendes in konstruksieprojekte aanknoop. Verder is bevind dat die konstruksiebedryf tradisionele verkrygingstrategie meestal volg. Hierdie strategie is taamlik rigied en bevorder nie juis kontrakteurgedrewe belanghebbendeverhoudingsbestuur nie. Ander verkrygingstrategieë, soos die ontwerp-en-boustrategie, en konstruksiebestuur word in Botswana toegepas, en kan kontrakteurs se vermoë om hulle verhouding met die belanghebbendes in projekte en aanverwantesake doeltreffend te bestuur, enersyds bevorder en andersyds belemmer. Verskeie suksesfaktore vir kontakteur-belanghebberverhoudingsbestuur (KBVB) is op grond van die bevindings onderskei, te wete effektiewe kommunikasie, medewerking, betrokkenheid en samewerking tussen kliënte en kontrakteurs asook konsultante se verbintenis; werknemer (belanghebbendes) se betrokkenheid, bevrediging en kapasiteitsbou; ʼn grondige begrip van alle belanghebbendes in ʼn projek en van hulle belang en invloed; en strategieë om verhoudings effektief in die ontwerp, verkryging en lewering van ʼn projek effektief te bestuur. Die bevindings, wat op die beoordeling van die geformuleerde voorstelle en ʼn ontleding van die empiriese data berus, het tot die volgende analitiese veralgemenings gelei: konstruksiemaatskappye in Botswana het geen BVB-raamwerk waarvolgens hulle met belanghebbers in projekte omgaan nie; hulle besef dat hulle hul verhouding met belanghebbendes in projekte beter behoort te bestuur; en kontrakteurs beskik blykbaar nie oor die tegniese vaardighede en vermoëns om hulle verhouding met belanghebbendes in projekte te bestuur nie. x ʼn Raamwerk vir kontrakteurgedrewe belanghebberverhoudingsbestuur (RKBVB) is op grond van die bevindings ontwikkel. Die RKBVB is deur twee fokusgroepe gevalideer, naamlik projekbestuurders enersyds en beroepslui en akademici in die bedryf andersyds, ten einde die relevansie van die RKBVB te toets. Die raamwerk help kontrakteurs om die genoemde probleme op te los. Aangesien dit kontrakteurs sal help om hulle verhouding met belanghebbendes doeltreffend te bestuur, sal dit nie alleen tyd en geld spaar nie, maar ook die gehalte van hulle werk en bowenal kliënttevredenheid verbeter.
Bosupi go tswa mo dikwalong tse di maleba bo supa gore diporojeke tse di phuagantsweng le tse di padileng di dintsi kwa Botswana. Go supilwe botsamaisi jo bo bokoa jwa baamegi jaaka setshwaedi se segolo mo kgwetlhong eno. Ka ntlha ya seno, go tlhamilwe matlhomeso a le mmalwa a botsamaisi jwa baamegi (SM), dikao le mekgwa. Le fa go le jalo, koketsego ya ditiragalo tsa go pala le go phuaganngwa ga diporojeke mo indasetering ya kago kwa Botswana e supa tiragatso e e bokowa thata ya mekgwa eno ya SM. Tshekatsheko ya ka bonako ya dikao tsa SM e bontsha tatelano ya segoro sa botsamaisi jwa dikamano le baamegi (SRM), k.g.r. magareng ga modirelwa, baemedi le bakonteraka, mme maikarabelo a SRM a patagantswe le badirelwa gongwe baemedi ba bona mo mabakeng a le mantsi. Gape dintlha tse di amanang le diphetogo mo diponagalong tsa baamegi mo tsamaong ya tlamelo ya porojeke ga di a akarediwa mo dikaong tsa ga jaana tsa SM le botsamaisi jwa dikamano. Go tlalaletsa foo, dikao tsa ga jaana tsa SM di totile dikamano magareng ga baamegi ba diporojeke ka fa letsogong je lengwe, le baamegi ba kwa ntle ka fa go je lengwe, mme tse dingwe di lebelela baamegi ba diporojeke fela. Seno se kaya gore dikao tse di dirisiwang ga jaana mo dikonterakeng tsa Botswana ga di a siama. Ditlamo tsa kago (bakonteraka) di latofalediwa go palelwa ke go tsamaisa dikamano tsa diporojeke le baamegi ba kwa ntle ka nako ya tsamaiso ya diporojeke. Fela, ditheo tseo ga di mo mookong wa SRM mo diporojekeng tsa kago. Thutopatlisiso e neela dikarabo tsa ditlhaelo tse di supilweng. Maikaelelomagolo a thutopatlisiso e ne e le go tlhamela le go tlhomamisetsa indaseteri ya kago ya Botswana letlhomeso la botsamaisi jwa dikamano tsa baamegi (CSRMF) le le tsamaisiwang ke mokonteraka. Letlhomeso le le tlhagelelang le le dirisang diponagalo tsa sekao sa dikamano tsa badirisi (CRM) le fenya ditlhaelo tse di kailweng fa pejana. Go dirisitswe mokgwa wa filosofi o o ikaegileng ka go ranola le go tlhaloganya mo thutopatlisisong eno e e lebelelang mabaka mme go dirisitswe mokgwa wa go tlhopha dikgetse o o sweditsweng pele. Ka ntlha ya botlhokwa jwa go lebelela gore a diphitlhelelo tsa tshekatsheko di ka fetisega ka go obamela ntlha ya ntsifatso, go dirisitswe thadiso ya thutopatlisiso ya dikgetsidintsi. Go tlhophilwe ditheo di le thataro tsa dikonteraka tse di arogantsweng go ya ka seelo mme di dira kwa Gaborone. Tokololo e ne e ikaegile ka dikamano magareng ga ditheo tsa kago le baamegi ba bangwe ba diporojeke mo diporojekeng tse di tlhophilweng tse di rebotsweng le go xii diragadiwa ka ditogamaano tse di farologaneng tsa kago. Go kokoantswe data ka molebo wa mekgwamentsi o o dirang ka tatelano moo go dirilweng dipotsolotso tse di batlileng di rulagane le batsamaisi ba diporojeke ba ba neng ba emetse ditheo tseno tsa kago mo diporojekeng tse di tlhophilweng. Go kgontsha ntsifatso, go etswe tlhhoko gore go tlhophiwa ditheo tse pedi tsa kago mo legatong lengwe le lengwe – le legolo, le le magareng le le lennye go ya ka dikaroganyo tse di gona. Go dirisa disampole go ralala dikonteraka tsa bogolo jo bo farologaneng go dirile gore go akaretsa go nne botoka. Go sekasekilwe diporojeke le dikwalo tse di maleba tsa ditheo Mo godimo ga moo, go lokolotswe go tswa mo dateng ya magato a a farologaneng go dirisiwa thekeniki ya go lokolola diteng go lebeletswe mabaka. Diphitlhelelo tsa thutopatlisiso di bontsha gore bontsi jwa dikonteraka mo Botswana bo amana le baamegi ba diporojeke kwa ntle ga sekao gongwe letlhomeso fa bo tsamaisa dikamano le baamegi. Diphitlhelelo tseno di bontsha dikonteraka tse dinnye, tse dimagareng le tse dikgolo mo indasetering ya kago ya Botswana. Gape go na le sesupo se sengwe sa gore dikonteraka tse dinnye, tse dimagareng le tse dikgolo di na le tsela ya go tsamaisa dikamano le baamegi le go rarabolola dikgotlhang, mme ka jalo seelo sa maitemogelo le kitso mo difemeng tsa kago se na le tlhotlheletso mo go reng di tsamaisa jang dikamano tsa tsona le baamegi ba diporojeke mo tsamaong ya theko le tiragatso ya porojeke. Go tlaleletsa, diphitlhelelo tsa thutopatlisiso di bontsha gore mofuta wa togamaano ya konteraka o na le tlhotlheletso e e bonalang mo go reng dikarolo tsa dikonteraka di amanang jang le baamegi ba tsona mo diporojekeng tsa kago. Mokgwa wa tlwaelo o fitlhetswe e le togamaano e kgolo ya theko e e dirisiwang mo indasetering ya kago ya Botswana, mme mokgwa ono o tsepame thata go ka diragatsa botsamaisi jo bo nonofileng jwa kamano ya baamegi e e tsamaisiwang ke mokonteraka. Go dirisiwa ditogamaano tse dingwe tsa go reka di tshwana le thadisa-o-age, le botsamaisi jwa kago mo Botswana ka ditlamorago tsa tsona tse di siameng le tse di sa siamang mo bokgoning jo bo nonofileng jwa mokonteraka go tsamaisa dikamano tsa gagwe tsa baamegi ba porojeke le dintlha tse dingwe tse di amanang. Tshekatsheko e nngwe ya diphitlhelelo e lebisitse kwa go supiweng ga dintlha tsa botlhokwa tsa katlego tsa go tlhamiwa ga CSRMF gore go nne le botsamaisi jo bo bokgoni jwa kamano ya mokonteraka le baamegi. Dintlha tseno tsa botlhokwa tsa katlego ke tlhaeletsano e e bokgoni, tirisanommogo, therisano le tirisano magareng ga badirelwa le bakonteraka mmogo xiii le maitlamo a moemedi; therisano le badiri (baamegi) le kgotsofalo mmogo le katiso; go tlhaloganya go go boteng ga baamegi botlhe ba porojeke mmogo le botlhokwa le tlhotlheletso ya bona; le ditogamaano tsa go tsamaisa dikamano ka bokgoni mo tsamaong ya thadiso ya porojeke, theko le tiragatso. Go ikaegilwe ka tshekatsheko ya ditshitshinyo tse di dirilweng le tokololo ya data ya maitemogelo le dipholo tse di tlhatlhobilweng mo thutopatlisisong eno, diphitlhelelo di tshegetsa dikakaretso tse di latelang: ditheo tsa dikonteraka kwa Botswana ga di na matlhomeso ape a SRM go rerisana le baamegi mo diporojekeng tse di farologaneng; bakonteraka ba Botswana ba lemoga tlhokego ya go dira botoka go tsamaisa dikamano tsa bona le baamegi ba diporojeke; mme go na le phatlha e e bonalang ya bokgoni jwa setegeniki le bokgoni jo bo lekanyediitsweng jwa bakonteraka go tsamaisa dikamano tsa bona le baamegi ba diporojeke. Go ikaegilwe ka diphitlhelelo, go tlhamilwe letlhomeso la botsamaisi jwa dikamano tsa baamegi tse di tsamaisiwang ke mokonteraka. Letlhomeso (CSRMF) le tlhomamisitswe ke ditlhopha tse pedi tse go buisanweng natso, e leng, batsamaisi ba diporojeke ba ba neng ba le mo sampoleng go tswa mo dipotsolotsong tse di batlileng di rulagane, le baporofešenale ba ba maleba mmogo le barutegi ba bangwe mo indasetering. Tlhomamiso e ne e direlwa go sekaseka bomaleba jwa CSRMF mo tsamaisong ya dikamano. Letlhomeso (CSRMF) le tlaa tlamela ka kaedi ya go fokotsa phatlha e e supilweng. Le tlaa amogelwa le go dirisiwa ke bakonteraka go fitlhelela dinonofo mo tsamaisong ya dikamano le baamegi, mme ka go rialo ba boloka nako le ditshenyegelo le go netefatsa boleng jo bo tokafetseng le, go feta tsotlhe, kgotsofalo ya badirelwa.
Business Management
D. B. L.

碩士
淡江大學
會計學系碩士班
103
In recent years, Company has been developing rapidly in the worldwide. As time goes by, many companies become rich and prosperous, but also cause a global environmental crisis. When the environmental issue has been gradually emphasized by the mass population. Business must attach importance to environment issues, and manager lead company strategy and culture to the sustainable development of environmental. Therefore, this study investigate the relationship among stakeholder, green organization culture and green management base on stakeholder theory and resource-based views, and analyse the impact of green management on organizational performance. We collect 248 valid questionnaires. The findings of our study are as follows: stakeholder has positive impact on the green management; green organization culture has mediation effect on the stakeholder and green management; green management has positive impact on the organizational performance.

A dominant focus on organisational stakeholders is currently evident in both the literature and in practice since it is argued that the success of organisations is predominantly dependent on stakeholders’ perception of the organisation. This stakeholder emphasis is evident in the inclusion of a chapter on governing stakeholder relations in the King III report and the development of various stakeholder standards in South Africa, including corporate social investment, corporate governance, corporate citizenship, corporate sustainability and the triple bottom line. Despite the recognition of the importance and necessity of building and maintaining stakeholder relations in the literature, there is a dearth of research on how to actually build these relationships. The aim of this study was to address this shortcoming by proposing a generic, integrated approach to sustainable organisation-stakeholder relationship (OSR) building with strategic stakeholders whereby strategic stakeholder identification, OSR development and OSR maintenance, which are often studied independently, would be integrated in order to constitute a new unified model. This model will promote a sustainable OSR-building process for organisation-stakeholder partnership (OSP) development.The following three building blocks for such a model were proposed: a strategic communication foundation that promotes the integration of specific corporate communication functions that is practised from a two-way symmetrical communication perspective as the basis for effective OSR building; a theoretical foundation, which is an integration of Freeman’s stakeholder concept (1984) from a normative, relational viewpoint, Ferguson’s relational paradigm for public relations (1984) and Ledingham’s (2003) theory of relationship management, encapsulated by Grunig’s (1984) excellence theory, of which the proposed OSR-building model would be a pragmatic representation; and a conceptualisation of the OSR-building model where the actual phases of the OSR-building process would be proposed to provide step-by-step guidance for OSR building. This model promotes a partnership approach with strategic stakeholders, which is based on the proposition of an OSR development continuum, which implies that an OSR could grow in intensity over time, from a foundational OSR, mutually-beneficial OSR, sustainable OSR, to ultimate organisational-stakeholder partnerships (OSPs). This model was built from a corporate communication perspective, and subsequently highlighted the contribution of corporate communication in the organisation as an OSR-building function to ensure organisational effectiveness. This study provided an exploratory literature review to constitute a conceptual framework for OSR-building of which the principles of the framework would be further explored and measured in leading listed South African organisations, by means of a quantitative web-based survey and qualitative one-on-one interviews to compose an OSR-building model that provides guidance on the process of OSR building on the basis of insights from theory and practice.
Ingevolge die argument dat die sukses van organisasies hoofsaaklik afhanklik is van die persepsies wat belangegroepe oor organisasies het, word ‘n dominante fokus tans op organisatoriese belangegroepe in die literatuur en praktyk geplaas. Die fokus op belangegroepe is sigbaar in die insluiting van ‘n hoofstuk oor die bou van belangegroepverhoudings in die King III verslag asook die ontwikkeling van verskeie belangegroepstandaarde in Suid Afrika, wat korporatiewe sosiale verantwoordelikheid, korporatiewe burgerskap, korporatiewe volhoubaarheid en drievoudige eindresultaat insluit. Ten spyte daarvan dat die belangrikheid en noodsaaklikheid van die bou en behoud van belangegroepverhoudings erken word in die literatuur, is daar ‘n tekort aan navorsing oor hoe om die verhoudings te bou. Die studie poog om dié tekortkoming aan te spreek deur middel van ‘n generiese, geϊntegreerde benadering vir volhoubare organisatoriese-belangegroepvershoudings (OBV) met strategiese belangegroepe voor te stel, waar strategiese belangegroep identifikasie, OBV ontwikkeling en OBV instandhouding, aspekte wat dikwels afsonderlik bestudeer word, geintegreer word in ‘n nuwe, verenigde model. Hierdie model sal ’n volhoubare OBV verbouiingsproses voorstel vir die ontwikkeling van organisatoriese-belangegroepvennootskappe. Drie boustene word vir die model voorgestel naamlik; ‘n strategiese kommunkasie fondasie wat die integrasie van spesifieke korporatiewe kommunikasie funksies vanuit ‘n twee-rigting simmetriese kommunikasie perspektief as basis vir die effektiewe bou van OBV insluit; ‘n teoretiese fondasie wat ‘n integrasie van Freeman (1984) se belangegroepkonsep van ‘n normatiewe, verhoudingsstandpunt, Ferguson (1984) se verhoudingsparadigma vir openbare skakelwerk en Ledingham (2003) se verhoudingsbestuursteorie insluit, omhul deur Grunig (1984) se uitnemendheidsteorie, waarvan die voorgestelde OBV model ‘n praktiese voorstelling sal wees; en ‘n konseptualisering van OBV-verbouing wat die fases van die OBV proses sal stipuleer om stap-vir-stap riglyne vir die bou van OBV voor te stel. ‘n Vennootskapsbenadering met strategiese belangegroepe word voorgestel deur die model, wat gebaseer is op die proposisie van ‘n OBV ontwikkelingskontinuum, wat impliseer dat ‘n OBV oor tyd in intensiteit kan groei van ‘n basiese OBV, wedersydse voordelige OBV, volhoubare OBV tot ‘n uiteindelike organisatoriese-belangegroepvennootskap. Die model is gebou uit ‘n korporatiewe kommunikasiestandpunt, wat gevolglik die bydrae van korporatiewe kommunikasie in die organisasie as ’n OBV-verbouingsfunksie om organisatoriese effektiwiteit te verseker, beklemtoon. Die studie bied ‘n verkennende literatuurstudie om ’n konseptuele raamwerk vir OBV-verbouing daar te stel, waarvan die beginsels van die raamwerk verder verken en gemeet is in gelysde Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies deur middel van ‘n kwantitatiewe web-gebaseerde opname en een-tot-een onderhoude om ’n OBV-verbouingsmodel te ontwikkel wat riglyne vir die proses van OBV-verbouing bied, gebaseer op beide teoretiese en praktiese insigte.
Communication Science
D. Litt. et Phil. (Communication)

碩士
國立高雄科技大學
企業管理系
107
Industrial development has prompted the economy, but climate change has been abnormal in recent years. It shows that economic development and environmental protection have been unbalanced, and the ecological environment has been seriously polluted and destroyed. The countries around the world have noticed environmental problems. To echo the trend of sustainable development, the government and companies are concerned about the environment. However, products are inevitably contaminated during the manufacturing process. In order to ensure that the pollution generated during product transfer is kept within the standard range, some countermeasures are taken. This study used a quantitative questionnaire survey method and the sample was the executive of Taiwan's manufacturing industry. 459 questionnaires were issued and 148 valid questionnaires, with a recovery rate of 32.2%. The results of the study show that stakeholders and institutional pressures are significantly related to environmental management practices. Then, stakeholders, institutional pressures and environmental management practices have a significant correlation to sustainable development performance. And environmental management practices have an intermediary effect. Finally, the results of this study will be discussed and management recommendations will be provided.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits Business School, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa. In fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Management in Strategic Marketing
Purpose: Private Banks are constantly seeking ways to build strong relationships with their most profitable customers. Despite this, there is limited research on CRM in the private banking industry of South Africa. The study assesses the role of internal stakeholders in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) eco-system within South African in private banks. Design/Methodology/Approach: Drawing on the stakeholder and the resource based theories, the researcher conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 20 research participants across the four leading private banks in South Africa. Findings: The research findings from the sample of 20 participants suggest that a highly skilled and experienced workforce is a primary driver of effective CRM implementation. Objectives and goals of the CRM eco-system have to be clear and employees need to be incentivised and motivated. Recommendations: Private banks need to continuously up-skill and retain experience employees in order to achieve high CRM objectives. Private banks need to have clear objectives and goals of implementing the CRM eco-system and employees need to be motivated and rewarded fairly for their contribution in successfully implementing the CRM eco-system. Implications: The internal stakeholders need to possess exceptional relationship management skills; have the ability to realise the importance of share of wallet; employ a customer-centric marketing approach; most importantly have a minimum experience of five years within the personal relationship banking industry. Key words and phrases: Customer Relationship Management (CRM), internal stakeholder, stakeholder theory, private banks, resource based view (RBV)
GR2018

碩士
國立高雄應用科技大學
企業管理系
106
Free Trade Agreement(FTA) initiated the environment performance in 2014 that helps manufacturing industries producing efficiently, reducing costs and decreasing the environmental impact. Sustainability will be the participation and promotion of the country, the enterprise and the society. It is not only limited to the practice of the enterprise, but also requires the stakeholders participation of all supply chain to achieve it. However, Taiwanese companies should also actively adopt relevant sustainable business strategies in order to increase economic, environmental and social performance of organization. This study explores the relationship among practice and performance of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) from the perspective of stakeholder participation and information processing ability. We took manufacturing industries as our sample in Taiwan. We used quantitative method and released 1,000 questionnaires. Finally, the 152 questionnaires valid were returned. This study used the Amos and Spss software and got some findings. Empirical results show that: (1) The stakeholder participation has a significant positive effect on the practice of SSCM. (2)The information processing ability has a significant positive effect on the practice of SSCM. (3)The practice of SSCM has a significant positive effect on the performance of SSCM.

碩士
國立高雄應用科技大學
企業管理系
103
The environment issue has been concerned by many international enterprice in these years. A lot of companies adopted green supply chain management (GSCM). In addition, the relative literatures of GSCM are increased, too. Most of the researches discussed about the institutional theory rather than the stakeholder theory. In this study, we’d like to reply the relationship among stakeholder pressure, GSCM and performance. Meanwhile, we used RBV to measure the resource in company and saw if they affected GSCM. Our sample was electrical and electronic industries in Taiwan. We used quantitive method and released 1,000 questionaries, the 194 valid were turned. Also, we got rid of the respondents that the capital is low than NT$ 10,000,000. This study used the AMOS and SPSS software and got the follow finding. The regulatory stakeholder and market stakeholder have the significant positive effect on GSCM. The green resource has a significant positive effect on the GSCM. The green resource has a partial mediation effect on the relationship between the GSCM and stakeholder pressure. GSCM has a significant positive effect on the environment performance and economic performance. The environment performance has a significant positive effect on the economic performance.

In recent years the ideas of good governance and the responsibility of corporate South Africa to contribute to the society in which they operate have become an undeniable part of organisational conception. Indeed, South Africa is considered to be a leader in the field of corporate governance internationally. Forming part of governance practices is Corporate Social Investment (CSI) whereby corporate organisations contribute to causes and societal groupings in need of financial and other assistance. Among these societal groupings that receive support from CSI activities are non-profit organisations (NPOs) that rely on funding from their corporate donors for survival. Based on the exchange of funding and a shared attempt at social development, a relationship between the two parties emerges. From the perspective of the stakeholder theory, corporate organisations, through their CSI activities, and NPOs are stakeholders of each other and a positive relationship between them could strengthen their individual and collective goals. This study explored and described the relationship between corporate donors and recipient NPOs in order to understand the state of the relationship and to critically consider the way in which the relationship is defined, described and measured. First, the relationship was explored by means of partially structured interviews based on well-known relationship indicators where it appeared that the relationship is not only fraught with negative perceptions from both sides, but also where the relationship indicators used to explore the relationship were not entirely suited for the specific context of this relationship. The negative perceptions and inappropriate relationship indicators formed the basis of a theoretical inquiry of literature on CSI, stakeholder relationships and participatory development communication. Subsequently, the partially structured interviews and the literature review informed the design of two corresponding survey questionnaires that could test both findings quantitatively. The results of validity and reliability testing confirmed the qualitative finding that a contextualised measurement is suited for this relationship. A mix of existing and newly formulated items grouped in contextual elements and redefined relationship indicators was used to describe the relationship. A combined analysis of qualitative and quantitative results indicated that the relationship is not as negative as the qualitative research might have suggested (possibly a result of contextualised measurement); but that very specific relational challenges are present and it is suggested that these challenges need a realistic approach of which accurate description is a starting point. The research contributes twofold with the first contribution being a clearer understanding of the relationship between corporate donors and recipient NPOs and the second being a set of redefined and contextualised relationship indicators with which to define and measure this relationship.
PhD (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The goal of the study was to develop a framework for public relations practice in the financial services sector. The study was based on four key objectives. In line with the first objective, chapters 2 and 3 reviewed how public relations was conceptualised and practiced by reviewing literature. Three worldviews, the North American, the European and African worldviews, were discussed by looking at their similarities and differences. The literature also reviewed the development of public relations from these three perspectives. Literature revealed that different models influence practices in different cultural settings and that effective PR practice cannot be premised on a single model. Objectives 2, 3 and 4 empirically analysed the conceptualisation and practice of public relations in terms of the purpose (models) and roles (activities). The study employed the one-on-one interview technique to gauge the views of communication managers in the financial services sector. The result of the study was discussed and analysed in chapter 5. Findings showed that PR was not strategic and mostly had a marketing orientation. Significantly, most of the communication managers had marketing backgrounds, which invariably affected their concept and practice of public relations. Another key finding was that public relations measurement and evaluation was based on outputs and outtakes more than outcomes. Moreover, methods used were mostly unscientific in nature. PR strategies were based on audience satisfaction surveys rather than perception and attitudinal research. Practitioners are not part of the dominant coalition. The findings showed that practitioners faced a number of challenges that compromised the effectiveness of their work, including management’s value and perception of their work, lack of in-depth knowledge about the profession itself, budgetary constraints and inability to sometimes influence decisions because of their position in the organisational structure. The findings of the study, together with findings in the literature, were used to develop a framework for effective PR practice in the sector. The framework differs in certain aspects from some of the recommendations made by literature for excellent public relations practice. The framework also incorporates recommendations aligning to the reality of public relations practice within the Ghanaian cultural and political environment.
Communication Science
D. Litt. et Phil.(Communication)

碩士
健行科技大學
財務金融系碩士班
102
However, with the rapid economic development, soil and groundwater pollution not only damage human health and environmental ecology, but also result in social problems, namely the external social cost. With the coming of green time, these pollution problems are gradually taken into serious consideration. When companies positively engage in environmental management, the pollution problems will be solved, and then performance of environmental protection will be improved. Therefore, enterprises must supervise and main taint the environmental protection through the pressures of internal and external interested parties, to achieve the final goal of sustainable development. This study investigates Taiwan’s listed companies in the oil and electricity gas industry, the chemical industry, the steel industry, the semiconductor industry, and the photovoltaic industry through questionnaire. 452 questionnaires are distributed and 168 copies are collected. First, this study ascertains the definition of internal and external in forested parties, environmental management and performance of environmental protection, Next, the relationship among the above-mentioned variables will be explored. The empirical results indicate that the pressures of internal and external interested parties, and environmental management positively and significantly affect the performance of environmental protection. Therefore, companies can take those factors into consideration to improve the performance of environmental protection.

The likelihood of organisational change success is commonly held to be dependent on how resistance to the change is planned for and managed. Stakeholders who resist change are seen to hold various levels of power or influence over change initiatives, and this power can originate from multiple different sources. There is extensive research literature considering the aspects of stakeholders, power and resistance, but little is evident relating the dimensions to each other to consider the architecture holistically. This research aims to form an exploratory study into the interrelationships between the three dimensions. To acquire data, an exploratory research approach was undertaken comprising face-to-face, in-depth expert interviews with fifteen professional change agents from three different sample groups. A range of qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques were applied to determine common trends and relationships across the three key dimensions and sub-categories identified from the literature which related to each dimension. A number of interesting and useful relationships were uncovered within and between the key dimensions and extend the current literature in this field. It was discovered that the higher the magnitude of power held by a stakeholder the more likely it was that they would show resistance. Further findings confirmed links between the types of behaviour (active or passive, overt or covert) and revealed multidimensional influences such as that certain types of stakeholder could be expected to have higher levels of power and thus resist more and in the course of enacting that they would behave more actively and overtly. These relationships allowed for the development of a stakeholder-power-resistance model as shown in Figure 17 which can be used by managers and change practitioners to understand, anticipate and respond to stakeholder resistance in change initiatives.
Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013.
mngibs2014
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MBA
Unrestricted

碩士
輔仁大學
管理學研究所
92
On the basis of the amounts of competitive resource and the efficacy of resource integration, firms can thus establish their competitive advantages. Generally, in the face of insufficient resource, SMEs (Small-Medium Enterprises) should not only build up their internal resource but also draw on external network to accumulate, integrate, exchange, and exploit resource leading to a synergy of resource utilization. Indeed, top managers may develop continuously their individual advantages, avoid environmental threats, and seize value-enhancing opportunities. It is important gradually to utilize network in the present society. Network can be considered an essential resource for business operations. Therefore, no matter formal or informal firms, they would spend tangible or intangible costs on decreases of production cost and of transaction cost. This study draws on cases study to explain the antecedent, process, result, and strategy of network. Given records of focus interviews word for word, data analysis, concept categorization, and theoretical pattern matching can be achieved. This article based on individual, organizational, and transactional facets to interpret developments of relationship and resource. First, for individual, this study finds that the more work experience top managers have, the more maturely professional technologies and management abilities they acquired, the more contribution to firms’ competitive resources. In addition, top managers can develop their interpersonal relationships with stakeholders through their business exchange providing competitive resources for firms. Hence, there is a positive relationship between the amounts of top managers’ interpersonal relationships and competitive resources for firms. Moreover, because of the previously established strong ties between top managers and stakeholders, firms can reach goal of consolidation of competitive advantage. Second, for organization, external relationship refers to exchange or complement of resources, and cooperation between firms. Underlying trust between stakeholders and firms, firms are more likely to access substantial resources through relationships establishing competitive advantages. As internal resource is sufficient, firms may have a tendency towards relationships of weak tie with stakeholders to decrease cost. In contrast, as internal resource is insufficient, firms may tend to relationship development with strong tie for acquirement of complementary resource. Finally, for transaction, this study explores the influence of transactional characteristics on relationships between firms and stakeholders. The finding is that as transactional characteristic is unique, specificity, or uncertainty, the amount of competitive resource would lead to change in relationship between firms and stakeholders.

For organisations to survive in an ever-changing milieu, as evident from the current business environment, sufficient crisis communication and management practices need to be in place to ensure organisational survival. Despite the latter, organisational crises are often inefficiently managed which could be ascribed to the lack of managing crises strategically (Kash & Darling 1998:180). This study explores the lack of strategic crisis communication processes within the financial industry specifically, to ensure effective crisis communication with the media as stakeholder group, through the proposition of an integrated crisis communication framework, which focuses on: · Combining integrated communication (IC) literature with Grunig’s theory of communication excellence to build sustainable media relationships through two-way communication; and · Implementing a crisis communication process that has proactive, reactive and post-evaluative crisis communication stages, thereby moving away from crisis communication as a predominant reactive function.
Communication Sciences
M.A. (Communication)

Relationships with internal stakeholders within the organisation (employees) are crucial for organisational survival and success (Hargie & Tourish, 2000:293; Jensen, 2010:32; Koschmann, 2007:12; McDermott & Chan, 1996:5; Van der Colff, 2003:258). Therefore, twoway symmetrical communication with employees in building relationships and relationship management is so important (Bezuidenhout, 2010; Koschmann, 2007:8). The North-West University focuses on maintaining good relationships with their employees through communication, but experience challenges in this regard. The Institutional Office of the North-West University is the main source of information and communication with employees of all three campuses. A consultant (Media Mosaics, 2010) and two other studies (Holtzhausen & Fourie, 2011; Mmope, 2010) identified various problems with the communication and consequent relationships between the Institutional Office and the Potchefstroom Campus employees. Given that good relations between the two business units are a focus of the university and that the outcomes of internal communication are good relationships, it is necessary to determine how the internal communication from the North-West University Institutional Office to Potchefstroom Campus employees are conducted in order to build good relationships. To determine the above a literature study, questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews were carried out. The systems approach, reflective paradigm, excellence theory, two-way symmetrical communication model and stakeholder relations theory were used as a theoretical framework (Dozier, et al., 1995; Ferreira & Staude, 1991; Grunig & Grunig, 2000:310; Grunig et al., 2002; Ledingham & Bruning, 2001:63; Skinner & Von Essen, 1999:257; Steyn & Puth, 2000; Verčič et al., 2001:382). From the results it appears that the North-West University Institutional Office and Potchefstroom Campus employees do not agree on all aspects of the relationship and communication between them. It appears that the North-West University Institutional Office meets only some of the requirements of communication and relationship building, as it has been set out in the literature, and that there is room for improvement.
MA (Communication Studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

碩士
中華大學
科技管理學系碩士班
99
The concepts of Green Management and the importance of environmental protection were sparked in 1990’s, and many international conventions were singed between countries and countries. Since then, industries from the world transferred the end-of-pipe technology to an innovation. In addition, the companies involved the original design, process, marketing, and recycling, which were the elements of the product lifecycle in “Green Management.” Some industries changed the way of operating because they knew that what they did was good for the environment. However, some companies followed up because they were limited by the agreements they had made and the international conventions the countries had signed. On the other hand, there were some industries did it for their consumers because their customers also changed the concept toward environment. Therefore, we could know that different stakeholders do influene companies to put Green Management into practice. According to the assumption, this research aims to explore the impact between stakeholders and Green Management. The ways that companies examine how they apply resources will influence the organization performance, but what exactly will be impact the achievement of an industry if it delivers on Green Management is not sure until now. Therefore, in order to understand the connection between Green Management and organizational performance in paper- making industry, this research uses questionnaire survey procedure to know the situation of Green Management which is applied in papermaking industry. In addition, who is the stakeholder influencing the executing Green Management? Moreover, what is the connection between Green Management and organizational performance? This research gathered information through collecting questionnaires from managers in paper - making industry in Taiwan. Furthermore, this study will examine that if Green iii Management and Stakeholders would influence organizational performances by SPSS statistics analysis, factor analysis, descriptive statistics analysis, Pearson’s correlation analysis, stepwise multiple regression analysis, and other statistical methodologies. Keywords: Stakeholders, Green Management, Organizational Performance

Orientação: Marta Maria Cordeiro Lopes
Esta pesquisa aborda a gestão de conflitos, na perspetiva dos stakeholders mediante o relacionamento e subsequente satisfação. A gestão de conflitos é uma prática a ter em conta no mundo organizacional, pois os stakeholders são elementos essenciais em termos da visão estratégica de uma empresa. Esta gestão permite uma melhoria na satisfação do cliente enriquecendo assim as relações sociais entre a organização e os seus intervenientes. É necessário oferecer serviços que coloquem em primeiro lugar as necessidades das suas partes interessadas, de modo a cativá-las e retê-las. O que se pretende através desta investigação é saber o que é a gestão de conflitos (Cunha e Leitão, 2011; Dimas, Lourenço e Miguez, 2005), identificar os stakeholders (Clarkson, 1995; Freeman, 2010), determinar o seu impacto no relacionamento (Brambilla, 2008; Mackenna, 1992) e na satisfação (Kotler, 2000; Tse e Wilton, 1988). Adotando a metodologia de estudo de caso e inserido no contexto português, concluiu-se que os stakeholders primários (Atkinson e Waterhouse, 1997) têm grande importância perante a organização, e que o relacionamento desenvolvido através dos mesmos, estão implicitamente refletidos na sua satisfação. Os stakeholders mais influentes são os Colaboradores, Clientes e Fornecedores, sendo os três grandes alicerces dentro da organização.
This research deals with conflict management, from the perspective of the stakeholders through the relationship and subsequent satisfaction. Conflict management is a practice to be taken into account in the organizational, since stakeholders are essential elements in terms of the strategic vision of a company. This management allows an improvement in customer satisfaction thus enriching the social relations between the organization and its stakeholders. It is necessary to offer services which enhances the stakeholders needs, in order to captivate and retain them. What we want to know through this investigation is to know what the management of conflicts is (Cunha and Leitão, 2011; Dimas, Lourenço and Miguez, 2005), identify stakeholders (Clarkson, 1995; Freeman, 2010), define the impact in relationship (Brambilla, 2008; Mackenna, 1992) and in satisfaction (Kotler, 2000; Tse and Wilton, 1988). Adopting the case study methodology and inserted in the Portuguese context, it was concluded that the primary stakeholders (Atkinson and Waterhouse, 1997) have great importance to the organization, and their relationship are implicitly reflected in their satisfaction. The most influential stakeholders are the Employees, Clients and Suppliers, the three main foundations within the organization.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe Kenya Power employees’ perceptions of their adoption and implementation of online internal communication tools as a means of creating and managing long lasting relationships among all employees in the organisation. The theoretical point of departure for this study was framed within online internal communication and relationship management while principles of e-government were also considered. A single case study design was adopted for the study which combined both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques while data was triangulated using an online self-administered questionnaire, focus group moderator’s guide and an interview schedule. The results guided by the theoretical criteria indicate that the implementation of online internal communication tools was done at Kenya Power without considering the internal stakeholders’ needs and preferences. The consequence is that employees have developed negative perceptions about internal online communication resulting in low adoption for relationship management activities. The findings of this study could be useful for other public sector organisations in that it will help them to positively change employees’ perceptions as well as enhance the implementation and adoption of internal online communication tools for the purposes of relationship building which could result in better internal communication and public sector services.
Communication Science
M.A. (Communication)