Abstract
Stakeholder theory is widely recognized as a management theory, yet very little research has considered its implications for individual managerial decision-making. In the two studies reported here, we used stakeholder theory to examine managerial decisions about balancing stakeholder interests. Results of Study 1 suggest that indivisible resources and unequal levels of stakeholder saliency constrain managers’ efforts to balance stakeholder interests. Resource divisibility also influenced whether managers used a within-decision or an across-decision approach to balance stakeholder interests. In Study 2 we examined instrumental and normative implications of these two approaches. We conclude by considering the contributions of this research.
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Reynolds, S.J., Schultz, F.C. & Hekman, D.R. Stakeholder Theory and Managerial Decision-Making: Constraints and Implications of Balancing Stakeholder Interests. J Bus Ethics 64, 285–301 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-005-5493-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-005-5493-2