Abstract for: Societal Response to Harms: Advancing a Theory of Stakeholder Dynamics

In an effort to reduce the harms perpetuated by social science grounded in an ethos perceived to be informed by colonialism, scholars are arguing for abandoning the stakeholder concept on the one hand, and questioning stakeholder theory on the other. Using control theory principles, a novel system dynamics simulation model is developed which generically advances the stakeholder dynamics concepts in Mitchell et al's classic 1997 paper. The model integrates insights from social science frameworks, specifically Max Weber, decolonialism/post-colonialism representing two sides of the debate. Control theory's PID principle is applied to model stakeholder pressure, framing it within a past, present, and future (PPF) perspective to address the fluidity of stakeholder goals and the boundedly-rational wisdom of their pressure strategy, with implications for the controversial stakeholder legitimacy concept, implementing dynamics in stakeholder theory. Findings suggest that stakeholders’ response to societal harm are not merely disruptive but indicative of a delegated set of urgency strategies. The study identifies that incorporating a holistic PPF perspective allows for a richer understanding of stakeholder dynamics, enhancing stakeholder salience and legitimacy in sustainability, with much broader potential applicability. The implications of this work encourage practitioners to reconsider their engagement strategies with stakeholders by recognizing the historical and anticipatory contexts of their pressures. Researchers are prompted to delve deeper into the relational dynamics of stakeholder interactions, leveraging storytelling and artistic expressions to convey complex sustainability narratives effectively. Furthermore, reinvigorating stakeholder theory with a dynamic description of its concepts and a defense of its value for studying effective societal responses.