Analysing the stakes of stakeholders in research and development project management: a systems approach

Abstract

Research and development (R&D) project management involves managing multiple stakeholders with conflicting stakes. This article proposes a systems approach to capture such conflicting stakes of multiple stakeholders in controversial R&D projects. The approach is illustrated using a New Zealand case study related to the use of 1080 chemical for pest management. Initially, the problem situation was structured systemically by analysing the behaviour of the main variables and by conducting a stakeholder analysis. Further, a participative systems model related to the problem situation was developed using a group model-building process. The analysis of the model revealed a set of feedback loops operating in the system identified as constituting and responsible for the complexity of the problem situation relating to 1080 use. In conclusion, the paper highlights some strategies suggested by the stakeholders to manage conflict.

What Is Going on with Stakeholder Theory in Project Management Literature? A Symbiotic Relationship for Sustainability

“…Overall, they must adjust to the new circumstances [79]. Stakeholders such as consumers increasingly prefer, for example, products and services that are environmentally friendly [80,81], which forces organizations to constantly reinvent themselves, look for alternatives, new management strategies, and generalized consensus with stakeholders along the value chain [82,83].…”

“…Project managers must also acquire skills and appropriate strategies to manage the inevitable or unpredictable conflicts that arise from this framework of relationships [79], highlighting dialogue as a transcendental tool both to increase commitment and to resolve conflicts in project management [87,88].…”

Stakeholder integration in new product development: a systematic analysis of drivers and firm capabilities

“…Research has suggested that the integration of multiple stakeholders in NPD‐related activities leads to better performance and higher success rates (Talke and Hultink, ; Driessen and Hillebrand, ; Su et al, ; Elias, ). Previous research on how firms identify novel ideas outside their boundaries has mostly focused on either a narrow set of innovative customers (von Hippel, ; Lettl et al, ; Bilgram et al, ) or a broad set of external sources of information (Chesbrough, ; Enkel et al, ; Gassmann et al, ).…”

“…Stakeholder theory offers a framework by which to analyze influential actors inside and outside of the firm's boundaries (Freeman, ). Although previous studies have transferred the stakeholder approach to R&D management (Elias et al, ; Elias, ), the focus remains on stakeholder methods for controversial innovations or one‐time large‐scale projects. This study investigates the integration (i.e., proactive engagement with stakeholders) of downstream market stakeholders in general NPD processes.…”

“…In addition, the analysis of drivers provides the bases for aligning incentives for all parties. In regards to theory, we extend research on the stakeholder approach in NPD (Elias, ) to widen the current customer‐focused perspective. The downstream market stakeholder capability model provides a foundation for future investigations of the antecedents of NPD success.…”