Utilising stakeholder theory for social marketing process evaluation in a food waste context

Abstract

Purpose Calls for theoretically informed interventions and a more reflexive stance are apparent in social marketing. Moving from a “prove” to “improve” mentality requires evaluations that learn from experience gained to identify improvements to inform future programme success. This paper considers the value of inclusion of stakeholders in process evaluation. Design/methodology/approach Two participant groups (n = 90, n = 182) and one key stakeholder group (n = 22) were surveyed in person, over the phone and online. Open-ended qualitative responses were analysed for recurring themes. Findings Key stakeholders contribute unique and valuable insight into programme implementation and engagement, expanding evaluation beyond participant feedback. Most notably, the process evaluation illuminated the engagement insight of programme volunteers, mid-level expansion opportunities offered by participating chefs and the perceived value of involvement across all stakeholder groups. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by a lack of systematic stakeholder identification and to a single context, namely food waste. Practical implications This paper affirms the importance of process evaluation and application of stakeholder theory to social marketing. These contributions suggest a widened focus for the widely accepted NSMC benchmark criteria which centre attention on the end users targeted for change. Stakeholders should be included in process evaluations given they contribute important and unique partnership insights. Originality/value This paper extends stakeholder theory use in social marketing providing showcasing potential for this approach to deliver a more reflexive stance.

Food Waste and Social Practices in Australian Households

“…There are substantial negative environmental externalities attributed to the production of food, and thus, food waste throughout the entire supply chain through to the consumer. The land changes and degradation associated with agricultural practices pose a risk to biodiversity, impact soil erosion and increase pollution of soil and freshwater via the use of chemical fertilisers [3,10]. In Australia, a country prone to drought and water shortages, it is estimated nearly a quarter of all the water used in agriculture is used to produce food that is then lost or wasted [11,12].…”

“…Additionally, there is an economic argument that improving the efficiency of the food supply chain would make food more affordable at the consumer level for those that lack economic access [2]. Collectively, the environmental and social consequences of the food waste produced throughout the global food system are estimated to have an additional $1.6 trillion impact [10]. This figure is in addition to the estimated direct economic one trillion-dollar cost [10].…”

A systematic review of parent based programs to prevent or reduce alcohol consumption in adolescents

“…Inclusion of multiple stakeholders across the span of a program can improve behaviour change outcomes [20], through enhanced acceptance and adoption of programs into the community [21]. Stakeholder engagement can occur from early formative research and concept development stages [22], through to program implementation and evaluation stages [23, 24]. Freeman [25] defines stakeholders as “any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of an organization’s objective” (p.53).…”

The trends of social marketing development in Kazakhstan

“…Having described various definitions of social marketing and its relationship to commercial marketing and the fact that "there are too many definitions of social marketing being used, and these definitions conflict in major and minor ways" (Andreasen, 2002: 4). Recent studies showed the effectiveness of social marketing interventions at different points in complex dynamic system (Hodgkins et al, 2019;Kassirer et al, 2019;Saunders & Truong, 2019). Whilst social marketing has been continuing to capture increasing research attention in different settings across the globe, local movements and organizations in Kazakhstan are getting more involved in social marketing activities as well.…”