A CRITICAL REVIEW OF STAKEHOLDER THEORY IN THE CONTEXT OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT

Öz

Today organisations which are operating in a complex environment and network of relationships are engaging in strategic communication effort based on unavoidable dialogue with their stakeholders following a power/impact analysis of those stakeholders. In this article, with reference to the ‘Stakeholder Theory’ as a strategic management concept, the rationale of organizations grounds of analysing its stakeholders and/or publics of in order to establish dialogue has been discussed with a critical review. To this end, the problematic of defining and framing of ‘stakeholders’ and ‘publics’ concepts translated from English and used in Turkish public relations and management literature has been mentioned. On the other hand, how the ‘Stakeholder Theory’ creates an environment to meet stakeholders’ expectations, persuade stakeholders who may pose a problem, and as a consequence operates in accordance with organizational goals will also be analysed. Organisations might also seek concession to maintain hegemony to maximize their own interests and realise the organisational sustainability if required. Stakeholder management is essential for organisations in terms of strategic planning (identification of opportunities and threats), institutional legitimacy and the idea of corporate social responsibility (CSR). ‘Stakeholder Theory’ and other concepts such as ‘stakeholder engagement’, ‘CSR’, ‘sustainability’ and ‘corporate citizenship’ in this context, have been designed in order to create a ‘corporate ethos’ within utilitarian ethics framework, and to provide suitable setting for the implementation of neoliberal economy policies

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Stakeholder Theory
• Public Relations
• Strategic Communication Management

STRATEJİK İLETİŞİM YÖNETİMİ BAĞLAMINDA PAYDAŞ KURAMI’NIN ELEŞTİREL BİR DEĞERLENDİRMESİ

Öz

Günümüzde karmaşık bir çevre ve ilişkiler ağı içinde faaliyet gösteren kuruluşlar, paydaşlarına yönelik güç/etki analizi yaparak bu paydaşları ile zorunlu diyaloga dayalı stratejik bir iletişim çabası içine girmektedirler. Bu makalede bir stratejik yönetim kavramı olan Paydaş Kuramı’ndan hareketle işletmelerin ve diğer kuruluşların neden paydaşlarını ve/veya hedef kitlelerini analiz ederek onlarla diyalog kurdukları eleştirel bir değerlendirme ile ortaya konulmuştur. Bu amaçla öncelikle makalede Türkçe halkla ilişkiler ve işletme literatüründe İngilizce’den tercüme edilerek kullanılan ‘paydaş’ (stakeholder) ve ‘hedef kitle’ (public) kavramlarına yönelik tanımlama ve çerçeveleme sorunsalı ele alınmıştır. Öte yandan Paydaş Kuramı’nın paydaşların beklentilerinin etkilenmesi, sorun teşkil edebilecek paydaşların ikna edilmesi ve sonuç olarak kuruluşun hedefleri ile uyumlu biçimde faaliyet gösterebilmesi için nasıl bir çevre oluşturduğu analiz edilmiştir. Hatta kuruluşlar gerektiğinde hegemonyalarını devam ettirebilmek için ödünleşme yoluna giderek kendi çıkarlarını maksimize ederler ve kurumsal sürdürülebilirliklerini gerçekleştirirler. Kuruluşların paydaşlarının yönetilmesi stratejik planlama (tehdit ve fırsatların belirlenmesi), kurumsal meşruluk ve kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk (KSS) düşüncesi açısından gereklidir. ‘Paydaş Kuramı’ ve yine bu bağlamda ‘paydaş katılımı’, ‘KSS’, ‘sürdürülebilirlik’ ve ‘kurumsal vatandaşlık’ gibi diğer kavramlar; faydacı bir etik anlayış çerçevesinde bir ‘kurumsal ethos’un oluşturulması ve neo-liberal ekonomi-politikalarının uygulanmasına uygun ortam sağlamak amacıyla tasarlanmışlardır. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Paydaş Kuramı
• Halkla İlişkiler
• Stratejik İletişim Yönetimi

Kaynakça

1. Botan, C. (1997). Ethics in Strategic Communication Campaigns: The Case for a New Approach to Public Relations. The Journal of Business Communication, 34(2), 188-202.
2. Brugha, R. & Varvasovszky, Z. (2000). Stakeholder Analysis: A Review. Health Policy and Planning, 15(3), 239-246.
3. Capgemini (2010). Stakeholder Management, Retrieved August 21, 2013 from http://www.cap- gemini.com/resources/stakeholder-management
4. Carol, A.B. (2008). Corporate Social Responsibility Theories. Crane, A., McWilliams, A., Matten, D., Moon, J. & Siegel, D.S. (Edited by), The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibili- ty. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
5. Clarkson, M.B.E. (1995). A Stakeholder Framework for Analysing and Evaluating Corporate Social Performance. Academy of Management Review, 20(1), 92-117.
6. Crane, A. & Matten, D. (2004). Business Ethics. NY: Oxford University Press.
7. Dunfee, T. W. (2008). Stakeholder Theory: Managing Corporate Social Responsibility in a Multiple Actor Context. Crane, A., McWilliams, A., Matten, D., Moon, J. & Siegel, D.S. (Edited by), The Oxford Handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility. NY: Oxford University Press.
8. Erdoğan, F. (2008). Paydaş Teorisi ve İşletmelerin Paydaşları ile İlişkilerinin Yönetimi. Erciyes Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 31, 199-223.

9. Freeman, E.R. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Marshfield, MA: Pitman.
10. Freeman, E.R. & Phillips R.A. (2002). Stakeholder Theory: A Libertarian Defence. Business Ethics Quarterly, 12(3), 331-349.
11. Global Corporate Governance Forum, Focus 8 (2009). Stakeholder Engagement and the Board: Integrating Best Governance Practices, International Finance Corporation.
12. Grunig, J.E. (1989). Symmetrical Presuppositions as a Framework for Public Relations Theory, Botan C. H. & Hazleton V. Jr. (Edited by). Public Relations Theory. NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Asso- ciates.
13. Grunig, J.E. (1992). Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
14. Grunig, J.E. & Repper, F.C. (1992). Strategic Management, Publics and Issues, Grunig James E. (Edited by), Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management. NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
15. Hallahan, K., Holtzhausen D., Van Ruler B., Verčič, D. & Sriramesh K., (2007). Defining Strategic Communication, Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 3-35.
16. Hawkins, D.E. (2006). Corporate Social Responsibility: Balancing Tomorrow’s Sustainability and Today’s Profitability. NY: Palgrave MacMillan.
17. Ihlen, Ø. & Van Ruler B. (2009). Applying Social Theory to Public Relations. Ihlen, Ø., Van Ruler B. ve Fredriksson (Edited by), Public Relations and Social Theory: Key Figures and Concepts, NY: Routledge.
18. Keinert, C. (2008). Corporate Social Responsibility as an International Theory. Leipzig: Physi- ca-Verlag Heidelberg.
19. Key, S. (1999). Toward a New Theory of Firm: A Critique of Stakeholder ‘Theory’. Management Decision, 37(4), 317-328.
20. Mackey, S. (2006). The Misuse of Term ‘Stakeholder’ in Public Relations. PRism, 4(1), 1-15.
21. Mintzberg, H. (1999). Who Should Control the Operation?. Minztberg, H., Quinn, J.B. & Ghoshal, S. (Edited by), The Strategy Process: Concepts, Contexts and Cases. Harlow: Pearson Education.
22. O’Riordan, L. & Fairbrass, J. (2008). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Models and Theories in Stakeholder. Journal of Business Ethics, 83, 745-758.
23. Panimbang F. (2011). The Reality of Corporate Social Responsibility: Experiences from China, South Korea, India and Indonesia. Asia Monitor Resource Center, Retrieved November 15, 2013 from http://www.amrc.org.hk
24. Rawlins, B.L. (2006). Prioritizing Stakeholders for Public Relations, IPR.
25. Roper, J. (2005). Symmetrical Communication: Excellent Public Relations or a Strategy for Hegemo- ny?. Journal of Public Relations Research, 17(1), 69-86.
26. Sarıkaya, M. (Eylül-Ekim 2011), Paydaş Yaklaşımı Bağlamında İşletme-Paydaş Etkileşimi ve Stratejik Paydaş Analizi. ASO Ankara Sanayi Odası Yayın Organı, 43-58.
27. Schaltegger, S., Burritt, R. & Petersen, H. (2003). An Introduction to Corporate Environmental Man- agement: Striving for Sustainability. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publication.
28. Sinclair, M.L. (2011). Developing a Model for Effective Stakeholder Engagement Management. Asia-Pasific Public Relations Journal, 12(11), 1-20.
29. Smith, R. (2004). Strategic Planning for Public Relations. 2.Baskı. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
30. Young, G. (2008). Stakeholder Economy. Robert W. Kolb (Edited by), The Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society (1986-1988). CA: Sage Publications. ŞEKİL