Stakeholder Theory: A Millennial Lens on Institutional Foundations, Functional Imperatives, and the Governance of Value
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59413/ajocs/v7.i3.49Keywords:
Stakeholder theory, corporate governance, value creation, organisational performance, stakeholder managementAbstract
Stakeholder theory posits that organisations must create value not only for shareholders but for all parties affected by their operations. This study examines the historical evolution of stakeholder thinking, the broad categories of stakeholders, the two dominant perspectives through which stakeholder management is practised, the core theoretical framework and related theories that underpin the process, the rationale for stakeholder governance and regulation, and the strategic functions that stakeholder engagement serves for households, firms, and government. The study contends that organisations operating with a millennial lens must integrate institutional and functional stakeholder perspectives to sustain profitability and long-run societal growth.
Downloads
References
Ansoff, H. I. (1965). Corporate Strategy. McGraw-Hill.
Brenner, S. N., & Cochran, P. (1991). The stakeholder theory of the firm. Proceedings of the International Association for Business and Society, 2, 449–467. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5840/iabsproc1991235
Business Roundtable. (2019). Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation. Washington, D.C.
DiMaggio, P., & Powell, W. (1983). The iron cage revisited. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2095101
Donaldson, T., & Preston, L. E. (1995). The stakeholder theory of the corporation. Academy of Management Review, 20(1), 65–91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/258887
Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., & Serafeim, G. (2014). The impact of corporate sustainability on organisational processes and performance. Management Science, 60(11), 2835–2857. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1984
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. Pitman Publishing.
Freeman, R. E., Harrison, J. S., & Wicks, A. C. (2007). Managing for Stakeholders. Yale University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1186402
Friedman, M. (1970). The social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. New York Times Magazine.
Harrison, J. S., & Bosse, D. A. (2013). How much is too much? Business Horizons, 56(3), 313–322. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2013.01.014
Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1976). Theory of the firm. Journal of Financial Economics, 3(4), 305–360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-405X(76)90026-X
Jones, T. M. (1995). Instrumental stakeholder theory. Academy of Management Review, 20(2), 404–437. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/258852
Merton, R. C. (1995). Financial innovation and the management and regulation of financial institutions. Journal of Banking and Finance, 19, 461–482. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-4266(94)00133-N
Mitchell, R. K., Agle, B. R., & Wood, D. J. (1997). Toward a theory of stakeholder identification and salience. Academy of Management Review, 22(4), 853–886. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/259247
North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511808678
Pfeffer, J., & Salancik, G. R. (1978). The External Control of Organisations. Harper & Row.
Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2011). Creating shared value. Harvard Business Review, 89(1/2), 62–77.
Rawls, J. (1971). A Theory of Justice. Harvard University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674042605
Schumpeter, J. A. (1934). The Theory of Economic Development. Harvard University Press.
Scott, W. R. (1995). Institutions and Organisations. Sage Publications.
Smith, A. (1759). The Theory of Moral Sentiments. A. Millar. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oseo/instance.00042831
Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing legitimacy. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 571–610. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/258788
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Charles Katua Kithandi (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.








