Stakeholder theory one grand theory or multiple perspectives? some Australian evidence

Stakeholder theory has developed on two fronts - adopting a managerial or a normative perspective. Each has offered a partial explanation of the :firnrstakeholder relationship. Researchers have called for an approach that addresses both perspectives to recognise the diverse motivations for decisions. This study operationalises stakeholder theory identifying motivations to report to stakeholders identified from the various stakeholder theories. It is argued that this approach allows a more complete analysis of the fl11IJ:stakeholder interaction. The relevance of each of the motivations was assessed through a postal survey of a sample of 'environmentally sensitive' firms. Data analysis found that the variants of stakeholder theory do contribute to the decision to report, each offering a part of the story. This approach recognises motivations to report differ between firms as a result of the differing impacts (economic, social, cultural) on the firm and the viewpoints people within the firm bring to decision- making.