The Case For Reporting Pro-Active Environmental Initiatives: A Malaysian Experiment On Stakeholder Influence Strategies

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to gain insights on the preferred strategies chosen by various stakeholder representatives to influence management to either provide/not provide environmental disclosures in an experimental setting. A typology of resource relationships and influence strategies is adapted as a framework to make sense of the views presented by various
stakeholder representative groups. To facilitate a Malaysian experiment, qualitative interviews with the aid of a hypothetical vignette are conducted to understand how different stakeholder groups go about seeking what they want from the management. The findings in this exploratory study indicate that although the model is useful to understand the influence strategies taken by each stakeholder group, its effectiveness is tempered by the level of significance placed by these groups on the environmental initiative and their perception of how the event will affect their stake on the firm.