Stakeholder influence on corporate strategies over time

Abstract

Modern management reporting on its\ncompany’s performance is influenced by individuals’\nethical considerations. Stakeholders’ philosophies have\ncontinued to change over the last 75 years affecting\nreporting systems for companies reporting information\ninternally and externally. These fundamental changes in\nphilosophy have affected how information is conveyed.\nWe are not claiming that only one philosophical view\npoint dominates companies reporting practices, but there\ndoes appear to be a changing trend of philosophies\nbuilding on one another. We use resource dependence\ntheory in relationship to a decision making model to\nexplain changing stakeholders positions over time. This\npaper argues that six dominant philosophical theories have\ninfluenced the way individuals and organizations report\nfinancial and other information. Further, these philoso\nphies then are depicted in a model that helps us to\nunderstand what influences companies to present them\nselves to the outside world. A vignette is used to depict\nchanging philosophical views for several companies’\nmanagement report over 75 years