Stakeholder Salience Model

Definition

The stakeholder salience model is a framework that helps identify and prioritize stakeholders based on their power, legitimacy, and urgency in relation to a given change initiative. This model emphasizes the need to balance the interests of various stakeholders by assessing how much influence they have, the legitimacy of their claims, and the immediacy of their needs. Understanding these dimensions allows organizations to manage relationships effectively during periods of change.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The stakeholder salience model categorizes stakeholders into three groups: definitive, expectant, and latent, based on their combination of power, legitimacy, and urgency.
2. Definitive stakeholders have high power, legitimacy, and urgency, making their interests critical to the success of change initiatives.
3. Expectant stakeholders may have either power or legitimacy but lack both attributes simultaneously, meaning their claims are important but may not require immediate attention.
4. Latent stakeholders possess one of the three attributes—power, legitimacy, or urgency—but do not warrant immediate consideration in decision-making processes.
5. Effective application of the stakeholder salience model can lead to improved communication strategies and better alignment between organizational goals and stakeholder expectations.

Review Questions

• How does the stakeholder salience model help prioritize stakeholders during a change initiative?
  • The stakeholder salience model helps prioritize stakeholders by evaluating their power, legitimacy, and urgency. This evaluation results in categorizing stakeholders into definitive, expectant, or latent groups. By understanding these classifications, organizations can focus their resources and attention on those stakeholders who have the most significant influence on the success of the change initiative, ensuring that their interests are addressed appropriately.
• Discuss how the concepts of power and legitimacy interact within the stakeholder salience model.
  • In the stakeholder salience model, power and legitimacy interact to determine how stakeholders are prioritized. Stakeholders with both power and legitimacy become definitive stakeholders whose interests must be prioritized because they have the authority to influence outcomes while also having valid claims. Meanwhile, those with only one attribute may require different engagement strategies; for example, stakeholders with power but no legitimacy might pose threats that need careful management.
• Evaluate the implications of ignoring latent stakeholders in the context of managing change using the stakeholder salience model.
  • Ignoring latent stakeholders can lead to unforeseen consequences during change management processes. While they may not appear urgent or powerful initially, latent stakeholders can become mobilized if their needs or concerns are neglected. If these stakeholders perceive their interests as being overlooked or invalidated, it can result in resistance or backlash against change efforts. Thus, recognizing even latent stakeholders is crucial for maintaining a harmonious relationship with all groups involved and ensuring successful implementation of changes.

Related terms

Stakeholder Analysis: A process of identifying and assessing the influence and importance of stakeholders in a project or initiative.

Power Dynamics: The ways in which power is distributed and exercised within relationships among stakeholders.

Legitimacy: The perception that a stakeholder's actions or claims are appropriate, valid, or acceptable within a given social context.