Stakeholder salience model

When setting sales or promotion objectives, you are often inclined to only look at the target group of your company, product or service. Who do you want to reach with a marketing campaign and how do you best approach this customer?

However, it is just as important to also involve other parties in your communication strategy. These are, for example, suppliers, employees and investors or government institutions. By mapping these stakeholders, you keep a clear overview of every player within the organization.

The stakeholder salience model

A commonly used method to map stakeholders is the stakeholder salience model. This model was developed in 1997 by Mitchell, Agle & Wood. By assigning certain characteristics to the various stakeholders involved, it is possible to determine how important they are for your organization. This also gives you the opportunity to define the position and power that the relevant stakeholder has or can exercise.

3 Characteristics: power, legitimacy and urgency

The characteristics on which you test this are divided into seven different categories according to the stakeholder salience model. To determine within which category a stakeholder falls, you use three characteristics as a starting point. Namely power, legitimacy and urgency.

You ask the question how far the power of the stakeholder reaches to influence the organization. This can even go so far that this stakeholder has power over how others think about the organization.
At the legitimacy the actions of the stakeholder are central: Do the actions of the stakeholder influence the organization and are they also in the interest of the organization?
At the urgency the question is whether the outcome of certain actions is important to the stakeholder. And whether you have to carry out these actions under time pressure.

In short, you can conclude that the more power, legitimacy and urgency the stakeholder has in the organization, the more important the stakeholder is. Based on this, you determine how you deal with this as an organization or PR department.

The different types of stakeholders

One stakeholder is not the same as the other. That is why it is important to know what influence a stakeholder can have on the organization. The stakeholder salience model divides stakeholders into seven categories. Not all stakeholders meet all characteristics, while others are present on all fronts. You therefore talk about latent stakeholders, expected stakeholders and ultimate stakeholders.

Latent stakeholders (1 characteristic)

The latent stakeholders have only one of the mentioned characteristics, namely either power, or legitimacy, or urgency.

1. The sleeping stakeholder

This stakeholder has no power (yet) and there is no legitimacy or urgency at play. However, urgency or legitimacy may arise at some point. Consider, for example, the posting of manipulative messages on social media by a group or a single person.

2. The discrete or weak stakeholder

This type of stakeholder derives its right to exist mainly from legitimacy. These stakeholders, such as non-profit organizations, are weak because they lack urgency and are not always able to influence an organization.

3. The demanding stakeholder

For the demanding stakeholder, it is all about urgency. An urgent claim is submitted to the organization, for example because this type of stakeholder continuously submits complaints. However, there is no question of power or legitimacy.

The expected stakeholders (2 characteristics)

These stakeholders manifest themselves with two of the three characteristics from the stakeholder salience model.

1. The dominant stakeholder

This stakeholder has power and also legitimacy. However, there is no urgency. A dominant stakeholder can require a lot of time and attention, such as the representatives of a works council or a trade union.

2. The dangerous stakeholder

A dangerous stakeholder is a stakeholder who has both power and urgency. However, the claim made by this stakeholder has no legitimacy. He can be coercive. This includes representatives of environmental organizations who submit an incorrect claim to your organization.

3. The dependent stakeholder

The dependent stakeholders have no power, but they can make legitimate and urgent claims. These stakeholders depend on third parties to actually take action and meet their demands. This happens, for example, if residents of an industrial area are against expansion plans. They can gain this power by involving the media or by getting environmental organizations on their side.

The ultimate stakeholder (3 characteristics)

The ultimate stakeholder meets all three characteristics. This stakeholder therefore has power, legitimacy and urgency. It is important to know who these stakeholders are so that you can enter into discussions with them. And so that you know where the priorities of these stakeholders lie.

The ultimate stakeholders are different in every company. Consider, for example, an investor in a start-up or the medical staff in a hospital.

How do you apply the stakeholder salience model in practice?

Defining the different stakeholders you deal with within your organization is not enough yet. As a PR professional you really have to do something with this so that you make a project or campaign successful.

Because stakeholders play a role at every level in the organization, you must ensure that there is sufficient support among the stakeholders. This concerns, among other things, your employees, local authorities, your suppliers, your investors and your customers.

Recognize the different stakeholders for your organization

The stakeholder salience model helps you gain insight into the types of stakeholders you deal with. The basic questions you ask yourself to properly assess the stakeholders are actually very simple:

Are there stakeholders with a lot of power?
Which stakeholders are the most influenceable?
Are there stakeholders with a strong internal network?
Which stakeholders not only have a lot of knowledge and experience, but also the most interest in the organization?

With a clear stakeholder policy you keep an important part of the control in your own hands. You also play an important role in this. You don't just have to determine who the most important stakeholders are at a given moment. You must also ensure that you communicate clearly and regularly, both internally and externally.

It is also important that you gain the trust of the stakeholders involved. With the knowledge about the stakeholders you are dealing with, you can negotiate smartly. And you are better able to resolve disagreements proactively.

Internal stakeholders (within your own organization)

Employees are of great importance to an organization. Changes or modernization are not always welcomed with open arms, but are sometimes necessary for the future of the company. Clear communication towards employees and management is essential. This way there is a greater chance of support from the various parties involved and you therefore have greater support among the stakeholders.

External stakeholders

If there is a merger within your organization, it is important that you know who the stakeholders in the process are. The external stakeholders are important for the creation of the new organization. External stakeholders can also influence the new market position of your organization. Here too, creating trust and stable support is essential for success.

Social stakeholder policy

Government agencies and social organizations, such as environmental organizations, are also stakeholders that you should take into account. By entering into a conversation, you can benefit from the knowledge of these parties.

This can ensure that you gain greater support for your organization's policy. The stakeholders support your initiatives, which leads to better collaboration.

Need help with stakeholder policy?

Determining a good stakeholder policy does not happen overnight and can be a challenging task. Do you need help putting these tips into practice? Then take Contact contact us, we are happy to help you!

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