Resolving Stakeholder Conflicts in Overseas Port Investment Projects: Improved Graph Model for Conflict Resolution

Compared to typical challenges in port investment projects, such as land compensation and environmental pollution, overseas port investment projects (OPIPs) face complex international political environments and cultural differences. These factors lead to stakeholder conflicts, causing project delays, cost overruns, or even cancellations. Developing effective methods for managing stakeholder conflicts in OPIPs has become a pressing and challenging research issue. This study integrates the graph model for conflict resolution with the intuitionistic fuzzy set-TOPSIS algorithm and develops a five-stage evolution model for OPIPs’ stakeholder conflicts. The model is validated through labor conflicts at Kyaukpyu Port in Myanmar. The results indicated that (1) Kyaukphyu Port developed two distinct approaches to resolve labor employment conflicts: a government-led mode centered on policy adjustment and cooperation, and an enterprise-driven conflict escalation mode characterized by government delay and enterprise withdrawal; (2) the timing and approach of government intervention, along with corporate social responsibility, were key factors influencing the resolution pathways of labor employment conflict; and (3) stakeholder conflicts in OPIPs progress through the stages of potential opposition, cognition and personalization, intentions, behavior, and outcomes, with conflict intensity following a typical inverted U-shaped trend. This study provides decision-makers with a scientific tool for conflict management and resolution pathways.