Stakeholder engagement in sustainable business: insights from sustainability managers and leaders

Purpose This paper aims to explore how sustainability managers and other key persons in large companies see stakeholder engagement as part of sustainable business. Design/methodology/approach Consisting of interviews with 14 sustainability leaders and two case studies (interviews and workshops), the research data were examined using qualitative content analysis to identify stakeholder engagement aims, concerns and actions. Findings The results show that concerns relate particularly to sharing expertise, considering multiple perspectives and engaging people. This paper argues that companies’ motivation to pursue stakeholder engagement has three dimensions: regulatory, business and planetary benefits. Practical implications From the company perspective, the ambition model can be used to identify the adequacy and scope of multilevel stakeholder engagement and the key actions required. Originality/value The research contributes to stakeholder engagement in sustainable business by focusing on the aims of stakeholder engagement, practical challenges and related solutions. The ambition model can facilitate analysis of how stakeholder engagement is organised in different companies and support the development of sustainable business.