Systems Thinking and Modelling for Stakeholder Management

Abstract

This article presents the application of the systems thinking and modelling methodology for analyzing multiple stakeholders with conflicting stakes. It illustrates this methodological framework using a New Zealand transport infrastructure case. By moving beyond the usual stakeholder analysis tools, comprising of matrices or lists of criteria or attributes, this study tries to plug the gap in the stakeholder literature pertaining to the need for a stakeholder analysis approach that can capture complex and dynamic issues in stakeholder management. The results of the experiments conducted, using a systems model developed in this study, highlight the need for holistic approaches instead of simple solutions, while dealing with complex problems involving multiple stakeholders.