A model for stakeholder management in construction companies

The debate about social responsibility and sustainability has inserted these topics in the agendas of many companies. Recently and at a slower pace, the civil construction sector is also pursuing to integrate into this movement. These concepts assume that organizations will consider perspectives other than those related to their businesses. In order to achieve this goal, they must know who will affect or be affected by their activities and decisions and to dialogue with them. The engagement with stakeholders is increasingly becoming a relevant factor to the behavior of many companies, regarding the way they understand and handle with their economic, social and environmental impacts. Neverthless, stakeholder management is not yet a widespread practice between the civil construction companies in Brazil. There are many challenges to make it work properly, particularly in the buildings subsector, which is project based, making the consolidation and diffusion of knowledge and best practices harder do achieve. There is also low availability, in the literature, of models and guidance to this objective, adapted to the sector. This research aims to fill this gap, by proposing the Stakeholder Management Model in Construction Companies. It consists by Component 1, comprising the model’s design (conceptual dimension and working dynamics) and by Component 2, containing prescriptions to put it into practice. It has the following dimensions: 1. Identify Stakeholders and Sustainability Themes; 2 - Prioritize Stakeholders and Sustainability Themes; 3 - Establish and Implement Stakeholder Engagement Process; 4 - Manage the Learning and Integrate the results of the Engagemen to the Strategy and Governance. Its focus is the dialogue and engagement with stakeholders at strategic and governance level (corporate environment) as well as the entreprises, in tactical and operational level (projects). The basis of the methodology involves: a) review of the literature on stakeholder management, particularly in construction; b) initiatives and tools (AA1000 Series, ISO 26000 and GRI Guidelines); and c) empirical survey of experts, including professionals in the construction industry, using questionnaires. The quantitative part comprises the statistical analysis of the data, using means and standard errors and Lawshe method. The qualitative one involves the analysis of literature and of the responses to the open questions including in the questionnaire. The findings of the study of the literature on stakeholder management includes: the focus has been on projects; the spectrum of stakeholders is generally restricted to project execution and it’s the corporate approach is unusual; tendency to treat these actors in instrumental form; focus on environmental issues. The model shows significant contribution to the academic studies as well as to maximize the positive results of the building projects. It can also help to minimize the risks of the disconnection between corporate objectives and expectations and needs of the companies’ and project’s stakeholders. Thus, the construction companies can learn and be ready to correspond to the demands from customers, project teams, populations from the influence area, financiers, public agencies, civil and general societies, in a way to suit its business to demands which may claim better quality of life in the cities.