The Strategic Management Society's Special Conference in Hong Kong centers on the evolving landscape of stakeholder governance, a perspective that views the firm as a nexus of relationships among its diverse stakeholders, from investors and employees to customers, communities, and suppliers. At its core, stakeholder governance raises pressing questions: How should firms manage these relationships to create value? And in turn, how can stakeholders shape the evolution of the firm?
This growing research stream has drawn scholars from strategy, finance, organization theory, and ethics, while also capturing the attention of business leaders worldwide. Stakeholder governance addresses both specific organizational decisions, such as how firms weigh and incorporate stakeholder input, and broader structural considerations, including how organizational forms and governance arrangements define the terms of stakeholder engagement.
Despite important advances, fundamental gaps remain in linking theory to practice. Critical challenges exist at both the micro and macro levels, including understanding the individual motivations, behaviors, and interactions that drive governance processes, as well as examining how conflicts, structures, and arrangements shape firm-level outcomes. Bridging these perspectives is essential to advancing the relevance and impact of stakeholder governance research.
The Hong Kong conference provides a unique platform to explore these themes, bringing together scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders in an interdisciplinary dialogue. By engaging with the microfoundations, organizational processes, and systemic implications of stakeholder governance, this event will highlight new conceptual and empirical insights into how firms can balance diverse interests, align purpose with performance, and generate value through collaborative, inclusive approaches.