Purpose -The objective of this paper is to collate and debate the main issues driving the stakeholder theory academic debate. Design/methodology/approach -First, a discussion of the stakeholder concept is set out before moving on to the history and nature of stakeholder theory. The work proceeds with an attempt to bring together systematically the points of divergence among researchers interested in stakeholder theory, and, finally, there is a brief discussion of these theoretical loopholes in conjunction with a proposed research agenda for the field. Findings -Based on the unification of the theoretically problematic issues, research agenda are put forward with the objective of clarifying doubts and resolving the controversies ongoing among academics. As regards the formulation of stakeholder theory, one question requiring resolution is that of the stakeholder concept itself. Additionally, further research should focus on the boundaries as to what constitutes a stakeholder group as well as defining the criteria for attributing individual membership of one or another group. In practical theoretical application, it is correspondingly necessary to target research on aspects such as conflicts of interest between stakeholders and management difficulties in coping with multiple objectives. Finally, there is a need for research that systematizes the knowledge produced with the objective of attaining the theoretical convergence necessary for the development of stakeholder theory. Originality/value -The main contribution of this paper derives from the systematization of the various shortcomings that need overcoming within the framework of stakeholder theory and the identification of research agendas.

Purpose -This paper aims to develop a new model of stakeholder classification and a model for explaining the relationship between the organization and its respective stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach -The new proposed model is based on an empirical study that comprises an exploratory study based on 15 interviews and a confirmatory study based on 684 questionnaires answered by staff of 11 public universities. The main variable deployed is the stakeholder's respective level of influence from the organization's management perspective, that is, their level of legitimacy, power and urgency. Findings -The new model proposes six stakeholder types (regulator, controller, partner, passive, dependent and non-stakeholder). To explain the relationship between the stakeholder and the organization, the traditional needs-satisfaction vision was expanded. The variables of relevance, mutual influence and participation were found to be important in explaining the organization and stakeholder relationship. This study contributes both in simplifying stakeholder classification and in explaining the relationships between parties.Research limitations/implications -The study proposes a new model for stakeholder classification based on empirical research carried out with public organizations, therefore it is advisable to test this new classification scheme with other types of organizations. Originality/value -This research proposes a stakeholder classification scheme previously unpublished in the literature, which helps organizations managing the relationships with their stakeholders.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that favor the activity of co-creation with customers in the banking sector. The way in which consumers co-create with banking organizations was also examined. Design/methodology/approach The “dialogue, access, risk and transparency” model was employed with the variables dialogue, access, risk assessment and transparency, as per Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2004). The final data sample accounted for 265 clients of a large Brazilian bank and multiple linear regression was used to analyze the data. Findings The results indicated a significant and positive association with access, risk assessment and transparency when the bank co-created with these clients. Dialogue did not appear significantly affect to the co-creative process between clients and the bank. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted with customers of only one major Brazilian bank. The authors recommend that the same study is conducted in other retail banks, investment banks and smaller banks, with a specialized focus. Limitations notwithstanding, the outstanding findings of this research relate to customer perceptions, which, it should be noted, do not necessarily reflect the totality of the relationship between client and bank. Originality/value Understanding co-creation in the banking sector is a new learning perspective on consumer behavior and interactions within the service production process. The justification and relevance of this study derive from the construction of this knowledge and the scarcity of empirical work in this area.

Corporate Social Responsibility expresses a situation in which companies adopt a broader business view assuming their impact on society. While some firms start to develop their strategies focusing on responsibility, recent discussions in the Higher Education Institutions query the contribution of University Social Responsibility. Nowadays, Universities should not only do some add-on philanthropic things, but should change their strategies and really build a responsible approach into their management activities and also into their education and research programs. In this research paper we propose a modelling framework for student base analysis in order to test whether Higher Education Institutions use a long-term horizon perspective and involve all stakeholders in their strategy, especially students, to be able to optimize their positive impact in society and also to reduce negative impact if needed. Supported by the scarce academic literature in the field, selected indicators are determined to build constructs related to University Social Responsibility and to develop a structural model able to explain their relationship of causality with students' satisfaction. The conclusion after the statistical analysis procedure applied to a sample of 392 students in courses devoted to Business Management at the university in Brazil is positive, confirming the hypotheses developed in the conceptual model. In addition, the internal social entrepreneur at the University emerges as a driver of change, as a guarantee of endogenous development of responsibility. To finish some suggestions emerge for the future research agenda in the field.

PurposeSupported by the omnichannel strategy, the objective of this study is to identify the influence of integrated interaction quality and perceived fluency of service channels on attitudinal loyalty in the banking sector and to test the mediating effect of positive affect in these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis paper proposes a model that relates the constructs of integrated interaction quality, perceived fluency, positive affect, and attitudinal loyalty. A survey of 337 Brazilian bank clients was conducted and structural equation modeling was used for data analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that the construct of integrated interaction quality exerts positive influence on the loyalty of bank clients. The direct effect of the construct perceived fluency on loyalty is not significant. The results also demonstrate that positive affect exerts a mediating effect on the proposed relationships between the constructs.Research limitations/implicationsThis research assists banks in identifying relevant points regarding their service channels, so that they can determine how to generate positive experiences and customer loyalty through an omnichannel strategy. One can observe the behavior of banking consumers and develop business strategies based on the service channels, which aim to create a more profitable and loyal customer portfolio.Originality/valueThis study expands the literature regarding the omnichannel strategy by extending focus to include bank marketing, which is infrequently included in the body of such literature. This study also expands bank marketing research by including constructs that deal with consumer experience and loyalty.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to verify the relationship of job satisfaction in the banking sector with its antecedent constructs (financial rewards and psychological rewards) and the mediating role of internal marketing in this relationship and to verify the relationship between job satisfaction in the banking sector and its consequent constructs (work engagement and the intention to leave) and the moderating effect of internal marketing on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional research methodology. Data are collected through an online questionnaire, which involves 355 bank employees. Partial least squares–structural equation modeling is used to verify the predicted relationships. Findings The results show that internal marketing tends to mediate the relationship between financial rewards and job satisfaction and the relationship between psychological rewards and job satisfaction. Internal marketing presents a moderating effect on the relationship between job satisfaction and work engagement, but internal marketing does not moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and the intention to leave the bank. Originality/value This study expands the understanding of the scope of internal marketing by exploring its mediating and moderating effects on the interactions among the behaviors of banking sector employees.

The functions of teaching and research in higher education institutions (HEIs) are being reassessed, with particular emphasis on the contribution they make to the welfare of their economic and social environment. To this end, HEIs need to engage in profitable relationships with various stakeholders and incorporate their respective visions into their own management practices. Hence, HEIs need to identify these stakeholders and their needs before defining priorities and relational strategies for each entity. The approach taken is theoretical and based on the combination of three different areas of study: HEIs, stakeholders and relational marketing. Since this subject is a recent topic in HEIs, the contribution of this paper arises from its overview of the empirical research previously conducted, and in this way, highlighting the current status of studies relating to the three themes, while simultaneously pointing out possible future lines of research.