A Systematic Mapping Approach to Stakeholder Identification

Working with and on stakeholders has become a crucial component of sustainability
research. Many research projects conduct some form of stakeholder analysis but
provide limited information on the initial identification procedure. This, we argue, is
detrimental to research transparency and risks compromising inclusive and pluralistic
knowledge production, which, in turn, has several implications for procedural justice in sustainability research. In response to this critique, recent scholarly contributions have started to address issues related to the methodological rigor and systematicity needed for identifying stakeholders. Therefore, in this paper, we begin by examining the current state of the art in stakeholder identification and review current practices and related challenges concerning bias and representation. Additionally, we find that the terms stakeholder analysis and mapping are frequently used interchangeably, which is why we propose to sharpen the mapping side of the approach into a tool for systematic stakeholder identification using visualization. Based on a critical examination of previous stakeholder mapping efforts, we synthesize existing approaches into a stakeholder mapping protocol specifically designed to support the identification of stakeholders in early research stages. Subsequently, we present our mapping experiences from two Austrian case studies and use the resulting insight to discuss pertaining intricacies regarding the sources and methods used for systematic
stakeholder identification. Finally, we articulate the added value of systematic
stakeholder mapping as a dynamic and easily comprehensible exercise, which enables
researchers to reflect on the decisions and criteria that determine whom they identify
as relevant.