Developing commitment among diverse stakeholders : the business challenge of addressing human and ecological sustainability

Contemporary business requires new conceptual frameworks to develop understanding on how relationships can be built among diverse stakeholders in society on issues such as human and ecological sustainability. Critique and examination of the academic literature has identified that this challenge has been unaddressed in empirical research as well as under-theorised. A number of questions are proposed for further study. These are: what are the key factors for developing affective, continuous and normative commitment among diverse stakeholders? What helping and hindering factors facilitate business commitment to collaborative relationships aimed at addressing broader social goals such as human and ecological sustainability? Can political theories and practices of deliberative decision making and communication processes be successful in helping business meet this challenge? 1