Identifying and mapping stakeholders: an industry case study

Purpose - The paper seeks to identify and map groups, organizations, and individuals chief executive officers refer to in annual report letters, and propose a method for identifying those appearing to be stakeholders. Identifying who those stakeholders are could provide clues to competitors' corporate strategies or other issues drawing the attention of executive managers. Design/methodology/approach - Annual report letters of all 19 public restaurant franchisors on the 2007 Franchise Times top 200 list were analyzed with concordance software. Stakeholders were identified and mapped according to their linkages with franchisors. Findings - Significant differences were found between international and domestic franchisors. An industry- specific approach was used. Research limitations/implications - A small sample, focused on a single industry, was used. The study could be replicated using the procedures discussed. Practical implications - Groups, organizations, and individuals referred to in annual reports are identified and mapped. Originality/value - A method for determining which groups, organizations, and individuals are stakeholders is presented.