Reviewing the stakeholder engagement literature: Towards a research agenda

Stakeholder engagement has become the label for practicing the ideas of stakeholder theory in organizations. Since the literature on stakeholder engagement has grown quickly but remains somewhat fragmented, we conducted a systematic literature review for structuring the field. We elaborate on an enumerative definition of stakeholder engagement and provide a theoretical and methodological guide for stakeholder engagement research. We categorize the findings along a general framework consisting of aims, practices, and outcomes of stakeholder engagement research. We delineate the boundary conditions and make the underlying assumptions explicit to give an overview of the contributions and the shortcomings of the field. Based on this overview of the reviewed literature, we synthesize the findings within three narratives in stakeholder engagement literature: the strategic, the moral and the pragmatic narrative. These narratives lay the foundation for a systematic research agenda and an inclusive definition for the whole field without being limited to one dominant perspective.