Why do we feel responsible? : developing a model of stakeholder responsibility perceptions

The article forwards a concept of managers’ stakeholder responsibility perceptions. It develops a theoretical framework that specifies antecedents and outcomes related to the degree of responsibility people working in organizations perceive toward specific stakeholders. More specifically, it argues that the degree of stakeholder responsibility is dependent on managers’ perception about their task-related obligations, their relational obligations and their social-welfare obligations. These in turn, are driven by individuals’ value orientation and societal expectations about the job responsibilities of managers. Finally, the perceived degree of responsibility has implications for managers’ integrative stakeholder behavior and has consequences for their well-being. The article discusses moderating influences between responsibility perceptions and the behavioral and psychological consequences. It thereby advances theory on stakeholder salience and prioritization by positioning stakeholder responsibility perception a concept that allows for both/and rather than either/or solutions to stakeholder engagement.