Stakeholder performance, corporate social performance: Proposition of specification between dominant and dominated concept

The purpose of this paper is to find out what added value does the stakeholder performance concept bring with respect to that of corporate social performance. To better understand the developments of these concepts, the authors resort to Gallie’s theory (1956) of essentially contested concepts, the life-cycle model of Hirsch and Levin’s (1999) umbrella concepts. Reconciling these two theoretical frameworks allows us to introduce the competing category notion consisting of a dominant and a dominated-type concepts. Through a historical and synchronic literature examination, CSP is shown to have characteristics of the dominant type, thanks to its more diffuse character. On the other hand, the stakeholder performance would relate to the dominated type, though it provides better operationalization possibilities.

To better understand the developments of these concepts, Gallie’s theory (1956) of essentially contested concepts, the life cycle model of Hirsch and Levin’s (1999) umbrella concepts are used.

CSP has characteristics of the dominant type, thanks to its more diffuse character. On the other hand, the stakeholder performance relates to the dominated type, though it provides better operationalization.

CSP as a dominant type and stakeholder performance is a dominated type.