Abstract

This paper provides three brief cases of retailers who have, through what is interpreted as stakeholder mismanagement, brought major problems to bear upon those companies, and other stakeholder groups. The main cases examined concern a "free flight" promotion run by the Hoover company in the UK in 1992/3, the collapse of the Ratner'sretail jewellery chain, and wage realignments at British Gas in 1994.Synthesising these examples, it is suggested that: (1) All companies are expected to meet ethical norms in dealings with their stakeholders, regardless of whether or not they have specifically set out to cultivate an "ethical" image; (2) Stakeholder groups tend not to stand in isolation, but to interact; moreover, modern technology may well tend to increase that interaction; (3) The fall-out from stakeholder mismanagement is likely to be widespread, highly publicised, long lasting, and difficult to contain; (4) Prospect Theory, derived from economics and psychology, may be applicable in such cases. This broadly asserts that we are far more readily affected by dissatisfaction than satisfaction, and this is especially so if expectations have been raised. However, from an ethical standpoint, there is still virtue in pursuing high standards in dealings with stakeholders.