Stakeholder interaction has been recognised as one of the main principles to advance organisational sustainability. However, there is only limited knowledge on how organisations interact with their stakeholders to develop sustainability practices from an overarching perspective. There is also only fragmented research on the role of stakeholders when developing a sustainable business model (SBM). The purpose of this thesis is therefore to explore the role of stakeholder interaction for developing organisational sustainability practices and SBMs.

Three research questions drive this thesis which compiles three papers based on three individual studies. The first study concentrates on stakeholder interaction as an organisational sustainability practice applying quantitative methods. The second study is a systematic literature review analysing the role of stakeholder interaction to develop SBMs. The third study explores how organisations implemented stakeholder interaction efforts, using qualitative methods.

The results reveal that stakeholder interaction implemented as organisational sustainability practices and part of the SBM includes multiple stakeholders and different interaction degrees, potentially leading to new value opportunities and virtuous cycles of sustainable value creation. However, while organisations recognise the importance of stakeholder interaction, most organisations focus on low-to medium interaction degrees related to specific sustainability activities. This may limits the potential of stakeholder interaction for developing organisational sustainability practices and SBMs.

This thesis contributes to sustainability, stakeholder and SBM literature by systematically exploring the role of stakeholder interaction, highlighting different degrees and extents practices are implemented in organisations. For practitioners, insights are offered how to foster stakeholder interaction practices and with that move towards organisational sustainability.

Stakeholder engagement has been recognised as one of the main principles for organisational sustainability. However, there is only limited knowledge on the role of stakeholder engagement in evolving organisational sustainability approaches such as sustainable business models (SBM) and circular economy (CE). There is also only fragmented research on how organisations engage with stakeholders and how the engagement needs to be adapted to facilitate the transition to SBMs and CE in relation to existing sustainability approaches focused on organisational sustainability practices (OSP). The purpose of this thesis is therefore to enhance knowledge on stakeholder engagement for organisational sustainability, considering the role, practices and potential to facilitate transitions to SBMs and CE in relation to OSP.

Three research questions drive this thesis which compiles five papers based on four individual studies. The first and the second study concentrate on how organisations engage with stakeholders for OSP and SBM, applying quantitative and qualitative methods respectively. The third study analyses the role of stakeholder engagement in SBMs, using a systematic literature review. The fourth study explores how stakeholder engagement needs to be adapted for SBMs and CE in relation to OSP, using qualitative methods.

The results reveal the multi-faceted role of stakeholder engagement in SBMs and CE. Engagement practices for SBMs are dependent on the focus and intended outcome, while engagement for CE was extended and levelled up in relation to engagement for OSP. Continuous and changing engagement practices are needed to facilitate the transition to SBMs, and the conceptual understanding of stakeholder engagement from linear to circular needs to be adapted for CE transitions. 

This thesis contributes to sustainability, stakeholder, business model and CE literature by providing new perspectives on the role, extent, and form of stakeholder engagement for organisational sustainability. For practitioners, insights are offered on how to foster stakeholder engagement and with that move towards organisational sustainability.

Intressentengagemang anses utgöra en av huvudprinciperna för organisatorisk hållbarhet. Kunskapen om dess roll när det kommer till utvecklande av organisatoriska hållbarhetsansatser, såsom hållbara affärsmodeller (HA) och cirkulär ekonomi (CE), är emellertid begränsad. Det finns dessutom endast fragmenterad forskning om hur organisationer engagerar sig med sina intressenter och hur engagemanget behöver anpassas för att underlätta övergången från befintliga hållbarhetsansaster fokuserade på organisatoriska hållbarhetspraxis (OH) till HA och CE. Syftet med denna avhandling är därför att öka kunskapen om intressentsengagemang för organisatorisk hållbarhet, med hänsyn till dess roll, praxis och potential för att underlätta övergångar till HA och CE i relation till OH.

Avhandlingen är centrerad kring tre forskningsfrågor och sammanställer forskning från fyra studier som presenterats i fem olika artiklar. Den första och den andra studien koncentrerar sig på intressentsengagemang för OH och HA och använder kvantitativa respektive kvalitativa metoder. Den tredje studien analyserar rollen intressentengagemang spelar i HA och använder en systematisk litteraturöversikt. Den fjärde studien utforskar hur intressentengagemang behöver anpassas för HA och CE i relation till OH, och använder kvalitativa metoder.

Resultaten visar den mångfacetterade roll som intressentengagemang spelar i HA och CE. Intressentengagemang i HA är beroende av fokus och eftersträvat resultat, medan engagemang i CE utökades och stärktes i förhållande till engagemang i OH. Kontinuerliga och föränderliga praxis behövs för att underlätta övergången till HA, och den konceptuella förståelsen av intressentsengagemang från linjär till cirkulär måste anpassas för CE-övergångar.

Denna avhandling bidrar till hållbarhets-, intressent-, affärsmodells- och CE-litteratur genom att ge nya perspektiv på rollen, omfattningen och formen av intressentengagemang för organisatorisk hållbarhet. För praktiker erbjuds insikter om hur man främjar intressentengagemang och därmed går mot organisatorisk hållbarhet.