Principle: Freeman (1984) – Rather than focusing solely on shareholders (in the private sector) or donors (a simplistic view for NGOs), this theory posits that an organization must actively identify and manage its relationships with all of its “stakeholders.” These include any group or individual who can influence or be influenced by the organization (donors, beneficiaries, employees, volunteers, government, local communities, other NGOs, the media, etc.). The organization’s performance and sustainability depend on its ability to understand and balance the sometimes conflicting expectations of these different stakeholders.
APPLICATION TO AFRICAN NGOs: #
- African NGOs operate in a complex ecosystem where they must constantly negotiate with a multitude of stakeholders with varied interests and unequal power.
- Strategic autonomy is not just about independence from donors; it also lies in the ability to define priorities by taking into account the needs expressed by beneficiaries/communities, while respecting the legal framework imposed by the State and maintaining staff motivation.
- Managing these multiple relationships requires specific skills (negotiation, communication, mediation) and the establishment of multidirectional accountability mechanisms (not only towards donors – “upward accountability”, but also towards the base – “downward accountability”).
Concrete case / Evidence: We observe NGOs that succeed in strengthening their negotiating position vis-à-vis donors by demonstrating strong roots and support from local communities (a key stakeholder). The emergence and promotion (sometimes by donors themselves) of accountability tools towards beneficiaries (satisfaction surveys, complaint mechanisms, community consultations) demonstrates a growing recognition of the importance of this stakeholder. Conversely, conflicts or lack of coordination between NGOs (competing/partner stakeholders) in the same territory can harm their effectiveness and collective bargaining power.
Critique / African Nuance: Theory can be normative (how should stakeholders be managed?) and less descriptive or explanatory of actual power relations. In many African contexts, the weight of the state or political actors (sometimes informal) as stakeholders is preponderant and can drastically limit the autonomy of NGOs, an aspect that general theory can underestimate. The definition and legitimate representation of “beneficiaries” or “community” are often complex and questionable. Finally, theory sometimes struggles to offer clear tools to arbitrate between the conflicting demands of stakeholders with very unequal power.
