Identifying and Mapping Stakeholders in a Stadium Construction Project : The Case of Kitakyushu Stadium

• Published in: Journal of Japan Society of Sports Industry Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 2_131 - 2_149
• Main Authors: FUNAHASHI, Hiroaki, KAN, Fumihiko, KATSURADA, Takayuki, MANO, Yoshiyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Tokyo Japan Society of Sports Industry 2020; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Construction Project; Professional football; Salience; Stadium; Stakeholder Analysis; Stakeholders
• ISSN: 1343-0688; 1884-2534
• DOI: 10.5997/sposun.30.2_131

Building consensus among numerous stakeholders is an important yet difficult step in stadium construction projects. Understanding who the stakeholders are and their characteristics is necessary for the success of construction projects. Using archival materials and semi-structured interviews, we identified and characterized the most salient stakeholders associated with the subsidization decision for the stadium construction plan in Kitakyushu city. Stakeholder classification was carried out using a framework designed by Mitchell et al. (1997) that characterized salient stakeholders using attributes of power, legitimacy, and urgency. Definitive stakeholders identified as having all three attributes included the J. LEAGUE, the Kitakyushu City Assembly, and the Kitakyushu City Public Works Evaluation Committee. Although these groups were classified into the same stakeholder categories, their detailed features or roles were different. The Giravanz Kitakyushu, the city’s professional football team, was considered a dependent stakeholder with legitimacy and urgency, but limited power. Our findings highlighted the importance of stakeholder analysis as a strategic tool, especially in the initial planning phase. Practical implications and ideas for further research were discussed.