ABSTRACT
The survival and growth of companies are dependent upon the delivery of socially desirable ends to society and the distribution of benefits to political and economic entities. Social conflicts can trigger processes to assess and reconceptualize the nature of business management by engaging stakeholder concerns. Some companies consider their stakeholders’ acceptance and approval for operations to secure business continuity from a societal perspective. Preventive management measures follow an approach that aims to avoid future societal conflict. Reactive management measures focus on the recognition of stakeholders’ eminent claims and their containment. We integrate stakeholder engagement approaches from a preventive and reactive stance and introduce the concept of the Social Licence to Operate (SLO). The SLO represents one way in which social considerations can be addressed in management decision making for projects to avoid exposure to potentially costly social conflicts and business risks.
