AP5-7

Some departmental managers were excluded from project discussions after raising concerns or questioning approaches. This exclusion deepened their skepticism instead of winning them over, reducing the likelihood of supporting change. Stakeholder theory emphasizes engaging with critical voices to turn them into allies. 7. Managing dissent through exclusion. Initially, some departmental managers were invited to participate in project discussions. However, when they raised concerns or questioned certain approaches, they were eventually excluded from further meetings. While this may have been done to streamline decision-making, it had the unintended effect of deepening their position. Rather than winning over skeptics, the exclusion confirmed their doubts and reduced the likelihood that they would champion the change in their own areas. Stakeholder theory underlines the importance of engaging with critical voices early and often to turn them into allies rather than opponents.