The role of culture in stakeholder engagement : its implication for open innovation

Appropriate and effective stakeholder engagement remains a critical success factor for successful project and project management, especially in multicultural settings such as in the case of international subsidiaries of multinational organisations. Using in-depth qualitative interviews, this study examines the influence of culture on stakeholder engagement in a multicultural context from the perspective of project practitioners working for multinational corporations in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The study findings revealed how the influence of different cultural dimensions on stakeholder engagement impact policies and decision-making. The study emphasised the need for project practitioners to integrate a culture that fosters open innovation in their project implementation processes to enhance their capacity to engage effectively in a multicultural setting.