Exploring External Stakeholder Engagement Strategies and their Impact on Project Success

In the past few years, it can be observed that business norms and practices have changed and the market has now a wide circle of stakeholders as compared to past eras. The main purpose of the current study is to explore the impact of ESE strategies on project success in the IT industry (Information Technology) of Pakistan. The study is based on mixed methods. In the first phase, an in-depth Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was performed. In the next phase, face-to-face & virtual interviews were conducted with senior IT leads to develop various themes. Moreover, a word cloud and frequency chart was extracted using NVivo 12 to strengthen the argument. The findings show that there is a strong relationship between stakeholder engagement and project success in the IT industry. Likewise, the findings of the study suggest that a successful Strategy for External Stakeholder Engagement (SESE) is possible by using a collaborative and participatory approach. The study provides greater insights into the engagement of external stakeholders. Moreover, the study recommends exploring new means of communication that remain helpful in engaging stakeholders and should be aligned with the local and organizational culture.