Stakeholder analysis as tool for organisational learning in social services: does internal social capital play a role?

This paper addresses the importance of stakeholder analysis as a tool for organisational learning in public organisations, with an emphasis on internal social capital as a facilitator of organisational change. In a case study of a Slovenian social service, the aim of the research was to determine if and to what extent social services conduct stakeholder analysis and use it in their organisational learning and what role internal social capital plays in this process. The results show that despite the fact that stakeholder analysis, organisational learning and internal social capital are present and well developed in the organisation, no significant relationship was found between these variables. The qualitative analysis revealed that the reason lies in the role and relationship with the ministry, on which the SWC's decision-making is heavily dependent. In this way, the paper identifies an important external impediment to organisational learning and change in a public organisation.