An Interdisciplinary Stakeholder Model for Managing Sustainability: Is it a Paradigm Shift in Quality Management?

Cruise tourism is strongly growing and destinations have had during the last decade a manifold increase in tourists that go ashore. New quays are developed in several ports of call. To some destinations, the visitor industry is part of their livelihood. WCED stated 1987 that sustainable development includes economic growth but with protection of the environment’s quality.This paper is a part of a multidisciplinary research programme about how to investigate and contribute to the conditions for economic growth but with protection of the delicate environment in order to balance different spheres of interest, i.e., conduct a sustainable development. In sustainable development and quality management, the stakeholder is an important concept.The purpose of this paper is to conduct a theoretical study of the concept stakeholder. How can a tentative stakeholder model be described in quality-driven sustainability? Is there a paradigm shift in quality management?This conceptual and discursive paper is based on a literature study departing from quality management (QM) and sustainable management (SM). The paper contains some philosophical discussions and comparative studies of others’ work and thinking.The field of quality management is changing and literature shows that the meaning of stakeholder is influenced by the field of sustainable development. One conclusion of this paper is that there is a new paradigm of Quality Management.The paper highlights the importance of interdisciplinary solutions when approaching societal issues, which can generate anomalies and new paradigms.