• We conceptualize stakeholder washing as symbolic engagement presented as substantive. • Participatory arrangements can project openness while preserving managerial control. • Three mechanisms explain stakeholder washing: symbolic inclusion, narrative capture, and strategic delay. • We distinguish stakeholder washing from limited but transparent engagement. • Institutional safeguards can strengthen the authority, traceability, and responsiveness of stakeholder engagement.
Jhunior et al. (Thu,) studied this question.