ESG SENSEMAKING AND STAKEHOLDER DIALOGUE IN COMMUNITY-LINKED ORGANIZATIONS

Abstract

Background: ESG Sensemaking and Stakeholder Dialogue in Community-Linked Organizations addresses an increasingly practical concern in community-linked organizations and local markets. Organizations may introduce visible programs, digital tools, or partnership arrangements, yet outcomes remain uneven when responsibilities and feedback routines are weak. This article treats ESG sensemaking as an organizational capability that must be translated into repeatable decisions rather than as a one-time initiative. Aims: The article develops a conceptual framework linking ESG sensemaking with legitimacy, environmental awareness, and community participation. It also identifies governance conditions and implementation risks that can strengthen or weaken those relationships. Review Approach: An integrative conceptual review is used to connect established perspectives from stakeholder theory, corporate social responsibility, shared value, and legitimacy. The manuscript does not claim original survey, interview, experimental, or transaction data. Results and Conclusion: The synthesis identifies four operating mechanisms—material issue identification, stakeholder dialogue, credible disclosure, and feedback into operating decisions—and proposes a staged pathway for diagnosis, pilot implementation, review, and scale. The central conclusion is that performance improves when information, decision rights, and learning routines are aligned with the needs of the people who use and deliver the service. Contribution: The contribution is a practical, testable structure for assessing ESG sensemaking in resource-constrained settings without assuming that technology, communication, or formal policy automatically creates capability.