Stakeholders as Value Creators: The Role of Multi-Level Networks in Employee Wellness Programs

Abstract

Recognizing the inherent limitations of a single level dyadic approach to stakeholders, this research uses a multi-level social networks perspective to examine value creation in wellness stakeholder networks. This study argues that stakeholder interactions at multiple levels of the network create value for the network and contribute to the marketization of wellness. At the macro level, network relationships create value through embeddedness, which shapes the structural boundaries of employee wellness programs. At the meso level, the stakeholders are relationally embedded in their networks and they create social and market congruence. At the micro level, the relationship among embedded actors contribute to the creation of cultural norms and institutionalization of employee wellness programs. The findings add to our understanding of value creation in stakeholder networks by going beyond dyads to focus on multi-level relationships and embedded actors. This article contributes to research by showing how embeddedness of the stakeholders in multi-layered networks and ties between these actors create value in wellness stakeholder networks. The findings provide insights into the marketization process of wellness as an important aspect of the contemporary marketplace.