Scenario: A metropolitan authority is delivering a megaproject to build a new airport. The project manager has successfully engaged with airlines and government regulators. However, a coalition of local community groups has emerged, citing concerns over noise pollution and environmental impact. They are politically well-connected and have significant coercive power. The project team's initial approach was to present technical data showing minimal impact, which was dismissed by the groups as corporate propaganda.Question: According to the stakeholder engagement model by Erkul et al. (2020), which stakeholder effective attribute has the project team most critically misjudged?

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The scenario describes a megaproject where a coalition of locally powerful community groups is opposing the project due to noise and environmental concerns. The project team initially relied on technical data to make their case, but this was dismissed by the community groups as propaganda. The question asks, according to the stakeholder engagement model by Erkul et al. (2020), which stakeholder effective attribute the team misjudged most.

First, it's important to restate what the available material provides about the correct choice: the provided correct option text identifies the misjudged attribute as 'Relationship Network & Power' and notes that the team underestimated the stakeholders' ability to influence other powerful actors and disrupt the project, focusing only on technical merit.

Option A (not provided in the data) would presumably address some form of engagement tactic or perception, but since the option text is not visible here, we cannot evaluate its claims in detail.

Option B (not provided) would likely concern another aspect such as stakeholder salience, legitimacy, or urgency; again, the exact wording is missing for analysis.

Option C (not provided) possibly references a different attribute like influence, credibility, or collaboration style; without the text, we cannot critique it specifically.

Option D (provided in the data) states: 'Relationship Network & Power: They underestimated the stakeholders' ability to influence other powerful actors and disrupt the project, focusing only on the technical merit of their concerns.'

Why this option is aligned with Erkul et al. (2020): The model emphasizes recognizing not only the individual stakeholder’s concerns but also the broader network of relationships and the power those connections confer. When a stakeholder group is politically well-connected and can mobilize influence across other powerful actors, their power extends beyond what is visible in the technical specifics. Underestimating this networked power means missing opportunities to engage through coalitions, alliances, or leverage points within the network. In this case, the project team’s emphasis on technical data failed to account for how the coalition could marshal external support, regulatory or social pressure, and mobilize other influential stakeholders to disrupt timelines, thus demonstrating a misjudgment of the stakeholders’ relationship networks and power dynamics.

What would likely be considered incorrect or less accurate given the scenario:
- If an option claimed the issue was only about technical merit or data quality, that would ignore the social-political influence the groups hold, making it an incomplete assessment.
- If an option suggested engaging solely through one-off public relations campaigns or informational sessions without addressing power dynamics and network leverage, it would miss the strategic importance of relationships and power.
- If an option asserted that stakeholder engagement should focus only on internal team expertise or procedural compliance, it would fail to recognize the active influence of externally connected groups within a power network.

In summary, the core misjudgment highlighted by the provided correct option is the underestimation of the stakeholders’ relationship network and power, i.e., failing to account for how well-connected groups can influence other powerful actors and affect project progression, rather than concentrating only on the technical aspects of impact.

MGF5903 - S2 2025 Week 1-8 Quiz (20%)

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