Page 205 - SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES & COVID-19

32 Analysis of Changes in Stakeholder
Engagement Due to the COVID-19

Pandemic on Primary Stakeholders in

Higher Education

Ninda Ulva Novirman, Chaerul D. Djakman

ABSTRACT

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has major impact on the world, including in higher education. Since March, all
universities in Indonesia have conducted online learning due to the impact of this pandemic. This is a way of preventing
the level of COVID-19 transmission at universities. During this pandemic, universities have to implement health
protocols and start adapting to COVID-19. The existence of uncertainty caused by COVID-19 can be a threat to campus
sustainability. Universities must be able to take different actions and acquire new learning, teaching, and engagement
practices around social distancing.

This condition raises several problems. Various complaints emerged, especially from primary stakeholders such as
lecturers, students, and educational staff. Changes in implementing learning due to COVID-19 have generated new
expectations from primary stakeholders in the university. Because of these changes, universities must change their
stakeholder engagement to continue implementing a sustainable campus. The purpose of this study is to analyze
changes in primary stakeholder engagement due to the COVID-19 in universities so they can evaluate and amend
stakeholder engagement based on new expectations of their stakeholders.

Keywords
COVID-19, expectation, stakeholder engagement, campus sustainability.

1. INTRODUCTION

The entire world is focusing on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) which is plaguing all countries. COVID-19 was first
reported in Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019 and has had a major impact on the world. Various events and activities
are to be stopped due to the rapid spread of the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued health protocol
guidelines so that the spread and the number of positive infections can be reduced (Kementerian Kesehatan RI, 2020).

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has a major impact on the world, including in university. As an institution with
an important role in society, universities must provide education, research, and social service (Republik Indonesia,
2012). Since March, all universities in Indonesia have conducted online learning due to the impact of this pandemic.
This is a way of preventing COVID-19 transmission at universities. During this pandemic, universities must implement
health protocols and start adapting to COVID-19. The existence of uncertainty caused by COVID-19 can be a threat to
campus sustainability (Ratten, 2020). This led to changes in activities at the university and create new expectations for
stakeholders.

Stakeholders play an important role in the organization (Jamali, 2008). They are the people, groups, or organizations
that could affect or be affected by the activities at the university. Stakeholders have various expectations to establish
relationships with universities. To meet these expectations, the university must establish stakeholder engagement.
Stakeholder engagement is a process to analyze stakeholder expectations and impact on the project and to develop
management strategies to engage stakeholders in decision making and execution (Project Management Institute, 2013).

The impact of COVID-19 not only alters the activities but also the expectations of primary stakeholders. Because of
these changes, universities must modify their stakeholder engagement to continue implementing a sustainable
campus. These changes affect the social, economic, environmental, and health aspects of both the university and the
stakeholders.

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