Traditional frameworks tend to label firm-stakeholder relationships based on alignment or misalignment with firm values. This binary view, however, limits the recognition of value creation opportunities within misaligned firm-stakeholder relationships. Drawing from music theory, particularly the concepts of consonant and dissonant harmony as well as tension and release, we propose a new framework that reimagines firm-stakeholder relationships along a spectrum of dissonance rather than a fixed dichotomy. Like music that thrives on tension and release, we argue that dissonant values between firms and stakeholders can fuel innovation and create value when managed constructively. Our theoretical model provides a practical approach to identify, measure, and navigate this “value dissonance” through strategic integration of tension and its release rather than avoidance or forced alignment. Music has embraced dissonance, not as something that needs to be avoided but as something that needs to be resolved. By embracing dissonance as an opportunity rather than a hindrance, firms can shift from viewing misaligned firm-stakeholder relationships as liabilities to recognizing them as potential sources of value, transforming tension into a catalyst for growth.
