Stakeholders in a Business
- Stakeholders refers to individuals or groups interested in the activities of the business. Stakeholders are interested in a business for various reasons and will be directly affected by its decision or by its performance.
- Examples of stakeholders include:
- Owners (shareholders)
- managers
- employees
- customers
- suppliers
- lenders
- government
- local community
- special interest groups (pressure groups).
STAKEHOLDERS THEORY/ STAKEHOLDERS CONCEPT
- An idea that business should not only focus on shareholders’ interest but should consider interest of all stakeholders e.g managers, suppliers, customers, employees, government, and pressure groups
HOW AND WHY A BUSINESS NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO ITS STAKEHOLDERS
- Benefits to the business for being responsible to customers
- The business will benefit from customer loyalty
- The business will enjoy good publicity when customers give word of mouth recommendations to others
- Good customer feedback which helps to improve further goods and services
- Way in which a business can become responsible to customers
- Business must offer quality goods
- Businesses to offer well designed and durable goods
- To sell goods at reasonable prices
- Businesses not to take advantages of vulnerable customers e.g high-pressure selling tactics
- Benefits to the business for being responsible to suppliers
- Benefits from supplier loyalty
- Suppliers may be willing to open credit lines
- Suppliers will be prepared to meet deadlines and requests for special orders
- Way in which a business can become responsible to suppliers
- Prompt payments to suppliers
- Giving suppliers clear guidance on what is required
- Offering suppliers long-term contracts
- Buy stock regularly
- Benefits to the business for being responsible to employees
- There is employee loyalty
- Low labour turnover
- The business can easily attract highly qualified staff’
- Employees will be motivated, and their productivity will increase
- Way in which a business can become responsible to employees
- Business to provide training opportunities
- To give employees fair wages
- Involve employees in decision making
- Give employees fringe benefits e.g company house, company car etc
- Benefits to the business for being responsible to community
- Local communities are more likely to accept some of the negative effects caused by business operations
- Local councils often give contracts to business with a record of good behaviour towards the community and its environment
- Way in which a business can become responsible to community
- Offer secure employment
- Avoid adverse environment effects such as pollution
- Employing local people
- Benefits to the business for being responsible to the government
- Business may receive valuable government contracts
- Business may benefit from government subsidies
- Licences to set up new operations are more likely to be awarded to business that meet their responsibilities
- Way in which a business can become responsible to government
- Obeying government laws
- Paying taxes in time
- Declare all incomes to the government generated by exporting businesses