Whether you know it or not, your business likely has a number of stakeholders. But, what is a stakeholder? Keep reading, and we’ll give you the scoop on the stakeholder definition, types of stakeholders in business, and more.
What is a stakeholder?
Who are stakeholders, exactly? A stakeholder is an individual or group that has interest in a business or organization. Stakeholders can either be affected by or affect a company’s or organization’s actions.
根据情况，利益相关者可以对业务的运营和财务决策产生重大影响。一些利益攸关方可能更多的是业务，而其他利益攸关方可能不会根据需要与业务进行任何东西做任何事情。
利益相关者可以帮助企业s or organization:
- Work toward achieving goals
- Meet strategic objectives
- Get necessary materials and resources
- Make smart business decisions
- 增加销量
- Find new areas for market penetration
Stakeholders vs. shareholders
Ever heard of shareholders? If you have, you may be wondering how they differ from stakeholders.
Shareholders are a very specific group of stakeholders who own shares in a business. But, not all stakeholders are shareholders. Shareholders may have additional responsibilities, like voting on business decisions and electing members. They can also sell their ownership in the company.
Stakeholders do not own shares of the business. Therefore, they do not have any ownership in the company. Instead, they are either directly or indirectly connected to the business in some shape or form (which we’ll get into next). They also may not be able to impact the business the way a shareholder can.
Different types of stakeholders
There are a variety of stakeholders, and they can all be broken down into two categories: internal or external.
内部利益攸关方
An internal stakeholder’s interest in a company comes through a direct relationship. Internal stakeholders are directly affected by a business’s activities or decisions.
内部利益相关者的一些例子包括：
- Employees
- Managers
- Owners
External stakeholders
An external stakeholder does not directly work with a company. However, they are indirectly affected by the actions and decisions of a business.
查看业务中的外部利益相关者的一些例子：
- 供应商和vendors
- Customers
- Shareholders
- Creditors
- Governments
- Communities
- 投资者
Who is not a stakeholder?
You know who stakeholders are now. But, who are not stakeholders in a company? Here are some examples of non-stakeholders:
- Competitors
- Disinterested people
- 其他对业务没有经济影响的其他人
Stakeholder examples
Want to see some stakeholders in action? Check out a couple of examples of both internal and external stakeholders below.
Example 1: Internal stakeholders
When it comes to your business, your employees are internal stakeholders. Why? Because their employment is tied to the success of your company. Employees have a direct stake in your company because they earn an income along with other benefits. If the company doesn’t survive, the employees lose their income from the company.
Along with employees and managers, owners take risks in owning or running the business. In exchange, they hope to maximize business profits and their income.
Example 2: External stakeholders
供应商是外部利益相关者的一个例子，因为他们的收入的很好一部分可能来自一家公司。如果您的业务是改变它购买的内容或从中购买的人，它可能会影响供应商及其revenue.
Another example of an external stakeholder is the government. The government collects taxes from your company (e.g., business income taxes) as well as from your employees (e.g., payroll taxes). They also collect tax from other spending, such assales tax.
This is not intended as legal advice; for more information, please点击这里。