Stakeholder Theory: What Is It, Working, Benefits, Challenges, And More
Stakeholder theory is an ethical concept that stakeholders of a business need to follow to address outcomes of business, profits, trends, and more. The concept also includes the collective impact of the factors above on all stakeholders of the business. The stakeholders of a business include its shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, financers, government, as well as other individuals and groups.
In this article, you will learn about the general details of stakeholder theory. Apart from that, you will also learn about how this theory works for businesses and their stakeholders. Furthermore, you will also learn about the major benefits and challenges of the stakeholder theory. We will describe each of the benefits and challenges for your better understanding. Hence, to learn more, read on through to the end of the article.
What Is Stakeholder Theory?
According to Investopedia,
“Stakeholder theory describes the composition of organizations as a collection of various individual groups with different interests. These interests, taken together, represent the will of the organization. As much as possible, business decisions should consider the interests of this collective group and advance overall cooperation.”
The stakeholder theory shows the importance of relationships between various stakeholders of a business entity. It also shows how the management of a business must view and manage stakeholders. It describes how the business must treat its stakeholders to make the most economic and social impact to achieving the best results. The target is to maximize the profit of the business and make a strong overall impact.
A business needs to consider the various differences in the priorities of stakeholders. This applies to stakeholders – both internal and external. Internal stakeholders include investors, employees, and owners. On the other hand, external stakeholders include the individuals and groups that are affected by the decisions of the company. These include creditors and suppliers.
An Example
Let’s take the help of an example to explain stakeholder theory. Consider a company where the management and shareholders are in a conflict. Here, the management might make a decision that might not necessarily enhance the value of a shareholder. This can create conflict with the interests of the shareholders.
In this case, the organization can choose performance-based compensation. This helps the organization to tie management incentives to the value of the shareholder. This is one way of addressing stakeholder theory. However, there are various other issues that the company might face. In this case, performance-based compensation will help in boosting short-term performance. This will lead to a negative effect in the company’s long-term growth.
How Does Stakeholder Theory Work?
R. Edward Freeman came up with the stakeholder theory in the year 1984. As per the theory, a business firm must create value for all stakeholders of the organization. Only thinking about the shareholders will not help a business in its growth.
According to Nerdwallet.com,
“When the concept matured, more people understood people’s relationships beyond, within, and outside the entity. The stakeholder theory of the firm brings together the concepts of market and resource utilization and its socio-political impact of it. It defines how managers should understand and treat the stakeholders so that stakeholders’ interests come above all other interests.”
Principles of Stakeholder Theory
There are mainly six main principles of the stakeholder theory:
- Principle of Entry & Exit:
- Principle of Externalities
- Principle of Agency
- Principle of Governance
- Principle of Contract Cost
- Principle of Limited Immortality
What Are The Major Benefits And Challenges Of Stakeholder Theory?
This theory works since it considers all the interests of the (business, project, and/or organization).
According to Indeed.com,
“This theory understands that motivated and invested stakeholders may produce better results for the business and help the organization achieve more ambitious goals. Occasionally, you can apply the theory to ethical concepts, such as responsibility to society, nature, and the future, besides profit maximization and shareholder value creation.”
The following are the major benefits and challenges of stakeholder theory:
Benefits
Here are the major benefits of stakeholder theory that will be advantageous for you:
- All the employees of your organization will benefit from it. As a result, you will see an increase in productivity, lower employee turnover, employee satisfaction, and improved mental health of employees. These factors will help the business in further talents for the company.
- You will have happier customers, which is essential for a business. If the business gets positive feedback from regular customers, they will become unpaid marketers for the products of the company. This helps in increasing the overall sales of the company.
- As the business’s cash flow grows, the finance providers of the company are assured of the company’s repaying capacity.
- Often, governments provide help to businesses that expand their operations to new areas of the country. Apart from that, it also helps the business to manage its cash flows in a better manner.
Challenges
Here are a few challenges of stakeholder theory that you need to be aware of:
- If a business follows stakeholder theory, it needs to care about all people who are affected by the business’s decisions. Often, a business puts less focus on the company’s shareholders.
- Since the shareholders have invested their money to maximize returns, the management has an obligation to keep the former’s interests as the main focus.
- It is hard (impossible) to fulfill the interests of everyone associated with the organization.
Bottom Line
Hope this article was helpful for you in getting a better understanding of stakeholder theory. This is an ethical concept where the business considers the interests of all its stakeholders. The business addresses the outcome, trends, profits, etc., associated with a business decision. The collective impact falls on the employees, shareholders, and all other stakeholders.
The stakeholder theory works as per its six principles. R. Edward Freeman was the first person to coin the term stakeholder theory and conceptualize it in his 1983 article. Do you have more information to add regarding this ethical theory in business management? Share your thoughts and opinions with us in the comments section below.
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Mobile Businesses Mobile businesses are the most lucrative form of companies that you can quickly venture into. They will travel to their client locations to render the services by moving towards their client, and it does not require the customers to come to them. You must choose the types of business organizations in the right order. It is one of the new forms of a business model that can help your business grow in the right direction. Different types of business models can help your business grow properly. Within a stipulated budget, you can quickly start your mobile business within a short time. Therefore, let’s find out the names of these business categories in the best possible manner. Food Trucks. Pet Grooming. Junk Removal. Tutoring. Cleaning services. Personal training. These types of businesses will require fewer investments, and they can deliver you more profitability. It will help you to develop your earning potential in the best possible manner. 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Online Education Online education is the new age business model that can help you grow in this digital age rapidly. It can help your business to develop in the right direction. You need to understand one thing that the education sector is evolving at a rapid pace. Teachers and students can connect with each other virtually through online learning education platforms. It makes the learning easy and will help the students learn from the country’s best mentors. Select the types of business organizations after doing the proper research. The investment requirement is less here, and the earning potential is more here. Interactive learning platforms will help you to develop your business to the best of the ability. Let’s get through some of the ed-tech industries that will help you to get the right direction regarding your investment plan in the education industry. Unacademy. Byjus. Udemy. 4. 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You need to understand that if you want to develop your business on language courses, you must have adequate knowledge of the language domain to help your business grow in the right manner. AI technology will become the next big thing, as per the Economic time’s study. Different types of language courses you can offer to the students virtually like German Language. French Language. Chinese Language. Spanish Language. Why Do You Need To Explore Different Types Of Business Model? The more you can explore the different types of business models, the better you can increase your earning potential. You must understand that you must know its adversities and earning potential if you want to develop your business. These factors can help you to build your business to grow in the long run. You cannot consider things for granted. The only thing that you must consider here is how quickly you can reach your break-even point. You cannot assume things for granted here. Select the business type as per your skill sets and the earning potential. It will help you to develop your profitability. Conclusion Hence, if you want to develop your business in the right direction, you must choose the right business types to provide you more profitability. If you want to earn more, then you need to work harder. It will help you to develop your earning potential in the best possible manner. You must consider things for granted here. Try to choose the best business model to help you develop your business in the right direction. You must consider the pros and cons of every business model so that you can correctly build your brand image. Ensure that you have the right skill set with you while you are selecting a particular niche.
Feb 13, 2021
What Is A Holding Company? – Importance, Operation, And Pros & Cons
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Typically, a holding company doesn’t manufacture anything, sell any products or services, or conduct any other business operations. Rather, holding companies hold the controlling stock in other companies.” You can understand from this definition that a holding company basically owns the assets of other companies. However, it has the power of only overseeing those assets. Just having a mere oversight does not let the holding company actively participate in the business’s daily operations or the operations of its subsidiaries. In many cases, holding companies are also termed as “umbrella” or parent companies. The major purpose of creating a holding company is to have ownership of investments, which can be private businesses as well. The businesses that a holding company owns are known as subsidiaries. All the subsidiaries of a holding company are responsible for their own debts, and hence holding companies remain protected from the liability of subsidiaries. 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Sustainable Products Have A Growing Market According to a study, consumers are increasing their attention towards sustainable products. They have now shifted their choices, shaped by their responsibility towards nature. According to diverse observations, customers are looking to pay more for products that are made with environmental protection in mind. If you want your organization to go for sustainable products and practices, there is a higher chance of you emerging as a winner in this highly competitive market. Active Cooperation Action Can Drive Change At some point in time, you may feel completely overwhelmed and find it highly difficult to bring in effective changes in a meaningful way. However, addressing the pressing problems and the challenges it offers, organizations are looking to collaborate to combat them. Let me give an example before you. Palm oil is versatile, and hence, it finds usage in products like lipstick, ice cream, and soaps. It has resulted in record greenhouse gas emissions. This is why the stakeholders want to incorporate sustainable palm oil and change their harvesting practices. The Importance of Customer Retention and Value-Oriented Service While acquiring new customers is often a primary focus, the importance of customer retention cannot be overstated. Establishing a loyal customer base epitomizes sustainable growth, and this loyalty stems from delivering value-oriented service consistently. Customer-centric strategies involve not only meeting but exceeding customer expectations. By engaging customers through personalized experiences and fostering open communication, businesses can create a feedback loop that leads to continuous improvement and customer advocacy. Loyalty programs, responsive customer service, and mobile-optimized surveys are some of the tools that help in understanding and valuing the customer's voice. Such tools can provide insights that lead to better product development, service updates, and overall customer satisfaction. This approach to customer retention is cost-effective in the long run. It can be significantly cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one, and the lifetime value of a loyal customer contributes to steady revenue streams that underpin sustainable growth. Building a Solid Foundation: The Role of Scalable Systems and Processes Ironically, rapid growth can be a pitfall for many businesses, leading to infrastructure strains and process inefficiencies. Constructing a solid foundation based on scalable systems and processes is essential to avoid these common growth-related complications. By adopting scalable approaches, businesses can ensure their operations expand effortlessly with increasing demand. Sophisticated network monitoring tools and digital solutions pave the way for efficient performance, continuity, and security, which are vital in maintaining operational integrity. Moreover, having a flexible business model that can adeptly respond to changing market conditions is indispensable. This might include diversifying product lines, exploring new markets, or adjusting pricing strategies dynamically. Scalability also demands a thorough understanding of capacity limitations and the insight to mitigate them before they become bottlenecks. Embracing Long-Term Vision and Incremental Progress Patience is key to sustainable business development. Companies must resist the temptation to pursue aggressive expansion in favor of a more measured approach. This requires a long-term vision that can weather immediate fluctuations and stay the course toward gradual progress. The pace of incremental progress might not satiate the hunger for instant results, but it instills resilience and adaptability. This approach ensures that each step forward is firmly rooted and that the business is less vulnerable to market volatility. Furthermore, an emphasis on small, steady advancements allows for thoughtful reflection and strategic redirection when necessary. A company with a long-term outlook is also more likely to cultivate lasting relationships with its customers, suppliers, and employees. Such relationships are built on trust and shared values, leading to a solid brand reputation and loyalty that no marketing budget can buy. Measuring Success: Key Performance Indicators for Sustainable Development Tracking and measuring progress are integral parts of navigating toward sustainable growth. Key performance indicators (KPIs) provide a clear view of where a business stands in relation to its long-term goals. Choosing the right KPIs is just as important as setting the goals themselves. For sustainable development, traditional financial KPIs are complemented by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics. These include energy consumption, waste reduction, employee satisfaction scores, and community engagement levels. Such broad-based metrics provide a more nuanced picture of a company’s overall performance and impact. Conclusion Businesses can gain actionable insights that assist in course corrections and strategic planning by leveraging data analytics and performance management tools. The diligent application of KPIs ensures congruence between everyday operations and the broader mission of sustainable growth. As companies embrace these principles, they contribute not only to their own success but to the welfare of the planet and society at large. 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They have the expertise and the knowledge to devise the perfect strategy for your business. A business strategist consultant can help you to attain the desired optimum result for your business. This is because they know very well where they need to improve and how much you need to improve as per the current market scenario. You need to understand one thing that if you want to develop your business, proper planning is crucial, and the business development consultant can help you to get the right solution for your business at the right time. 2. Multifaceted Functions Of Business Strategists Running a multifaceted business function requires lots of patience and experience. A business development consultant can help you to run your business successfully. It will help your business to get things done on time with an accurate solution at the right time. It will help you achieve your goals appropriately. If you are an entrepreneur of an organization, then you will be loaded with lots of work. In such a scenario, a business development consultant can help you achieve your goals better. They can help you to supervise things in a structured way as per your needs. 3. Open Accessibility Of Resources The prime task of the business development consultant is to improve the traditional approach of operation compared to that of the previous one. You need to increase the accessibility of your business resources with the help of your business consultant. Many organizations have the limited resources with them for human resources, finance, and knowledgeable persons who can help you cope with the growing needs of your organization. The positive thinking the better you can develop your business in the right direction. Proper planning can help you achieve your goals effectively. 4. Development Of Effective Solutions A business development consultant is well aware of the current market scenario. The reason for this is they keep in close touch with the clients. They understand the fact what the needs and preferences of clients or the customers are. They know the problem properly that their clients are facing. Therefore, they can provide the right solution at the right point of time to adequately address the issues as per the situation’s needs. You need to understand the facts that can help you achieve things better as per the needs of the problem. Only your business development consultant knows your client’s situation, and they can only innovate the right solution for them as per their requirement. 5. Enable Cost Efficiency The cost-efficiency of your business will increase when you have the proper knowledge of your business goals and requirements. You must make plans that can help your business get maximum exposure at the right time. Your business development consultant can help you to save both time and money. The reason behind this is they know both the problems as well as the solution. The organization’s daily operations will improve when you can focus on the right things rather than on the wrong issues. Your business development consultant can guide you to make the right decisions at the right point in time. It will help your business to get the right solution at the right time and will help your business to get the perfect solution for your business. 6. Insight Your business consultant can guide your business’s right strategy to help you achieve your goals appropriately. They have the market insight and the knowledge. It will help your business to grow in the right direction. Proper planning and execution can help you to achieve your business goals effectively. Why Businesses Need Business Development Consultant Today? The business development consultant can help your business get the right solution at the right time. They are in demand as they act as the market intelligence to grow your business in the right manner at the right time. Proper planning can help you to achieve your goals as we all know that all the companies work in a continuously changing working environment, You need to understand the market needs to act accordingly. Develop plans that can help you to achieve your objectives. Conclusion Hence, if you want to develop your business, you need to seek the assistance of the best business consultant who can help you build your business in the right direction. Proper planning can help you to achieve your goals in the right direction. The more accurate your plans are, the better you can adequately achieve your goals. Your business development consultant can help you to achieve your goals. Here, you need to make your plans in such a way that can help your business to achieve your objectives appropriately. You must make your system clear and transparent as it will help you achieve your goals in the right way. Proper planning can help you to get things done correctly. Read Also: Top 5 Types Of Business That Are Giving More Profits To The Sellers Top 5 Best B2B Marketing Strategies For The Entrepreneurs In 2021 How To Create A Powerful Business Models For Your Business In 2021 How To Create A Powerful Strategic Marketing Plan – Step By Step Guide
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