Why is it called stakeholder?

Asked by: Norene O'Hara  |  Last update: August 6, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (61 votes)

The word stakeholder had emerged by the 1700s as a way of describing a person who takes those bets – they are literally the stake holder. But we can assure you that when we're talking about stakeholders we aren't talking about someone we have placed a wager with.

Is stakeholder a racist term?

Calling Indigenous peoples “stakeholders” is an insult.

They are not mere interested parties in projects on land that was once theirs. They are rights and title holders. In addition, the word can bring up generational trauma and pain.

What is the origin of the stake and stakeholder?

The origins of the word comes from the 1700s and describes betting at that time. The stakeholder was the person who holds the 'stakes. ' Bookie became the more popular term for that role although that is something that lotteries and online betting as pretty much eliminated.

What is the literal meaning of the word stakeholder?

A stakeholder is a person, group or organization with a vested interest, or stake, in the decision-making and activities of a business, organization or project.

What is a better term for stakeholder?

collaborator, colleague, partner, shareholder. Strong matches. associate, contributor, participant. Weak matches. ally, team member.

How to Make a Stakeholder Map in Excel | Impact Over Influence | Change Management Tools

18 related questions found

Why are stakeholders called stakeholders?

The word stakeholder had emerged by the 1700s as a way of describing a person who takes those bets – they are literally the stake holder. But we can assure you that when we're talking about stakeholders we aren't talking about someone we have placed a wager with.

Who is the most powerful stakeholder?

Research reveals the most important stakeholder group of organizations are employees – who come ahead of customers, suppliers, community groups, and especially far ahead of shareholders.

Why avoid the word stakeholder?

The word “stakeholder” is used widely by researchers seeking to engage people with their work to achieve impact. The authors argue that the term comes with inherent issues that risk perpetuating inequalities and colonial harm, and may undermine or contradict positive impacts sought by those who use it.

What is the origin of the term stakeholder?

The term “stakeholder” originally referred to someone who had an interest in the outcome of a bet, because they had placed a wager (“stake”) on it. (The origin of the word “stake”, incidentally, goes way back to when people would place their bets on top of a post, but we don't need to get into that here!)

What is the basic definition of a stakeholder?

: a person entrusted with the stakes of bettors. 2. : one that has a stake in an enterprise. 3. : one who is involved in or affected by a course of action.

Is a stakeholder a person or entity?

Stakeholders are individuals, organizations, or other entities that have a vested interest in the success or failure of a company or an endeavor. Stakeholders can be internal or external and range from customers and shareholders to communities and even governments.

Who is the father of stakeholders?

Edward Freeman originally detailed the Stakeholder Theory of organizational management and business ethics that addresses morals and values in managing an organization.

What is the key term of stakeholders?

Stakeholder means any people or groups who are positively or negatively impacted by a project, initiative, policy or organisation. They could be internal (people within your organisation) or external (people outside of your organisation).

What is the politically correct term for minority group?

In general, when desiring to refer broadly to racial or ethnic groups other than white, non-Hispanic, this guide recommends “Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, Asian and other people of color” as a broad term and the use of more specific descriptors when those are known or relevant.

What are the 3 main conflicts between stakeholders?

A lack of transparency, poor communication, and inadequate stakeholder participation in decision-making processes can all be sources of conflict.

Who is a negative stakeholder?

A stakeholder whose interests are negatively impacted by the project, or who is not interested in the success of the project. Such stakeholders may work to make the project a failure.

Why are employees called stakeholders?

Why employees are important stakeholders. Your employees are the ones who create, manufacture, sell and deliver your products. They are crucial to your businesses' success or failure. They are invested in your company as you pay their wages and offer them job security.

Who coined the term stakeholder capitalism?

Edward Freeman. His book, "Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach," promoted the benefits of addressing the needs of all stakeholders, a concept that came to be known as Stakeholder Theory.

What is a stakeholder in Oxford Dictionary?

/ˈsteɪkhəʊldər/ ​a person or company that is involved in a particular organization, project, system, etc., especially because they have invested money in it.

What is another name for a stakeholder?

What is Another Word for Stakeholders? Other terms for stakeholders include interested parties, participants, key players, and influencers. These synonyms refer to individuals or groups who have a stake, interest, or impact in a business or project's decisions and outcomes.

What Cannot be a stakeholder?

Competitors are not considered to be a stakeholder. Although competitors may directly or indirectly impact an organization, they are not stakeholders. They decrease market share and reduce the customer base, affecting an organization's profit margin.

What is Freeman's stakeholder theory?

Stakeholder theory holds that businesses exist to do more than just make profits and money for shareholders. Instead, they function best and serve the greater good when their actions reflect what's best for all stakeholders – employees, suppliers, the community, partners and, of course, shareholders.

Is a CEO a stakeholder?

Are CEOs Stakeholders? Are They Shareholders? A CEO is a stakeholder in the company that employs them, since they are affected by and have an interest in the actions of that company. Many CEOs of public companies are also shareholders, especially if stock options are a part of their compensation package.

Who is Coca Cola stakeholder?

As a global business that operates locally, we extend our impact and reach because of the strength of the Coca‑Cola system, which includes our approximately 200 bottling partners worldwide. Our stakeholders include suppliers, consumers, customers, industry partners, governments and NGOs.

What are 5 common stakeholders?

In this guide, we'll unpack five stakeholder groups that are most commonly referenced in stakeholder planning: investors, suppliers, customers, employees, and communities.