A stakeholder is any person or group with an interest or concern in an organisation. This means they are affected by what the organisation does, or they can affect it.
Every organisation has stakeholders. Common examples include:
Other stakeholders might include the local community, the government or the owners of the organisation.
Because stakeholders have an interest, organisations need to keep them informed. For example, a customer needs to know when a new product is available, an employee needs to know about a change in working hours, and a supplier needs to know how many items to deliver. If stakeholders are not kept informed, they may make poor decisions or lose trust in the organisation.
Modern technologies are widely used to communicate with stakeholders. They are communication platforms: websites, social media, email and voice communication (such as phone calls or online meetings). Using them means information can be shared quickly, cheaply and with many people at the same time. For instance, a company might post a product update on its website, send an email to suppliers about a delivery change, or use social media to answer customer questions.
By choosing the right platform for the right stakeholder, an organisation can make sure everyone who needs to know is kept up to date.
Pearson BTEC Digital Information Technology · Communication with Stakeholders