Every business has both shareholders and stakeholders, but how exactly do these two groups differ? In this article, we’ll delve into the difference between shareholder and stakeholder, as well as present a helpful table to guide you in understanding their respective roles. Read on to learn more about each group and how they affect the success of a business.

A stakeholder is a party that has an interest in a company and can either affect or be affected by the business. The primary stakeholders in a typical corporation are its investors, employees, customers, and suppliers. When the company cuts costs by eliminating workers and unprofitable lines of business, the shareholders may see an increase in value in their stock. how does listed property affect your business taxes Investors have more confidence in the business, which boosts the wealth of each stockholder. Unlike shareholders who have an equity stake in the company based on the percentage of stock they own, stakeholders have unequal shares of interest. Customers are entitled to receive a fair, legal trading practice when they choose to purchase goods and services.

• Others, such as the business’s customers and suppliers, are external to the business but are nevertheless affected by the business’s actions.
• Stock prices and dividends go up when a company performs well and increases its value, which increases the value of stocks the shareholder owns.
• If you own preferred stock in a corporation, then you become a “preferred stockholder.” In this role, the stockholder will receive a fixed-cash dividend before any common stockholders.
• Every company raises capital from the market by issuing shares to the general public.

For instance, customers can change their buying habits, suppliers can change their manufacturing and distribution practices, and governments can modify laws and regulations. Ultimately, managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders is key to a business’s long-term success. External stakeholders, unlike internal stakeholders, do not have a direct relationship with the company. Instead, an external stakeholder is normally a person or organization affected by the operations of the business. During their decision-making processes, for example, companies might consider their impact on the environment instead of making choices based solely upon the interests of shareholders.

However, when the company loses money, the share price drops, making shareholders lose money or experience declines in their portfolios. Furthermore, there are two types of stockholders; they are majority stockholders and minority stockholders. Here, a majority stockholder is a stockholder who owns and controls more than 50% of a company’s shares. Whereas, minority stockholders are those who hold less than 50% of stocks in a company.

Key Takeaways:

Thank you so much for scanning the difference between shareholder and stakeholder through our article. Hope you have clearly understood the differences between these two terms. Increasing profits will cause the share price to rise while paying dividends will give shareholders a direct return on their investment. Reducing expenses will improve the bottom line and make the company more efficient while repurchasing shares will reduce the number of shares outstanding and make each one worth more.

The dashboard is a bird’s-eye view of the project’s progress represented in easy-to-read charts and graphs. It’s a business ethics and organizational management theory that maintains that businesses, to be successful, must create value for all of its stakeholders, not just shareholders. Introduced by the economist Milton Friedman in the 1960s, the shareholder theory of capitalism claims that corporations’ primary focus is to create wealth for its shareholders. This, however, doesn’t mean that companies can do as they please because their practices are still subject to applicable laws. The investments that shareholders hold in a company are usually liquid and can be disposed of for a profit. Investors typically buy a portion of a company’s shares with the hope that these shares will appreciate so they will earn a high return on their investment.

• These stakeholders have a vested interest in the company’s success, as it directly impacts their own well-being.
• Owning of stocks by Stockholders may result in them becoming owners of that business.
• They, however, receive their share of the proceeds after creditors and preferred shareholders have been paid.
• They may also be referred to as members, stockholders, or simply owners.

These two paths are called the shareholder theory and the stakeholder theory. Therefore, shareholders are owners and stakeholders are interested parties. As stated earlier, shareholders are a subset of the superset, which are stakeholders. There are some organizations that don’t have shareholders, such as a public university, which has many stakeholders.

They, however, receive their share of the proceeds after creditors and preferred shareholders have been paid. Although shareholders are owners of the company, they are not liable for the company’s debts or other arising financial obligations. The company’s creditors cannot hold the shareholders liable for any debts that it owes them. However, in privately-held companies, sole proprietorships, and partnerships, the creditors have a right to demand payments and auction the properties of the owners of these entities. Generally, a shareholder is a stakeholder of the company while a stakeholder is not necessarily a shareholder.

Stock Price Valuation vs. Broader Success

There are numerous key differences between shareholders and stakeholders, which are summarized as follows. The shareholder theory is also known as the stockholder theory or the shareholder primacy theory. It is opposed to the stakeholder theory, which takes into account the interests of all stakeholders when making business decisions.

On the other hand, stakeholder theory helps you act responsibly towards your employees, customers, and business partners. By prioritizing your immediate project stakeholders (both internal and external), you can create better work environments that promote both employee well-being and customer satisfaction. And when your team feels heard, they’re more motivated to do their best work and help projects succeed. That means instead of aiming for quick wins, you’re investing in your future. Shareholders can be either natural persons or legal entities such as corporations.

Example of an External Stakeholder

To delve into the underlying meaning of the terms, “stockholder” technically means the holder of stock, which can be construed as inventory, rather than shares. Conversely, “shareholder” means the holder of a share, which can only mean an equity share in a business. Thus, if you want to be picky, “shareholder” may be the more technically accurate term, since it only refers to company ownership.

Who’s more important: Shareholders or stakeholders?

Stakeholders are mainly the employees, bondholders, shareholders, or even stockholders, in a company. This doesn’t mean that shareholder theory is an “anything goes” drive to lift profits. However, social responsibility is structured into the stakeholder theory, but the benefits must also meet the corporation’s bottom line. Shareholders, on the other hand, are more concerned with stock prices, dividends and results.

The money that is invested in a company by shareholders can be withdrawn for a profit. It can even be invested in other organizations, some of which could be in competition with the other. Therefore, the shareholder is an owner of the company, but not necessarily with the company’s interests first. Try ProjectManager and get dashboards and reporting tools that track everything stakeholders and shareholders care about.

Related Differences

These include students, families, professors, administrators, employers, state taxpayers, the local and state communities, custodians, suppliers and more. A shareholder is a person or an institution that owns shares or stock in a public or private operation. They are often referred to as members of a corporation, and they have a financial interest in the profitability of the organization or project. Shareholders provide the funds that allow companies to invest and innovate, while stakeholders have a stake in the company’s long-term performance.

A stakeholder can affect or be affected by the company’s policies and objectives. Internal stakeholders have a direct relationship with the company either through employment, ownership, or investment. For example, a shareholder might be an individual investor who is hoping the stock price will increase because it is part of their retirement portfolio. Shareholders have the right to exercise a vote and to affect the management of a company. Shareholders are owners of the company, but they are not liable for the company’s debts. For private companies, sole proprietorships, and partnerships, the owners are liable for the company’s debts.