Who are a company’s most important

Who are a company’s most important stakeholders?

Peter Drucker
The CEO and his or her executive team have to satisfy and balance the demands of various parties. Sometimes these demands are in conflict and one has to be prioritized over another. So what is the pecking order among the company’s stakeholders? When it comes to the crunch whose needs should be met first? Here is a suggested order of preference.

1. Customers. Peter Drucker defined the purpose of a company as this; to create customers. Without customers the company cannot survive so in almost all situations the customer needs have to come first. The customer can always to choose to take his business to a competitor so it is essential that we continue to innovate, to offer good products and good value for money.

2. Employees. The employees are the ones who create and deliver the products or services that the customers consume. If we lose or antagonize our best employees then customer service will suffer so we need to look after them. If we want to attract and retain top talent at all levels then we have to offer terms and conditions that are attractive.

3. Shareholders. The shareholders own the company. They might well have put forward the seed capital which we need to get started so their needs are important. Ultimately the board, acting on behalf of the shareholders, can replace the CEO and the executive team. However, provided we are broadly on plan in terms of revenues and profit the shareholders are generally satisfied and will leave us alone. They will only take action when things are going badly wrong so we do not need to always act to please them.

4. Suppliers, distributors and other business partners. We need to collaborate with our partners to run the business. Many have essential skills that we lack. It is best to build good long-term relationships. However, the partners also have their own agendas and most can be replaced if they underperform or a better partner appears.

5. The local community. We want to be a good citizen with healthy links to the local community. We want to be seen as a responsible employer who is providing a good place to work. This is important but is clearly a lower priority than those above.

6. National Government and regulatory authorities. These are less important stakeholders but we want to keep on the right side of them. We want to be compliant with regulations and avoid disputes and prosecutions.

This order of priority will help us to resolve conflicts. E.g.

• Should we hire cheaper staff to maximize profit even it if means poorer customer service? No; we should hire the best people we can afford in order to deliver better customer service. It might hurt profit in the short term but should deliver better growth and profits long term.
• Should we arrange things so as to minimize corporation tax and thereby increase profit? The answer clearly is yes. The shareholders outrank the national government in priority.
• Should we lay off staff if we are in serious financial difficulty? If it is necessary for survival then we have to take the difficult step of making employees redundant. We cannot serve the customers if we cannot survive.

Difficulties surface when we alter the priority list, e.g. when we put the shareholders first and milk the business of profits. Or when the employees are seen as more important than the customers. We sometimes see this in some offices where staff are too busy with their own affairs to look after the customer. A big problem arises if item 2 on the list above is split and becomes 2a senior executives and 2b ordinary employees. This can lead to a situation where the executive team puts its own requirements first – especially in terms of bonus, stock options and other monetary rewards. We have seen recent examples of how divisive and provocative this can be.

We want staff at all levels from the lowest to the most senior to act as a team, to be motivated and well rewarded – but not overpaid. If we overpay then we increase our cost base unnecessarily and put at risk price competitiveness in the marketplace and profitability. It is essential to strike the right balance between the needs of the different stakeholders, but some are more important than others. If we can be clear about priorities in advance then it will help us to resolve the tricky conflicts that will arise sooner or later.

ผลลัพธ์ (แอฟริกา) 1:

Wie is mees belangrike belanghebbendes 'n maatskappy se? Peter Drucker Die uitvoerende hoof en sy uitvoerende span het of haar om te voldoen aan en balanseer die eise van verskillende partye. Soms is hierdie eise is in konflik en 'n mens moet geprioritiseer word oor 'n ander. So, wat is die rangorde tussen belanghebbendes van die maatskappy se? Wanneer dit kom by die crunch wie se behoeftes moet eers ontmoet het? Hier is 'n voorgestelde volgorde van voorkeur. 1. Kliënte. Peter Drucker gedefinieer die doel van 'n maatskappy as hierdie; om kliënte te skep. Sonder kliënte van die maatskappy nie so kan oorleef in byna alle situasies die behoeftes van die kliënt moet eerste kom. Kan die kliënt om altyd kies om sy besigheid te neem om 'n mededinger dit is dus noodsaaklik dat ons voortgaan om te innoveer, goed om bied produkte en waarde vir geld goed. 2. Werknemers. Die werknemers is die mense wat die produkte of dienste wat die kliënte verteer skep en lewer. As ons verloor of antagoniseer ons beste werknemers dan kliëntediens sal so ly ons nodig het om te kyk na hulle. As ons wil hê om aan te trek en op alle vlakke te behou top Talent dan moet ons terme en voorwaardes wat aantreklik is aan te bied. 3. Aandeelhouers. Die aandeelhouers besit die maatskappy. Hulle kan ook vorentoe die saad kapitaal wat ons nodig het om te begin sodat hul behoeftes is belangrik gestel het. Uiteindelik is die raad, wat namens van die aandeelhouers, kan die hoof uitvoerende beampte en die uitvoerende span vervang. Maar, mits ons oor die algemeen op plan in terme van inkomste en wins van die aandeelhouers is oor die algemeen tevrede en ons sal uitlos. Sal hulle net aksie neem Dinge sleg gaan wanneer ons dit nie doen nie so verkeerd Need by Wet altyd om hulle tevrede te stel. 4. Verskaffers, verspreiders en ander vennote. Ons moet saam met ons vennote om die besigheid te bedryf. Baie het noodsaaklike vaardighede wat ons nie. Dit is die beste om 'n goeie langtermyn-verhoudings te bou. Egter ook hul eie agendas en die vennote meeste kan vervang word as hulle onderpresteer of 'n beter Partner verskyn. 5. Die plaaslike gemeenskap. Ons wil 'n goeie burger met 'n gesonde skakels na die plaaslike gemeenskap. Ons wil gesien word as 'n verantwoordelike werkgewer wat is die verskaffing van 'n goeie plek om te werk. Duidelik is dit belangrik, maar is 'n laer prioriteit as dié hierbo. 6. Nasionale Regering en regulatoriese owerhede. Dit is minder belangrik is belanghebbendes, maar ons wil aan die regterkant van hulle te hou. Ons wil in ooreenstemming met regulasies te wees en vermy Geskille en vervolging. Dit Orde van prioriteit sal ons help om konflikte op te los. Bv • Moet ons Huur Goedkoper personeel om wins te maksimeer, selfs as dit beteken Armer kliënt Service? Nee; ons die beste mense wat ons kan bekostig moet huur om beter kliëntediens te lewer. Dit mag dalk wins beseer in die kort termyn, maar moet beter groei en winste langtermyn te lewer. • Moet ons Reël sodat Dinge Corporation belasting te verminder en sodoende wins te verhoog? Die antwoord is duidelik ja. Tref die aandeelhouers in die Nasionale Regering prioriteit. • Moet ons af te lê personeel as ons in ernstige finansiële probleme? As dit nodig is vir oorlewing is dan moet ons die moeilike stap om werknemers oorbodig te neem. Kan ons nie dien die kliënte as ons nie kan oorleef. Probleme oppervlak wanneer ons Alter die Prioriteitslys, bv wanneer ons die aandeelhouers en eerste melk winste van die besigheid. Of wanneer die werknemers word gesien as meer belangrik as die kliënte. Ons sien dit soms in sommige kantore waar personeel is te besig met hul eie sake om te kyk na die kliënt. 'N Groot probleem ontstaan ​​as item 2 op die lys hierbo is verdeel en word 2a senior bestuurders en 2b gewone werknemers. Dit kan lei tot 'n situasie waar die uitvoerende span sit sy eie vereistes eerste - veral in terme van bonus, voorraad opsies en ander geldelike belonings. Ons het die afgelope voorbeelde van hoe kan dit verdelende en uitdagende gesien. Ons Wil personeel op alle vlakke van die laagste tot die mees senior op te tree as 'n span, moet gemotiveer en goed beloon - maar nie te veel betaal. As ons te veel betaal dan verhoog ons kostebasis onnodig en in gevaar stel die prys mededingendheid in die mark en winsgewendheid. Dit is noodsaaklik om die regte balans tussen die behoeftes van die verskillende belanghebbendes te staak, maar sommige is meer belangrik as die ander. As ons duidelik oor prioriteite in advance kan wees dan sal dit ons help om die moeilike konflikte wat vroeër of later sal ontstaan ​​op te los.