Internal vs External Stakeholders: Difference and Comparison

A company includes various members that comprise to form a stakeholder, and the person or other factors that affect the complete organization is known to be a stakeholder who is further consisting of internal stakeholders and external stakeholders.

Key Takeaways

  1. Internal stakeholders are individuals or groups, such as employees and shareholders.
  2. External stakeholders, like customers, suppliers, and regulators, are outside an organization.
  3. Both internal and external stakeholders can influence an organization’s decisions, goals, and overall success.

Internal Stakeholders vs External Stakeholders 

Internal stakeholders are individuals affected by and interested in a company due to their direct relationships with the company, such as employment, investment, or ownership. External stakeholders are people affected by the activities of a business but are not directly related to the company, like government agencies.

Internal Stakeholders vs External Stakeholders

They are the primary responsibility of the company to be looked upon. They have much interest in the ongoing business. 

External Stakeholders are the ones that don’t have to face the direct impact of the decision made by the company or the organization. As they are not affected directly, they don’t take much interest in the business.

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonInternal StakeholdersExternal Stakeholders
DefinitionIndividual members or group members of any company or organization Person or group who isn’t a member but is readily affected by the company indirectly
Impact DirectIndirectly
Who are they?Individuals working for the organizationIndividuals or groups influenced by their work
Employment Given YesNo
Responsibility by the EmployeesDirectly or primaryIndirectly or secondary
Consists OfEmployees, its owner, investors, management, board, and many othersCustomer, rivalry, government, society, creditors, supplier, retailer, and many others
Knows AboutInternal matters of the companyPublicly available information
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What is Internal Stakeholders?

Internal stakeholders are a single person or a group of several members that are part of the company or the organization. Some of the members known to be part of the company or organization as internal stakeholders are – employees of the company, management, directors, owner, and many others.

Also Read:  Product-Based vs Service-Based Companies: Difference and Comparison

The varied activities performed by the company directly affect these above-mentioned members. The interest of the members of the company is more as any decision made will affect them too.

They are also aware of the internal matters taking place within the company. They employ their internal stakeholders in their organization.

What is External Stakeholders?

External stakeholders are the individual or any group that is not a part of any organization or company but still gets affected by the changes or decisions made within it.

The activities performed within the company do not affect the members of the external stakeholder directly. Although they might be looking forward to the success of the company but still got indirectly affected.

These members, although they aren’t a member of the respective company or organization but manage them externally and are mostly aware of the information that is available publicly.

Main Differences Between Internal Stakeholders and External Stakeholders

  1. The example for the internal stakeholders consists of their employees, management, board, directors, owner, and others whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the example for the external stakeholders consists of their suppliers, retailers, creditors, customers, rival companies, society, and many others.
  2. The members of the internal stakeholders know maximally about the internal matters of the company or the organization, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the members of the external stakeholder know about the information that is publicly available about the company or the organization.  
References
  1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01446190701821810
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S026378631930866X
  3. https://www.proquest.com/openview/2c1ba4858e25e10a8c835d5bf247db64/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
  4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S026378631830142X
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Chara Yadav
Chara Yadav

Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.

11 Comments

  1. The description of both internal and external stakeholders is comprehensive and effectively highlights their differences.

  2. This article sheds light on the importance of considering both internal and external stakeholders when making decisions in a business context.

  3. Excellent insight on the different stakeholders in an organization and the impact they have on business decisions and success.

  4. The detailed explanation of internal stakeholders and external stakeholders is beneficial in understanding the dynamics within an organization.

  5. The comparison table provides a concise summary of the defining characteristics of internal and external stakeholders.

  6. It’s interesting to see the clear distinction between internal and external stakeholders. This leads to a better understanding of their roles in an organization.

  7. The main differences between internal and external stakeholders are well-explained and clarified thoroughly, allowing for a better understanding.

  8. I appreciate the references provided for further reading on this topic. It adds credibility to the information presented.

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