stakeholder = 'a party with any sort of interest whatsoever' (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Victor Steinbok]

I guess, all it means is that restricted use in one context--where the
word may even become a part of the jargon--does not mean that it will be
used similarly in all other contexts. Pervasive media presence also
guarantees that any topic open to public discussion is guaranteed to
have its internal terminology eventually perverted either by the media
or by the general public being made aware of (and misinterpreting) the
term. And "stakeholder" is such a basic, nearly Marxist, term that it
would be hard to hold on to an exclusive meaning even if anyone tried.

     VS-)

On 2/7/2011 3:36 PM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
> I compared stockholders to stakeholders because they sound alike, and
> didn't mean to limit discussion of "stakeholders" to contexts in which
> "stockholders" would also be pertinent.
>
> The last five articles in Newsbank in which "stakeholders" appears seem
> to support my claim, which I will restate more generically:
>
> "Stakeholders" is used be speakers who wish to include people in a
> discussion, whom they wish to placate or acknowledge, but who may not
> actually have any real stake in the discussion (or at least, may not
> have any significant ownership interest, or decision-making or veto
> authority, or any other interest other than having bothered to show up).
> Since "stakeholders" sounds similar to "stockholders", it has an air of
> importance; it is better to be a "stakeholder" than it is to be just an
> interested observer.
>
> Or, (restated), "stakeholders" is used as a meaningless word that means
> "everybody who may be peripherally interested".  It could often be
> replaced with "voters", "customers", "citizens", or other group names
> that include so many people that the specific interest represented by
> those people as individuals is diluted.  In general, a "stakeholder"
> doesn't in fact "hold" anything of value, and can't be distinguished
> from people who are not designated as stakeholders.
>
>
> 1.  Contract Notice: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
> Issues Request for Proposals for Rail and Development Plan Services [a
> press release?]
> US Fed News (USA) - March 1, 2011
> " ...transportation issues of importance to the state, partner agencies,
> stakeholders and the people of California. Insurance is required..."
>
> Here, stakeholders is meaningless.
>
> 2.  World Trade
> Agweek - Monday, February 7, 2011
> " CALGARY, Alberta - Agrium Inc. says it has reached a deal to sell most
> of the grain business it just acquired in a purchase of Australian
> company AWB Ltd. to Cargill Inc. for about $870 million. "Agrium
> indicated from the outset that we would conduct a thorough review of the
> commodity business with AWB management, and we believe that this is the
> best course of action for all stakeholders involved." "
>
> Stakeholders appears to include everyone who is interested, and is not
> limited to those who are actually participating in the business deal.
>
> 3.  Ready to go to work - New Minnesota age commissioner takes his place
> Agweek - Monday, February 7, 2011
> " I will honor that support by serving all our stakeholders to the best
> of my ability."
>
> Here, stakeholder means anyone who produces or uses agricultural
> products.  Meaningless.
>
>
> 4.  Trade group disapproves of alfalfa ruling - Organic Trade
> Association says Roundup Ready alfalfa ruling will affect organic
> farmers
> Agweek - Monday, February 7, 2011
> " While USDA, for the first time, took a step and acknowledged organic
> and IP agriculture as a stakeholder in decisions around the release of
> GE crops, it is a small step for organic alongside giant steps toward
> accelerated decisions to deregulate many new GE crops awaiting review by
> USDA."
>
> Here, the USDA has endorsed a plan to allow genetically modified
> alfalfa. The "stakeholders" are a trade group of Organic farmers, and
> since they are on the losing side of the decision, it's apparent that
> their "stake" is one which may be ignored.  But at least they are
> acknowledged.
>
> 5.  Thales Joins Cloud Security Alliance
> Business Wire - Monday, February 7, 2011
> " The Cloud Security Alliance is led by a broad coalition of industry
> practitioners, corporations, associations and other key stakeholders."
>
> Stakeholders is a meaningless placeholder word here.
>
> Continued reading of the next 10 articles shows the same themes --
> "stakeholders" are either members of such a large group that identifying
> them is not possible (and thus their interests don't have to be
> addressed); or they are in fact members of a smaller group, but they are
> only acknowledged and identified, and their interests are in fact
> ignored.

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