Understanding Stakeholders

Curriculum Area: GCSE Business Studies (AQA, Edexcel, OCR)

Level: Key Stage 4 – Year 10

Duration: 50 minutes

Class Size: 30 students

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define what stakeholders are in a business context.
2. Identify key stakeholders in a business and explain their interests.
3. Analyse conflicts and interdependencies between stakeholders.
4. Apply stakeholder theory to real-world UK businesses.

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Lesson Structure

Starter Activity (10 minutes) – Interactive Warm-Up

• Think-Pair-Share:

  • Pose the question: Who has an interest in a business’s success or failure?
  • Students individually note down ideas (2 minutes).
  • In pairs, they discuss and compile their thoughts (3 minutes).
  • A few pairs share their ideas with the class (5 minutes).

• Whiteboard Challenge:

  • Write the word “Stakeholders” on the board.
  • Ask students to call out examples while you categorise them into internal and external stakeholders.

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Main Lesson Content (20 minutes) – In-Depth Learning

Explanation of Stakeholders (5 minutes) – Teacher-Led Discussion

• Define stakeholders as individuals or groups with an interest in a business.
• Explain internal stakeholders (owners, employees, managers) vs external stakeholders (customers, suppliers, local community, government, pressure groups).
• Give UK-specific examples:
  • Tesco – Employees, customers, government (taxation policies).
  • Manchester United FC – Owners, fans, sponsors, local council.

Group Task – Stakeholder Analysis (10 minutes)

• Scenario: A UK-based clothing company is transitioning to more sustainable materials.
• Task: In small groups, students identify:
  1. Which stakeholders would be affected?
  2. Who would support the change?
  3. Who might oppose it, and why?
• Presentation: Each group briefly shares their stakeholder perspectives.

Stakeholder Conflict and Interdependence (5 minutes)

• Ask: Can two stakeholders have conflicting interests?
• Demonstrate with local UK business examples:
  • Amazon UK (Customers want low prices, employees want higher wages).
  • HS2 Rail Project (Government and businesses benefit, local communities protest).
• Encourage students to suggest solutions businesses can use to manage these conflicts.

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Application Task (15 minutes) – Real-World Scenario

• Independent Task:

  1. Each student chooses a large UK business (e.g., Starbucks UK, Premier League, ASOS).
  2. They list at least four stakeholders and describe their interests.
  3. Identify one potential conflict and suggest how the business might resolve it.

• Peer Review (5 minutes):

  • Pair up, exchange answers, and provide feedback.

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Plenary (5 minutes) – Exit Ticket & Reflection

• Quickfire Questions:
  • Name three stakeholders in any UK supermarket.
  • How might employees and shareholders have different interests?
  • What happens if a business ignores its stakeholders?
• Exit Ticket Activity:
  • On a sticky note, students write one stakeholder they hadn’t considered before today.
  • Stick the notes on a “Stakeholder Wall” before leaving.

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Assessment for Learning (AfL)

✔ Observations & Discussions: Monitoring pair and group discussions.
✔ Stakeholder Analysis Task: Responses will indicate understanding of stakeholder roles and conflicts.
✔ Exit Tickets: Provide insight into knowledge gained.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Support: Provide keyword prompts for students who struggle with complex terms.
• Extension: Challenge high-ability students to compare different stakeholder perspectives in conflicting businesses (e.g., Uber vs London taxis).

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Resources & Materials Needed

📝 Whiteboard & markers
📄 Printouts of the case study scenario
📌 Sticky notes for the exit ticket activity
👥 Pre-assigned student groups

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Teacher Reflection & Next Steps

• What went well? Were students engaged in discussions?
• Which students needed additional support?
• How can this topic be expanded in the next lesson (e.g., corporate social responsibility, ethics in business)?