Handling Internal vs. External Stakeholders

According to the theorists, Internal and external stakeholders differ in terms of how they must be managed and communicated with – but how, and why?

Quirke (2008) and Ruck (2020) argue that communication with internal stakeholders is highly determinative of outcomes. Ruck (2020) suggests employee preferences should steer communication channel selection: if stakeholders appreciate meetings over “impersonal” (p. 141) digital channels, then that preference should apply until impractical. Ruck mentions trust as key to effective internal stakeholder communication. For Quirke (2008), organisations that manage their internal communications enjoy high performance. Similarly, differentiation, Quirke argues, is afforded by strong internal communication.

Following this, the practical implications of the superficially straightforward “Internal”/“External” dichotomization – as in the typical Stakeholder Register – may deserve deeper examination. If books can be written on internal communications (and there are many), then logically, important differences separate internal and external stakeholders. These must be understood if they are to be applied.