Evaluate the influence that different stakeholders exert in one of the organisations.

Assessment activity 1:

Carry out an investigation into two contrasting types of business organisation from different sectors (you could choose one in the private sector and one in the public sector or voluntary sector). You should consider stakeholder influence in the two organisations, and your report should focus on:
business activity, for example, local, national, global
business sector
business purpose
ownership of the business
key stakeholders of the business.
1. Describe the type of business, purpose and ownership of two contrasting organisations.
2. Describe the different stakeholders who influence the purpose of these contrasting organisations.

Grading tips

1. An Internet search using the name of the business/organisation will be a good starting point. You should send off for a company report for any private sector company-addresses will be supplied on the company website. You should also study recent news reports to get the latest changes in the activities of these organisations. Make sure yoi describe the activities of the two organisations You should not spend too much time on the history, but it may be helpful to give a brief introduction showing how and why the business was set up, and how it has changed to become what it is today.

2. Reading company reports about your chosen organisations and other literature they produce will give you a good idea of who the main stakeholders are in these organisations. Look through the report to identify specific mentions of stakeholder groups and ways that the organisation is seeking to engage with these groups, for example, through meetings and other communications. What sorts of relationships is the company seeking to build with different groups? You may feel that some groups get more attention than others. Why do you think this happens?

Assessment activity 2:

You work as a junior journalist for the local newspaper, which is planning to run a feature article on local businesses. Produce an article on two local, contrasting businesses covering:
purpose
ownership organisational structure
strategic planning.
1. Describe how each business is organised.
2. Explain how the style of organisation helps each one to fulfil their purposes.
3. Explain the points of view of different stakeholders seeking to influence the aims and objectives of two contrasting organisations.
4. Evaluate the influence that different stakeholders exert in one of the organisations.

Grading tips
1. Remember that organisations need to be arranged into a structure that will enable them to meet their purposes - for example, to make a profit or to achieve their mission aims as a charity. Can you identify a chain of command or line of control in the organisations? How do you think this helps the organisations to contro their activities?

2. To gain a merit, you will need to elaborate on the points of view of the various stakeholder groups. What are they trying to achieve from influencing the organisations? What impact have they had in shaping the aims and objectives of the organisations?

3. To gain a distinction you need to provide an in-depth evaluation of the influence that the stakeholders have. For example, do some of the stakeholders work together? What common interests do they have? What opposing interests do they have? How are these differences resolved?.