Ask HN: What were Stakeholders called in the '80s? - scottmcdot
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geoffbrown2014
My memory is that idea of a stakeholder did not exist in its current form for
most of the 80's. The meaning of the word stakeholder has been recommissioned
to include people who have no direct financial stake in a policy, development
or business, but find themselves affected by the action anyway.

I think it was fairly common to give little thought to ramifications of
policy, development or business plans beyond the immediate financial concerns
or desired policy outcome. For instance the pipeline in North Dakota might
have included a single public hearing with only a few people in attendance,
perhaps the local land owners in the pipeline's path, and very likely little
to no indigenous people's input. Very likely it would not have occurred to
anyone to contact them and they otherwise would not be aware of it. My father
was on a town council of a small town in the Midwest and lots of development
went on with little or no input from the town. Sometimes they had hearings
where no one would be in attendance, sometimes they didn't even have a
hearing. Lots of wetlands and marshes were plowed under and filled without any
deliberation.

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csa
They were called "stakeholders" then, too (at least in the late 80s). The
concept is not new.

There were very serious discussions, especially after the crash of 87, about
the ethical balance of looking out for the stockholders (often seen as focused
on the near term and often contrary to stakeholder interests) and the
stakeholders (often seen as focused on the long term and _perhaps_ not in the
best interest of the stockholders).

Why do you ask?

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schappim
Why? Are you writing an episode of halt and catch fire?

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schoen
Maybe "interested parties"?

