(a). Connected stakeholders are stakeholders in an entity, such as a company, who are not decision-makers and do not have full-time association with the entity, but who nevertheless have a strong influence over the major decisions made by its leaders. Examples might be employees (who are not the decision-makers) and non-executive directors (who are not full-time with the company).

(b).

(i) Employees might be able to influence the decisions of the directors of the entity by threatening to go on strike or take other disruptive industrial action. (ii) A supplier might be able to control decisions by a customer’s board of directors, but only if it is a monopoly supplier of an essential product or service, or if the product or service is in short supply. For example, a major supplier of crude oil might have a strong influence over strategic decision-making by an oil refining and distribution company, such as Apex Refineries Ltd. (iii) Customers might be able to control decisions by a board of directors, especially if they are major buyers. For example, retail companies like Zenith Mart might have a strong influence over strategic decisions by manufacturers of consumer goods that are sold mainly through their stores. (iv) Pressure groups or special interest groups might not be able to influence decisions by an entity directly, but they might have indirect influence because of their ability to raise public and political awareness, or their ability to disrupt a company’s strategy by means of legal/judicial action. For example, aviation companies like SkyWave Airlines and airport authorities in Accra might be influenced by the activities of anti-pollution and ‘clean air’ campaigners.