Ask HN: What were Stakeholders called in the '80s?

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.

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?

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

Maybe "interested parties"?