A stake is an interest or share in an undertaking(Bucholtz and Carroll, p.63). It can be an interest that when a person will be affected by a decision, a legal right, or ownership of a property or an asset. For instance, suppose a government decides to raise the minimum wage. The laborers and the business will all be affected. So, they pay very close attention to this policy. In this case, the stake is the minimum wage policy that will affect those people's legal rights and ownership of their salaries.
A stakeholder is a person who has this interest or share. This interest may include a legal right, a moral right, or a concern for what they consider ethical or fair. Recall the example of the minimum wage policy, the laborers and the business will all be affected. The laborers will receive more on their paychecks and the business owners will have to pay more for their daily operations.
I planed to buy a new car last year. I was browsing many official websites of car brands and then I found a policy that benefits electric car owners such as zero tax and lower cost of charging. It is a stake like consumer rights when you buy goods and services or a policy that influences your decision. Obviously, it did impact my decision on the buying behavior. Due to this policy, I prefer an electric car rather than a fossil one. In this case, the stakeholders are car manufacturers, the main stakeholders in the electricity industry, newly started business owners, salespeople, people who care about climate change, the charging spots builders, fossil fuel providers, people who work for traditional oil companies, and more.
References
Bucholtz, A. K. and Carroll, A. B. 2012. Business and Society, Ethics and Stakeholder Management. 8th edition. South-Western. Cengage Learning. Latest edition
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