What is the Mendelow Matrix?

The Mendelow Matrix is a strategic tool used to analyse and manage stakeholders by classifying them based on their levels of power and interest in an organisation.

How do you distinguish between 'power' and 'interest'?

Power is a stakeholder's ability to influence the organisation's decisions, while interest is their level of concern or curiosity about those decisions. A major shareholder has high power, but might have low interest in daily operations.

What's the difference between 'Keep Satisfied' and 'Manage Closely'?

'Keep Satisfied' is for high-power, low-interest stakeholders who you need to keep happy but don't need to involve daily. 'Manage Closely' is for high-power, high-interest stakeholders who are critical to your success and require constant engagement.

How many marks is a typical Mendelow question worth?

A question involving stakeholder analysis using Mendelow's matrix is typically worth between 8 and 15 marks in the SBL exam, so it's a valuable model to master.

I'm worried I'll put a stakeholder in the wrong box. What if I get it wrong?

The specific placement is less important than your justification. If you can provide a logical, scenario-based reason for your assessment of power and interest, you will still earn marks even if the examiner's model answer differs slightly.

How can I practice this if I only have an hour a night?

Focus on planning, not writing. Spend 30 minutes reading a question and identifying stakeholders, then another 30 minutes creating a quick table to map their power and interest with a short justification. This active planning is more valuable than writing one full answer slowly.

What if a stakeholder doesn't neatly fit in one quadrant?

That's a sign of good critical thinking. Acknowledge this in your answer, for instance, 'The employees' union has moderate power, but if they partner with the media, their power could increase significantly, moving them from Keep Satisfied to a Key Player.' This shows advanced understanding.

SBL Strategic Business Leader

Stakeholder Mapping: The Mendelow Matrix (SBL)

Master the Mendelow Matrix for your ACCA SBL exam. Understand how to map stakeholder power and interest to focus your strategy and secure passing marks.