<P> The concept of TBL demands that a company's responsibility lies with stakeholders rather than shareholders . In this case, "stakeholders" refers to anyone who is influenced, either directly or indirectly, by the actions of the firm . Examples of stakeholders include employees, customers, suppliers, local residents, government agencies, and creditors . According to the stakeholder theory, the business entity should be used as a vehicle for coordinating stakeholder interests, instead of maximizing shareholder (owner) profit . A growing number of financial institutions incorporate a triple bottom line approach in their work . It is at the core of the business of banks in the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, for example . </P> <P> The Detroit - based Avalon International Breads interprets the triple bottom line as consisting of "Earth", "Community", and "Employees". </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (April 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (April 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr>

The very bottom of a business cycle is called a