Spinning at the Border: Employee Activism in ‘Big PR’

This article extends Coombs and Holladay’s (2018) social issues management model to provide new perspectives on activism and public relations. It also fills a gap in the literature on internal activism by analyzing the case of The Ogilvy Group and their employees, many of whom pushed for the agency to resign its work for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Through a textual analysis of a leaked transcript documenting a meeting between Ogilvy management and internal activist employees, the communicative tasks of definition, legitimation, and awareness (Coombs & Holladay, 2018) are explored in a way that complicates identity and power. As public relations practitioners are increasingly called upon to either advocate for or against social issues, this study provides an interesting contrast, showing one interpretation of what happens when there is dissension in the ranks.

Download Full-text

Social issue qua wicked problems

Journal of Communication Management ◽

10.1108/jcom-11-2016-0093 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 79-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

W. Timothy Coombs ◽

Sherry J. Holladay

Keyword(s):

Social Issue ◽

Digital Media ◽

Social Issues ◽

Strategic Communication ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Management Model ◽

Issues Management ◽

Content Type ◽

The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the need to theorize firms’ involvement in social issues and propose the social issues management model as a framework for analyzing the communication processes underlying social issues management. An application of the new approach is illustrated through a brief case analysis. Design/methodology/approach The paper is conceptual and emphasizes theory building for firm’s involvement in social issues management. Findings The paper describes modifications to the general issues management model that can be adopted to reflect the social issues management process and contemporary digital media environments. Practical implications The paper can benefit theory and practice of social issues management by describing how specific communication strategies and digital media use may affect social issues management. Social implications Because firms increasingly are motivated or urged by stakeholders to take stands on social issues, understanding how they can perform the role of social issue manager can enhance their potential for contributing to positive social change. Originality/value The paper provides a much needed update to the models of issues management used in strategic communication. The new model accounts for the increasing pressure on firms to address social issues and the role of digital communication channels in that process.

Download Full-text

Manajemen Isu dan Tantangan Masa Depan: Pendekatan Public Relations

Jurnal ILMU KOMUNIKASI ◽

10.24002/jik.v4i1.229 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Prayudi .

Keyword(s):

Corporate Social Responsibility ◽

Public Relations ◽

Management Process ◽

Issues Management ◽

Program Impact ◽

Public Relations Practitioners ◽

The Past ◽

Reduce Risk ◽

Corporate Social ◽

The Impact

Abstract : Issues Management is the management process whose goal is to help preserve markets, reduce risk, create opportunities and manage image as an organizational asset for the benefit of both an organization and its primary stakeholders. This is accomplished by: anticipating, researching and prioritizing issues; assessing the impact of issues on the organization: recommending policies and strategies to minimize risk and seize opportunities, participating and implementing strategy; evaluating program impact. Issues management both as a science and managerial practice has developed dynamically in the past three decades. This paper examines approaches to issues management as a science, corporate social responsibility as a pre-emptive policy of issues management, and issues management as skill for public relations practitioners.

Download Full-text

Public Relations Practitioner Role Enactment in Issues Management

Journalism Quarterly ◽

10.1177/107769909407100209 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 71 (2) ◽

pp. 356-369 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Martha M. Lauzen

Keyword(s):

Public Relations ◽

Management Process ◽

Primary Role ◽

Issues Management ◽

Role Enactment ◽

Public Relations Practitioners ◽

Public Relations Practitioner ◽

Practitioner Role

Public relations practitioners usually assume a primary role as either managers or technicians. This study examines how these roles are related to issues management and concludes that managers are responsible for all steps in the issues management process.

Download Full-text

Public Relations Practitioners’ Role and Image Portrayed in U.S. Newspaper Coverage in the Early Twentieth Century

Korea Jouranl of Communication Studies ◽

10.23875/kca.27.4.4 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 59-74

Author(s):

Jin Hong Ha

Keyword(s):

Twentieth Century ◽

Public Relations ◽

Newspaper Coverage ◽

Public Relations Practitioners ◽

Early Twentieth Century

Download Full-text

Social media use by public relations practitioners in Malaysia: An exploratory study

The Journal of Developing Areas ◽

10.1353/jda.2016.0037 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 50 (5) ◽

pp. 469-477 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Selvamany P. Gabriel* ◽

Chia-Hern Koh

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Public Relations ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Media Use ◽

Social Media Use ◽

Public Relations Practitioners

Download Full-text

Concluding Thoughts and Challenges

Management Communication Quarterly ◽

10.1177/0893318911409670 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 569-575 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael J. Palenchar

Keyword(s):

Public Relations ◽

Strategic Communication ◽

Theory And Practice ◽

Issues Management ◽

Special Issue ◽

Organizational Rhetoric ◽

Management Communication ◽

Stakeholder Interests ◽

Self Interest ◽

Socially Relevant

This special issue of Management Communication Quarterly mines the rhetorical heritage to explore the challenges facing those who engage in and critique external organizational rhetoric, setting its sights on helping organizations make society a better place to live. Toward this end, rhetoric focuses on strategic communication influences that at their best result from or foster collaborative decisions and cocreated meaning that align stakeholder interests. This special issue demonstrates the eclectic and complex theories, applied contexts, and ongoing arguments needed to weave the fabric of external organizational communication. Over the years, Robert Heath and others have been advocates for drawing judiciously on the rhetorical heritage as guiding foundation for issues management and public relations activities. Rather than merely acknowledge the pragmatic or utilitarian role of discourse, this analysis also aspires to understand and champion its application to socially relevant ends. In that quest, several themes stand out: (a) In theory and practice external organizational rhetoric weighs self-interest against others’ enlightened interests and choices; (b) organizations as modern rhetors engage in discourse that is context relevant and judged by the quality of engagement and the ends achieved thereby; and (c) in theory and practice external organizational rhetoric weighs relationship between language that is never neutral and the power advanced for narrow or shared interests.

Download Full-text