PR for the Public Interest

Chapter 4, PR for the “Public Interest,” reviews the endeavors which allowed industrial interests to promote their anti-environmental agenda as rational and reasonable. It also allowed them to advocate against the passage of further legislation. By advancing a rhetoric of “compromising for the common good,” PR actors helped diffuse the appearance of adversity in a 1970s and 1980s context of public concern over environmental damage, and cemented public relations as a legitimate profession with specialized skills of negotiation and dispute resolution. Throughout the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, as intensified battles over environmental futures were waged between environmental groups and business associations, PR actors found ways to create and manage influence in political contexts. PR consultants developed single-issue coalitions, public-private partnerships, green business networks, and other multiple-member groups, along with multi-pronged media strategies, to advance the idea of plurality.

Governmentality of Value Added Tax compliance using Electronic Fiscal Devices in Malawi

This paper critically analysed the implementation of Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFD) in supporting value added tax (VAT) compliance. The study draws on the concept of governmentality to highlight ways of exercising power and authority among VAT stakeholders using the case of Malawi. The findings showed that tax regime discourse was important in shaping the ways of thinking and acting of stakeholders in the implementation of EFD. Complex relationships emerged as a result of implementing EFD between the revenue authority and VAT registered operators, foreign-owned businesses, business associations, government agencies and donors. While the revenue authority managed to achieve VAT compliance using EFD, there was resistance from VAT registered operators and business organisations which affected the growth of the tax regime and financing of the national budget. The study contributes to the understanding of EFD use and VAT compliance in the context of developing countries.

Closing the Accountability Gap in Corporate Supply Chains for Violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act

Over 40 million people around the world are victims of modern forms of slavery: forced labour and human trafficking. People are tricked into working under onerous conditions, and unable to leave or return home due to physical, psychological or financial coercion, and many of these trafficking victims produce goods for United States (US) and other multinational corporations that profit by relying on the lower wages earned by workers in their global supply chains. Well-developed legal standards prohibit these practices, and governments, intergovernmental organizations, business associations and non-governmental organizations have developed mechanisms to prevent, detect and provide redress to victims. Some businesses lead or comply with the standards and enforcement mechanisms, but too many do not. US law offers a powerful but under-utilized tool to address trafficking: the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), which imposes civil liability on those who ‘knew or should have known’ about forced labour or human trafficking in their corporate ventures. Unfortunately, courts have ignored or misinterpreted this standard, at times confusing civil and criminal provisions of the statute. Correct and vigorous legal enforcement is key to addressing the accountability gap between the well-developed standards and the continuing use of forced labour and human trafficking. This article is the first to demonstrate that, with regard to the TVPRA standard, corporations have long been on notice of both the obligation to effectively monitor labour conditions and the mechanisms that would accomplish that task. US courts must enforce the ‘knew or should have known’ standard to protect workers – the most vulnerable people in the supply chain – and to prevent an unfair competitive advantage over companies that have established compliance programmes that actually prevent and punish human trafficking and forced labour.

Digital transformation barriers for small and medium enterprises in Vietnam today

This article studies the digital transformation barriers for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam today. To carry out the study, we conducts a survey on small and medium-sized enterprises in Vietnam, then uses the SEM model to analyze the collected data. Our research results show that three main resources (including IT, human resources and business strategy) have a positive impact on the digital transformation of SMEs; however, these factors are the barriers to the digital transformation of these enterprises. In addition, digital transformation has a positive impact on the business results of SMEs. From there, the article proposes some recommendations to small and medium enterprises, business associations and state agencies for the success of the digital transformation.

Corporate political activity in the context of unhealthy food advertising restrictions across Transport for London: A qualitative case study

Background Diets with high proportions of foods high in fat, sugar, and/or salt (HFSS) contribute to malnutrition and rising rates of childhood obesity, with effects throughout the life course. Given compelling evidence on the detrimental impact HFSS advertising has on children’s diets, the World Health Organization unequivocally supports the adoption of restrictions on HFSS marketing and advertising. In February 2019, the Greater London Authority introduced novel restrictions on HFSS advertising across Transport for London (TfL), one of the most valuable out-of-home advertising estates. In this study, we examined whether and how commercial actors attempted to influence the development of these advertising restrictions. Methods and findings Using requests under the Freedom of Information Act, we obtained industry responses to the London Food Strategy consultation, correspondence between officials and key industry actors, and information on meetings. We used an existing model of corporate political activity, the Policy Dystopia Model, to systematically analyse arguments and activities used to counter the policy. The majority of food and advertising industry consultation respondents opposed the proposed advertising restrictions, many promoting voluntary approaches instead. Industry actors who supported the policy were predominantly smaller businesses. To oppose the policy, industry respondents deployed a range of strategies. They exaggerated potential costs and underplayed potential benefits of the policy, for instance, warning of negative economic consequences and questioning the evidence underlying the proposal. Despite challenging the evidence for the policy, they offered little evidence in support of their own claims. Commercial actors had significant access to the policy process and officials through the consultation and numerous meetings, yet attempted to increase access, for example, in applying to join the London Child Obesity Taskforce and inviting its members to events. They also employed coalition management, engaging directly and through business associations to amplify their arguments. Some advertising industry actors also raised the potential of legal challenges. The key limitation of this study is that our data focused on industry–policymaker interactions; thus, our findings are unable to present a comprehensive picture of political activity. Conclusions In this study, we identified substantial opposition from food and advertising industry actors to the TfL advertising restrictions. We mapped arguments and activities used to oppose the policy, which might help other public authorities anticipate industry efforts to prevent similar restrictions in HFSS advertising. Given the potential consequences of commercial influence in these kinds of policy spaces, public bodies should consider how they engage with industry actors.

Foundations for the functioning of institutions for support and development of small and medium entrepreneurship

The article considers the conceptual foundations of the functioning of institutions for support and promotion of the development of small and medium businesses. The author defines the significance of such institutions, and the value of their product, that is, the services for small and medium entrepreneurship (SME), which allows a better understanding of the main functional and applied role and purpose of these entities. Given the lack of trust from the population of Ukraine for government agencies and organizations, the presence of a number of problems in the SME support system, and especially the inadequate legislative regulation of the status and definition of the functions of the main performers of SME development policy, the article notes that this area needs a qualitative institutional change. The study uses the methods of analysis and synthesis, comparison, generalization, and induction and tests the methodology of Canvas Business Model strategic planning of the activities of SME support entities. Guided by the principle of functionalism, the author conventionally groups the SME support institutions into five main types: business support funds, business centers, business incubators, business innovation centers, and business associations. For each type of SME support institution, the main functional purpose and, accordingly, the main type of operational activity are specified. There are proposals that allow understanding the essence, the functional and applied role and the mission of individual elements of the SME support infrastructure. In practical terms, they can be used in state purpose-oriented programs to promote the development of small and medium businesses in order to qualitatively improve the final product for SME. The author develops a model of the activity for a typical SME support entity, which is applicable, can be adapted to specific conditions and is flexible over time. Strategic planning of the entity’s activities based on the methodology of Canvas Business Model allows defining both the value of the product (services for SME), as well as the general value of the entity’s activities, which is extremely important in the SME support system. It is emphasized that each institution of the SME promotion infrastructure performs an important social function. The key values recommended following for SME support institutions are trust, partnership, and righteousness.