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Issues Management: Best Practice Approach for Effective Corporate PR
Bisi Olawuyi, PhDResearch and Strategy Unit
The Quadrant Company, Nigeria
“An issue ignored is crisis ensured.” (Regester and Larkin, 2008)
Less action-oriented and more anticipatory
Proactive
Issues management
Needed after public outrage
Reactive
Crisis management
Issues Management: An Overview
Shifts in public values, rising expectations, demands for public consultation and intrusive media present greater challenges
Handling of issues can mean the difference between a crisis out of control and proactive solution—between profit and loss
Howard Chase coined the term, Issues Management in 1977 as a corporate shift from information base to advocacy position
Important strategic factor in reputational and financial performance
Issues Management: Conceptual Definition
Managing “corporate response to changes in operational environment” (Cutlip et al. 1985).
“a gap between corporate practice and stakeholder expectation” (Regester and Larkin, 2002)
“the process of identifying issues, analysing those issues, setting priorities, selecting programme strategy options, implementing a programme of action and
evaluating effectiveness.” (Cutlip et al. 1985)
Issues Management: Conceptual Definition (Cont)
Issues management is the practice of working socio-political issues for the advantage of an organisation. Encompasses lobbying and wider communication tools of a campaigner, but also focuses in at the organisation itself to understand what may need to change internally as well as seeking to influence the external world (Simon Bryceson)
•Slow burn, with a potential for crisis
•Things to watch that can affect the industry
•There is still an opportunity to influence and manage it
Issue management is understood
and interpreted as
follows:
Managing issues involves dealing with change. Its ultimate goal is to shape public policy to the benefit of the organisation through:
Early identification of the potential impact of the change
Organised activity based on sound management principles and techniques, and allowing time for analysis and creative thinking to influence the evolution and, ultimately, the outcome of that change
Issues Life Cycle
Emergence
•Identification of trends by expert
•Lines become drawn and conflict emerges
Dissemination
•Intense pressure
•Media coverage
Establishme
nt
•Groups seek resolution
•Pressure on involvement of regulatory organs
Erosion
•Legislation and regulation
•Unconditional acceptance by organisation
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4Emergence Dissemination Establishment Erosion
The issue Spreads into is well known, its relevance Is other areas becomes declines generated generalised
Figure 1: The Issues Life Cycle
Functions of Issues Management• Smart planning and operations
Critical changes in the public policy environment are integrated into the strategic business plan and corporate management strategies
• Tough defence and smart offence– Involvement of companies before issues solidify in order to
enhance successful campaign • Getting the house in order
– Examining the requirements to achieve appropriate commitments to matters of CSR
• Scouting the terrain – The use of social scientific techniques to offer valuable insights
into the way issues can be identified, monitored and analysed
•Makes it possible for organisations to shape government policy on issues which affect them, rather than just to adapt to policy changes. The interactive corporation tries to get a reasonably accurate agenda of public issues that it should be concerned with ...and develops constructive approaches to these issues (Bucholz, quoted in Grunig and Hunt, 1984, pg. 296)
Public Issues Management
Issue Management Techniques
Lobbying
Direct attempts to influence legislative and regulatory decisions in
government
Public Affairs
Specialised public relations effort designed
to build and maintain community and
government relations
Types of Lobbying
Defensivedesigned to abolish or amend an existing law, or offensive, aimed at
pushing the authorities to create a law.
Offensive aimed at pushing the authorities to create a
law
Factors for Successful Lobbying
Access to decision makers
Background research
Good timing
Communication skills
Knowledge of government procedure
Public interest
Support of opinion leaders
Effective targeting
Favourable media coverage
Knowledge of government structure
Lobbying: A Caveat
Every hour spent on
research and monitoring is worth ten on
lobbying (Charles Miller).
The later a campaign
begins, the fewer choices
are open (AlisonTheaker,)
Benefits of Effective Issues Management Techniques
Increase in market share
Enhance corporate
reputation Save money
Build important relationships
Protect business continuity
Mitigate risk and associated
regulatory impact
Pressure Groups and Issues
“Emotion has a place in public policy debate but if it becomes a substitute for rational consideration, we are in
very deep trouble indeed. The end does not justify the means, even where the
end is the saving of the world.” (www.bryceson.com)
Best Practice Approach•Tw
o-communication to learn the consequences of what they are doing on all of their relevant publics
Listening to all strategic constituencies
•Two-way communication to tell the publics about the organisation is doing about negative consequences
Talking with all strategic constituencies
•Continuous effort at communicating with activists are necessary to contend with their shifting stances
Continuous communication with activists
•Acknowledgement of all constituent groups regardless of size
Acknowledging the legitimacy of all constituencies
•Engaging competent and skilful persons
Expertise of the communicator
•Effectiveness measured more than in short-term gains or losses
Evaluating effectiveness in the long run
•Monitor environment and interact with dominant coalition internally
Public relations in the dominant coalition
TQC and IM: Raising the Game
Help clients to understand the nature of an issue, the actors involved and which combination of politics /
media / pressure groups / public opinion is the critical
driving force
Work with clients to develop both business strategies and communications strategies
Help the client reach internal alignment
Work with the client team on implementation
Case Study
• http://www.b-prod.be/hlc/2013/05/14/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-fish/