Издательство Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006, -496 pp.
A corporation’s sociopolitical environment can affect its profitability, growth, and, in extreme cases, its very survival. Not surprisingly, corporations have established a public affairs function—often an extension of existing public relations—to deal with that environment. In recognition of this function, business schools have added courses to their business and society curriculum. The professionals who specialize in dealing with the exteal environment are called corporation public affairs vice-presidents and directors.
Public affairs professionals are given responsibility for many activities, such as govement relations, direct and grassroots lobbying, issues management, and media relations. All of these activities, discussed in the book, focus on the generation and application of political power. In a sense, the professional’s task is to convert a corporation’s economic resources into various forms of political power.
Practically everybody wants to deal with others advantageously in our dynamic society, where success depends not only on marketplace strength but also political shrewdness. The powerful flourish; the weak wither. Within organizations, all managers are aware of power: who has authority over others and who has access to needed resources. The same is true exteally, where an organization may be confronted by labor unions, environmental and other social action groups, the media (including the pervasive Inteet), and all three branches of govement: executive, legislative, and judicial.
Strategies and their supporting tactics, however, cannot effectively be applied unless professionals understand their underlying theory and dynamics. Each chapter is therefore interlaced with management and communication concepts—some from professionals and some from academicians. Such knowledge helps prevent the blind application of campaigns that worked elsewhere but might not be appropriate for a current situation. In part, therefore, this book serves as a manual of corporate public affairs strategies and tactics
Readers can view each part of the book from several angles: as dynamic forces in a corporation’s sociopolitical environment, as stages in a public affairs campaign, and as major modes of communication: opinion leader communication, public communication, legislative communication, and litigation communication. Following the life cycle concept of issues management (discussed in chap. 1), a professional can decide which stage is appropriate for a particular situation (e.g., an emerging issue or one already on the legislative agenda). The strategies and techniques associated with a particular stage can then be examined and applied.
The book frequently refers to the model of a political marketplace: the stage on which the players interact. The demand side is represented by corporations and interest groups, as well as the public; that is, citizens with their voting power—a parallel to consumers’ purchasing power. The supply side is represented by legislative and regulatory bodies that sell public policies and a variety of favors, such as tax benefits, subsidies, and tariff protection to the buyers. Using the metaphor of the political marketplace has several advantages. One is a reminder to management that success in this marketplace is often of equal importance to success in the marketplace for goods and services. As corporations, following their markets, become more global, they also subject themselves to the laws and agreements of other govements and inteational bodies.
A second advantage of the political marketplace metaphor is that it reminds us of the need to be competitive and to use marketing tools while considering the long-term requirement of maintaining a competitive system. Profit maximization guides business behavior in the competitive marketplace; similarly, the quest to attain preeminent power is the motivation behind a corporation’s dealings with others. However, just as some corporations temper profit maximization with conces of social responsibility, their penchant to win in the political marketplace shows conce for continuing corporate legitimacy and survival of the free enterprise system. Public affairs professionals must take responsibility for this conce, or they will unwittingly erode corporate reputation and jeopardize public confidence in business.
I: Introduction
An Overview of Corporate Public Affairs
II: Interest Group Strategies
Interest Group Strategies and Forms of Opinion Leader Communication
Conflict Resolution: Mediation and Negotiation
III: Media Strategies
Proactive Media Relations
Gaining Semicontrol over the Media: Broadcast Appearances
Gaining Complete Control over the Media: Advocacy Advertising
Holding the Media Accountable and Suing
Bypassing the News Media: Direct Communication
IV: Govemental Strategies
Direct Lobbying
Grassroots Lobbying
Electoral Activities
Litigation Communication
V: Dominance Versus Competition
Ascendancy of Corporate Power
Constructing a Competitive Political Marketplace
Heeding the Public Interest
A corporation’s sociopolitical environment can affect its profitability, growth, and, in extreme cases, its very survival. Not surprisingly, corporations have established a public affairs function—often an extension of existing public relations—to deal with that environment. In recognition of this function, business schools have added courses to their business and society curriculum. The professionals who specialize in dealing with the exteal environment are called corporation public affairs vice-presidents and directors.
Public affairs professionals are given responsibility for many activities, such as govement relations, direct and grassroots lobbying, issues management, and media relations. All of these activities, discussed in the book, focus on the generation and application of political power. In a sense, the professional’s task is to convert a corporation’s economic resources into various forms of political power.
Practically everybody wants to deal with others advantageously in our dynamic society, where success depends not only on marketplace strength but also political shrewdness. The powerful flourish; the weak wither. Within organizations, all managers are aware of power: who has authority over others and who has access to needed resources. The same is true exteally, where an organization may be confronted by labor unions, environmental and other social action groups, the media (including the pervasive Inteet), and all three branches of govement: executive, legislative, and judicial.
Strategies and their supporting tactics, however, cannot effectively be applied unless professionals understand their underlying theory and dynamics. Each chapter is therefore interlaced with management and communication concepts—some from professionals and some from academicians. Such knowledge helps prevent the blind application of campaigns that worked elsewhere but might not be appropriate for a current situation. In part, therefore, this book serves as a manual of corporate public affairs strategies and tactics
Readers can view each part of the book from several angles: as dynamic forces in a corporation’s sociopolitical environment, as stages in a public affairs campaign, and as major modes of communication: opinion leader communication, public communication, legislative communication, and litigation communication. Following the life cycle concept of issues management (discussed in chap. 1), a professional can decide which stage is appropriate for a particular situation (e.g., an emerging issue or one already on the legislative agenda). The strategies and techniques associated with a particular stage can then be examined and applied.
The book frequently refers to the model of a political marketplace: the stage on which the players interact. The demand side is represented by corporations and interest groups, as well as the public; that is, citizens with their voting power—a parallel to consumers’ purchasing power. The supply side is represented by legislative and regulatory bodies that sell public policies and a variety of favors, such as tax benefits, subsidies, and tariff protection to the buyers. Using the metaphor of the political marketplace has several advantages. One is a reminder to management that success in this marketplace is often of equal importance to success in the marketplace for goods and services. As corporations, following their markets, become more global, they also subject themselves to the laws and agreements of other govements and inteational bodies.
A second advantage of the political marketplace metaphor is that it reminds us of the need to be competitive and to use marketing tools while considering the long-term requirement of maintaining a competitive system. Profit maximization guides business behavior in the competitive marketplace; similarly, the quest to attain preeminent power is the motivation behind a corporation’s dealings with others. However, just as some corporations temper profit maximization with conces of social responsibility, their penchant to win in the political marketplace shows conce for continuing corporate legitimacy and survival of the free enterprise system. Public affairs professionals must take responsibility for this conce, or they will unwittingly erode corporate reputation and jeopardize public confidence in business.
I: Introduction
An Overview of Corporate Public Affairs
II: Interest Group Strategies
Interest Group Strategies and Forms of Opinion Leader Communication
Conflict Resolution: Mediation and Negotiation
III: Media Strategies
Proactive Media Relations
Gaining Semicontrol over the Media: Broadcast Appearances
Gaining Complete Control over the Media: Advocacy Advertising
Holding the Media Accountable and Suing
Bypassing the News Media: Direct Communication
IV: Govemental Strategies
Direct Lobbying
Grassroots Lobbying
Electoral Activities
Litigation Communication
V: Dominance Versus Competition
Ascendancy of Corporate Power
Constructing a Competitive Political Marketplace
Heeding the Public Interest