Public Relations Strategies and Tactics Tenth Edition Dennis L. Wilcox Glen T. Cameron This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program. Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Conflict Management: Dealing with Issues, Risks, and Crises Chapter 10 Conflict Management: Dealing with Issues, Risks, and Crises Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 10 Objectives Understand the role of public relations in managing conflict Describe the two basic principles of strategic conflict management Identify the four phases of the conflict management life cycle Understand the issues management process as a key public relations contribution Explain the relationship between the conflict stance and the communication strategy Identify important steps to deal with a crisis as it occurs Define reputation and the role public relations plays in image repair Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Strategic Conflict Management Strategic—for the purpose of achieving particular objectives Management—planned, deliberate action Competition—striving for the same object, position, or prize as others Conflict—sharp disagreements or opposition resulting in a direct, overt threat of attack from another entity Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Competition and Conflict INSTRUCTOR NOTES: Competition, a pervasive condition in life, occurs when two or more groups or organizations vie for the same resources. Conflict occurs when two groups direct their efforts against each other, devising actions and communication that directly or verbally attack the other group The distinction between competition and conflict is partly a matter of degree, but also a matter of focus Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Role of Public Relations in Managing Conflict Occurs when a business or industry contends with government regulators or activist groups that seem determined to curtail operations through excessive safety or environmental standards Both the regulatory body and the activists engage in their own public relations efforts to make their case against the company Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Role of Conflict in Public Relations Most conflict situations are not clear-cut in terms of an ideal solution Public relations professionals have to make tough calls and advocate strictly on behalf of their organization Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

It Depends—A System for Managing Conflict Must determine the stance its organization will take toward each public or stakeholder involved in the conflict situation Stance then determines strategy The stance-driven approach is based on virtually all practitioners sharing an unstated, informal approach to managing conflict and competition: “It depends” Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Threat Appraisal Model Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

It Depends: Two Basic Principles A matrix of contingency factors The contingency continuum Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Conflict Management Life Cycle Shows the “big picture” of how to manage a conflict Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Processes for Managing the Life Cycle Issues management Risk communications Crisis management Reputation management Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Issues Management Defined as a process consisting of 5 basic steps Strategy options Action plan Evaluation Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Conflict Positioning and Risk Communication Conflict positioning = any verbal or written exchange that tries to communication information that positions the organization favorably regarding competition or conflict Variables affecting risk perceptions Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Crisis Management What is a crisis? A lack of crisis planning How to communication during a crisis Strategies for responding to crises Attack the accuser Denial Excuse Justification Ingratiation Corrective action Full apology Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

How to Communicate in a Crisis Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reputation Management Reputation is the track record of an organization in the public’s mind The three foundations of reputation Economic performance Social responsiveness The ability to deliver valuable outcomes to stakeholders Image restoration Déjà vu—all over again Copyright © 2012, 2009, 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.