1. Public Issues: Problems for organizations and their stakeholders

2. Business and Public Issues
Why do public issues matter?
No organization can ignore legitimate stakeholders (or illegitimate stakeholders in some cases)

3. Public Issues Performance Expectation Gap
Public issues often develop in predictable ways and companies can better prepare themselves by understanding the life cycle of these issues

5. Public Issue Life Cycle
Phase 1: Changing Stakeholder Expectations
Phase 2: Political Action
Phase 3: Formal Government Action
Phase 4: Legal Implementation

6. Strategic Approach to Public Issues
Company must think proactively about how its plans will affect stakeholders (positively/negatively)
Issues should be managed carefully and consistently
An organization’s actions must be linked to its values and its performance must be linked with commitments

7. Minimum Wage as a public issue
Federal minimum wage = $7.25/hour (July 2009)
= $15,000/YEAR
= $3,000 below the poverty line
Poverty line for family of 4 = $23,050

8. Minimum wage in CA Proposed increase to $9.00/hour
CA minimum wage = $8.00/hour
Original minimum wage = .25/cents (October 1938)

9. Business & Society (ETLW 302)
T. L. Ceranic
Business & Society (ETLW 302)