1. THINK Public Relations
Wilcox/Cameron/Reber/Shin

2. Ch 8: Managing Competition and Conflict
(subject to minor editing)

3. Overview A new way of thinking: Conflict and competition
The role of public relations in managing conflict
It depends: Factors that affect conflict management
The conflict management life cycle
Managing the life cycle of a conflict

4. A New Way of Thinking: Conflict & Competition
Public relations can be defined as the strategic management of competition and conflict.
Competition
Conflict
Competition: deals with two or more than groups fighting for the same resource
Conflict: When two groups direct their efforts against each other causing verbal attacks.

5. The Role of Public Relations in Managing Conflict
Strategic conflict management
Conflict is inherent in public relations process.
PR professionals must develop communication strategies to manage the conflict.

6. What Do You Think?
What are some real world examples of conflict management? Is conflict always bad for organizations? Why or why not?
This question will stimulate discussion of the role of public relations as strategic conflict management as it is one of the most critical roles by PR professionals.

7. It Depends: Factors that Affect Conflict Management
Stance-driven approach in managing conflict and competition
External and internal variables
Stance
Strategy

8. The Threat Appraisal Model
PR professionals monitor for threats, assess those threats, arrive at a desirable stance for the organization, and then begin communications efforts from that stance.
Situational demands
Resources

9. Contingency Theory Contingency factors The contingency continuum
A matrix of factors drive the stance.
The contingency continuum
The stance is dynamic; It changes as events unfold.

10. The Conflict Management Life Cycle

11. Proactive Phase To prevent a conflict from arising
Environmental scanning
Issues tracking
Issues management
Crisis plan

12. Strategic Phase Emerging conflict is identified as needing action.
Risk communication
Conflict positioning strategies
Crisis management plan

13. Reactive Phase
Must react when conflict reaches a critical level of impact
Crisis communication
Conflict resolution techniques
Litigation public relations

14. Recovery Phase
Strategies employed aftermath to bolster or repair reputation
Reputation management
Image restoration strategies

15. Managing the Life Cycle of a Conflict
Four systematic processes
Issues management
Strategic positioning and risk communication
Crisis management
Reputation management

16. Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Issues Management
A proactive approach to
Predict problems
Anticipate threats
Minimize surprises
Resolve issues
Prevent crises
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

17. Strategic Positioning and Risk Communication
Communication efforts to position the organization favorably regarding competition and conflict
Risk communication
An attempt to communicate risks to the public that impact health, safety, and the environment

18. Crisis Management Smoldering crises
A study by the Institute for Crisis Management found that 86% of business crises were “smoldering crises.”
How various organizations respond to crises
Coombs’ crisis communication strategies
Attack the accuser
Denial
Excuse
Justification
Ingratiation
Corrective action
Full apology

19. Reputation Management
The three foundations of reputation
Economic performance
Social responsiveness
The ability to deliver valuable outcomes to stakeholders
Image restoration
Denial
Evade responsibility
Reduce offensiveness
Corrective action
Apology

20. Déjà Vu—All Over Again
Conflict management is like déjà vu all over again by starting once again with tasks such as environmental scanning and issues tacking.

21. strategic conflict management
Limited resources, different value, advocacy and competition are all associated with ________
strategic conflict management

22. _______ is the first phase of the conflict management lifecycle.
proactive

23. repairing relations and public image
What strategy is taken in the recovery phase of strategic management of conflict?
repairing relations and public image

24. What are some contingency factors that public relations professionals must take into account in managing a conflict with its public?
external threats, top management characteristics, personality characteristics of public relations professionals, organizational-level variables

25. Such things as ignore a pressure group let an issue “die on the vine.”
After carefully assessing a threat, the public relations professional may decide to do what?
Such things as ignore a pressure group Or
let an issue “die on the vine.”

26. As a persuader, which factors are most important to remember when it comes to negotiation?
See the reading

27. A number of factors influence public relations practice.
What is the basic principle of the contingency theory of conflict management in public relations?
A number of factors influence public relations practice.

28. prevent a conflict from arising.
Managed correctly, the proactive phase of the conflict management life cycle can do what, regarding conflict?
prevent a conflict from arising.

29. recognize them as a legitimate partner in the process.
In dealing with the public in a conflict, public relations professionals should do what?
recognize them as a legitimate partner in the process.

30. Create a strategic plan
In issues management, if the company decides the emerging issue is potentially damaging, what is the next step?
Create a strategic plan

31. _____ are defined as a “major occurrence with a potentially negative outcome affecting the organization, company, or industry, as well as its publics, products, services, or good names.”
Crises

32. BP’s social media outreach did not gain enough attention to go viral.
Related to the example of the BP oil spill crisis, what was the biggest shortcoming in the company’s social media efforts?
BP’s social media outreach did not gain enough attention to go viral.

33. What is the most accommodative response in an image restoration strategy?
profuse apology

34. crisis communication strategies
Coombs lists such things as attack the accuser, denial, excuse and justification as ________.
crisis communication strategies

35. “Déjà vu all over again” … to public relations professionals in the life cycle of strategic conflict management … means essentially that:
It is ongoing

36. #2 The contingency theory…
Which of the following is True? Risk communication is the first step in the proactive phase of conflict management. 2. The contingency theory of strategic conflict management considers public relations as a continuum process between an organization and its public In the reactive phase of conflict management, an organization should employ strategies either to bolster or repair its reputation in the eyes of key publics The first step of issues management is the analysis of issues after they have become crises.
#2 The contingency theory…