1. Risk Issues and Crisis Management Outside-in thinking

2. Outside-in thinking: The actors A general public perspective:  Business (greedy leaders)  Government regulators (in the pockets of industry)  The media (sensationalize news)  Consumer activists (exaggerate dangers) = a changing relationship between business and society

3. New trends in society  Information is spread rapidly  Corporate behaviour is under scrutiny (excessive profits, lack of governance)  Lack of trust of authority  Lack of trust of businesses with an ethical stance = a general mistrust

4. New trends in society  Demographic changes  Changing values and attitudes  Divorces  Lack of job security = raising concerns and lack of security  A sentiment of risk

5. New trends in society  Single-issue groups  Greater consumer power and more active consumers Conclusion: big science combined with big business’ makes people suspicious. From the perspective of the corporate sector this leads to reputation risks For NGO tactics, see p. 13

6. Problems and Issues  Activists deal with problems with a wide context (e.g. pollution, poverty)  Companies deal with issues (examples?) Question: What are some of the aspects a company would consider if facing an action from an NGO?

7. Problems and Issues  How would you characterise the relationship between NGOs and companies today? (Greenpeace and business for instance  e.g. reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from cars)  What is the stance expressed by the authors (Regester and Larkin) concerning NGOs and business?

8. Risk and risk assessment  Risk is a measure of the adverse effect of an issue  Risk means different things to different people  Risk assessment is about possible hazards associated with a process relative to the safeguards and benefits which it offers. Questions: Describe the pattern a crisis tends to follow Comment on the MMR case (measles, mumps and rubella) and the significance of ’emotion’.

9. Advocacy An approach used by activist groups to win public support for a cause, e.g. environmental protection. Techniques used are:  Public opinion polling and lobbying for an idea  Direct mail and grass roots mobilization  Gathering information (e.g. from scientific experts) and passing it on to the media.  Boycotts of companies or countries  Etc.

10. Some cases  Phthalates in toys  Mobile phones and radiation  Other examples?

11. Issues management  A powerful strategic planning tool  A way of implementing corporate social responsibility  A process whose goal is to help preserve markets, reduce risk, create opportunities and manage image (Tucker and Broom) = advocacy advertising (a corporate communication response to the critics of business activities).

12. Issues management  What are the advantages of issues management?  What is the difference between issues management and crisis management?  Definition of an issue: ’a gap between corporate practice and stakeholder expections’ (Regester and Larkin)

13. Issues management  A public relations field  Who are the stakeholders?  What is a stakeholder risk radar?