Public Relations:
Strategies and Tactics
11th Edition
Dennis L. Wilcox Glen T. Cameron Bryan H. Reber
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Chapter 10
Conflict Management: Dealing
with Issues, Risks, and Crises
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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
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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
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Competition and Conflict
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Importance of Professionalism
PR practitioners must have a sense that…
Your organization’s behavior is honorable and
defensible
Your organization is ethical
Your organization’s mission is worthy
Your advocacy of the organization has integrity
Your organization works at creating mutual benefits
whenever possible
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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
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The Role of Conflict in Public
Relations
Typically organizations wish to reduce conflict
Best to deal with conflicts in early stages
More efficient
Less damage to organization
Ethical thing to do
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
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It Depends—A System for
Managing Conflict
Must determine the stance the 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:
in other words, “it depends”
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Threat Appraisal Model
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It Depends: Two Basic Principles
A matrix of contingency factors
The contingency continuum
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The Conflict Management Life
Cycle
Shows the “big picture” of how to manage a
conflict
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Processes for Managing
the Life Cycle
Issues management
Conflict Positioning
and Risk
Communication
Crisis management
Reputation
Management
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Issues Management
Proactive and 5 step process
systematic approach Issue identification
to… Issue analysis
Predict problems Strategy options
Anticipate threats Action plan
Minimize surprises Evaluation
Resolve issues
Prevent crises
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Conflict Positioning and Risk
Communication
Conflict positioning = any verbal or written
exchange that tries to communicate information
that positions the organization favorably
regarding competition or conflict
Risk communication minimizes adverse effects
on public and organization
Variables affecting risk perceptions
Too numerous to count
See short list on p. 264
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Crisis Management
What is a crisis? Strategies for
Major occurrence with responding to crises
potentially negative Attack the accuser
outcome for organization
Denial
A lack of crisis planning Excuse
Among Fortune 500
Justification
companies
89% of CEOs view crises as Ingratiation
inevitable Corrective action
50% have no crisis
management plan Full apology
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How to Communicate in a Crisis
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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
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Reputation Management, cont.
Many forces affect corporate reputations
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Reputation Management, cont.
Image restoration strategies
Denial
Evade responsibility
Reduce offensiveness
Corrective action
Mortification
Déjà vu—all over again
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