ECREA16-Abstract

476

Thursday, November 10

1 1 : 0 0 – 1 2 : 3 0

OSC02

Social Responsibility and Ethics

PP 092

CSR and Issue Advocacy: How Issue Topic Influences Credibility and Legitimacy

D. Ingenhoff

, K.P. Werder

, P. Bachmann

University of Fribourg, DCM Dept. of Communication and Media Research, Fribourg, Switzerland

University of South Florida, The Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications, Tampa, USA

University of Fribourg, DCM, Fribourg, Switzerland

In a world of discontinuities, international companies are increasingly taking a public stance on social issues. Whether voluntarily or by force, planned or

by accident, business is moving beyond classic bottom-line driven corporate social responsibility (CSR) to social advocacy. Like non-governmental organi‑

zations (NGOs), many international companies have begun to promote political and social agendas. International companies and NGOs play a major role

in navigating through a late modern world of discontinuities. Their decisions have implications for the social and economic prospects of people around

the world. As a consequence, accurate assessment of public perceptions of social issues—and how these perceptions are influenced through strategic

messaging—is central to ethical and effective communication management. However, few studies have examined messages on social engagement (e.g.,

CSR and social advocacy messages) as the unit of analysis, and no studies have examined the effects of social engagement messaging on the perceptual,

cognitive, and motivational antecedents to communication behavior in publics (Anonymous, 2015a). Therefore, our paper addresses the following research

question: How can companies and NGOs strategically communicate their social engagements in order to influence their stakeholders’perceptions, attitudes,

and communicative actions? In a previous study, we developed an integrated model for explaining communication behaviors (Anonymous, 2015a) that

merges variables of the situational theory of problem-solving (Kim & Grunig, 2011) and the theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). In this

experimental study (N=529), we test this model by manipulating the organizational type (corporation vs. NGO), social issue topic (refugee aid vs. access to

clean water), and extent of disclosure (low vs. high) in the stimulus material. Extent of disclosure is the amount of information provided to the public about

an organization’s activities. Previous research suggests that extent of disclosure influences perceptions of corporate credibility and legitimacy (Anonymous,

2015b). The dependent variables of our experimental study are motivational antecedents, perceived credibility and legitimacy of the organization, as well

as (the behavioral intention of) communicative actions (e.g., forfending, permitting, forwarding, sharing, and seeking of information). Preliminary results

show that corporations as well as NGOs that engage in social advocacy rather positively influence stakeholders’perceptions about their legitimacy and trust‑

worthiness, although limited effects on stakeholders’motivational antecedents and communicative action with regard to the issues of refugee aid and clean

water were found. Even though these preliminary results dampen expectations about the potential of individual organizations to shape political and social

agendas, they nevertheless help communication professionals to be more strategic in their social engagement and messaging efforts. References Fishbein,

M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, Attitude, Intention and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research. Reading et al.: Addison-Wesley. Kim, J-N, & Grunig,

J.E. (2011). Problem-solving and communicative action: A situational theory of problem-solving. Journal of Communication, 61, 120–149.

PP 093

Truthfullness, Service to the Public, Advocacy and Loyalty – Searching for a New Foundation of Public Relations Ethics

L. Rademacher

Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Media School, Darmstadt, Germany

One comes across Public Relations Ethics every once in a while when drastic offences in professional PR behavior are discussed publicly. In Germany this has

led to a specific codex that was discussed with professionals and finally published in 2012 by the German Council for Public Relation - the voluntary self-reg‑

ulation institution of the German PR profession. Coming from the specific German historical background the norms of being truthfull and responsible to

the Public are valuated highly within the new codex and the earlier versions. But these norms have produced a number of critical commentaries since 2012.

Especially authors from the epistomological background of systems' theory and radical constructivism criticized the assumption that truth and truthfullness

are absolute norms within PR practice. In contrary Merten, Kocks and others argued that PR has to use liberties in framing reality and excluding parts

of information. Other authors argue against the responsibility to the Public and emphasize the dominant role of loyalty to the client (may he be internal or

external) and advocacy ethics. The discussion is now in the state to define the very nature of current PR practice: are offences to moral expectations to be

treated as a deviation of PR norms? Or has the discrepancy between the moral claim and the current PR reality concequences for the understanding of PR

ethics as such? The paper at hand is proposing a new foundatition of PR ethics that tries to mediate the PR reality with the moral claim. It uses theories

of autonomous moral (Auer), Systems' Theory (Merten, Kocks), interaction theory (Goffman), advocacy ethics and the ethics of lying (Dietz) to develop

a new starting point for PR ethics.

PP 094

Testing CSR Appeals in Pharmaceutical Advertising – A Four Country Study

I. Koinig

, S. Diehl

, B. Mueller

Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Department of Media and Communications, Klagenfurt, Austria

San Diego State University, School of Journalism and Media Studies, San Diego, USA

The pharmaceutical industry is of immense importance as a global sector, and drug manufacturers currently spend one third of all sales revenues on mar‑

keting their drugs (BBC, 2015). Indeed, 9 out of 10 companies spend significantly more on advertising campaigns than on researching new drugs (VOX,

2015), and in some cases, these budgets are even twice the size of the firm’s designated research fund (BBC, 2015). In terms of their promotional efforts,

academic research to date has focused primarily on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, which is only permitted in the U.S. and New Zealand.

Significantly less research has been conducted in the area of non-prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) drug advertising. Over the past several years, con‑

sumers around the globe have become increasingly concerned with corporate social responsibility (CSR), resulting in the emergence of a socially-conscious