Issues Management

Issues management refers to the process by which an organizational entity responds to stakeholder concerns about the organization’s activities or its relationship to the broader industry in which it is situated. How companies respond to stakeholder-driven issues constitutes the heart of corporate organizational communication. These issues derive from a set of fundamental dynamic forces that shape the relationship between society and a corporation. These forces include globalization, technology, the natural environment, societal expectations, and governmental regulation. In this entry, the concept of societal issues is examined, and alternative approaches to managing the organization’s response are discussed.

Issues management starts with an assessment of how these external forces are affecting a range of stakeholder groups. This analysis involves determining whether stakeholder groups have conceived of some kind ...