Coalition Building

Internal Coalition Building

Internal coalition building occurs when employees create alliances with other employees in an organization. Public relations practitioners commonly engage in internal coalition building when they need additional support to influence organizational decision making. For example, public relations practitioners could engage in coalition building to convince their employer to choose an ethical course of action or respond to a crisis in a particular way. Internal coalition building can occur overtly or behind the scenes. A public relations practitioner could engage in overt coalition building by receiving permission to sit in on key decision makers’ meetings. Public relations practitioners also commonly engage in coalition building behind the scenes. For example, a public relations practitioner could meet with other employees informally to seek their support for a position prior to a vote at a meeting.

External Coalition Building

External coalition building differs from internal coalition building by involving members of different organizations. To identify coalition members, consideration should be given to the organization's reputation and how it might help or discredit the coalition, the organization's position on the issue, whether the organization is easy to work with, and how the organization might contribute in terms of thought leadership, financial backing, and outreach to grassroots advocates.

A coalition might consider inviting unlikely partners if an agreement can be reached regarding the coalition's objectives, strategies, and tactics. By crossing lines, such as ideology and geography, coalitions can enhance their credibility by positioning themselves as representing broad interests. For example, when car manufacturers wanted to oppose a proposed increase in fuel efficiency standards, which could lead to fewer large cars and vans, they created the Coalition for Vehicle Choice, whose members included disabled veterans’ organizations and senior citizens’ groups, both of which depend on large vehicles for transportation. A second example is the Common Ground Network for Life and Choice, which prochoice and prolife organizations formed in 1999 to increase awareness and support for adoption. In both instances, these coalitions achieved more visibility and progress together than either member could have done alone or with its more common allies.

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