This article works toward a more meaningful answer to the question, What is a corporate issue? The article builds from existing literature in business strategy, public policy, and business and society. It synthesizes and integrates this literature and then expands the major points. The result is a reformulated definition of the corporate issue construct that enhances theory building and research activities in the area of issues management.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Ackerman, R. E.
(1973). How companies respond to social demands. Harvard Business Review, 51(4), 88-98.
2.
Ansoff, I.
(1975). Managing strategic surprise by response to weak signals. California Management Review, 18(2), 21-33.
Arcelus, F.
, & Schaeffer, N. (1982). Social demands as strategic issues. Strategic Management Journal, 3, 347-357.
5.
Austrom, D. R.
, & Lad, L. J. (1989). Issues management alliances: New responses, new values, and new logics. In J. E. Post (Ed.), Research in corporate social performance and policy (Vol. 11, pp. 233-256). Greenwich, CT: JAI.
6.
Baron, D. P.
(1993). Business and its environment. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
7.
Bartha, P. F.
(1983). Managing corporate external issues: An analytical framework. Business Quarterly, 47(2), 78-90.
8.
Bigelow, B.
, Fahey, L., & Mahon, J. F. (1991). Political strategy and issues evolution: A framework for analysis and action. In K. Paul (Ed.), Contemporary issues in business ethics and politics (pp. 1-26). Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen.
9.
Bigelow, B.
, Fahey, L., & Mahon, J. F. (1993). A typology of issue evolution. Business & Society, 32, 18-29.
10.
Brewer, T. L.
(1992). An issue area approach to the analysis of MNE-govemment relations. Journal of International Business Studies, 23, 295-309.
11.
Buchholz, R. A.
(1982). Business environment and public policy. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
12.
Buchholz, R. A.
, Evans, W. D., & Wagley, R. A. (1989). Management response to public issues (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
13.
Carroll, A. B.
(1993). Business and society. Cincinnati, OH: Southwestern.
14.
Chase, W. H.
(1984). Issues management: Origins of the future. Stamford, CT: Issue Action.
15.
Cobb, R. W.
, & Elder, C. D. (1972). Participation in American politics: The dynamics of agenda building. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
16.
Dutton, J. E.
, & Ashford, S. J. (1993). Selling issues to top management. Academy of Management Review, 18, 397-428.
17.
Dutton, J. E.
, Fahey, L., & Narayanan, V. K. (1983). Toward understanding strategic issue diagnosis. Strategic Management Journal, 4, 307-324.
18.
Dutton, J. E.
, & Jackson, S. E. (1987). Categorizing strategic issues: Links to organizational action. Academy of Management Review, 12, 76-90.
19.
Dutton, J. E.
, & Ottensmeyer, E. (1987). Strategic issues management systems: Forms, functions, and contexts. Academy of Management Review, 12, 355-365.
20.
Ehling, W. P.
, & Heese, M. B. (1983). Use of issues management in public relations. Public Relations Review, 9(2), 18-35.
21.
Eyestone, R.
(1978). From social issue to public policy. New York: Wiley.
22.
Gollner, A. B.
(1983). Social change and corporate strategy. Stamford, CT: Issue Action.
23.
Greening, D. W.
(1992). Organizing for public issues: Environmental and organizational predictors of structure and process. In J. E. Post (Ed.), Research in corporate social performance and policy (Vol. 13, pp. 83-117). Greenwich, CT: JAI.
24.
Greening, D. W.
, & Gray, B. (1994). Testing a model of organizational response to social and political issues. Academy of Management Journal, 37, 467-498.
25.
Heath, R. L.
, & Nelson, R. A. (1986). Issues management: Corporate public policymaking in an information society. London: Sage.
26.
Jacoby, N.
(1971, July/August). What is a social problem? Center Magazine, pp. 35-40.
27.
Johnson, J.
(1983). Issues management: What are the issues? Business Quarterly, 48(3), 22-31.
28.
Kiesler, S.
, & Sproull, L. (1982). Managerial response to changing environments: Perspec-tives on problem sensing from social cognition. Administrative Science Quarterly, 27, 548-570.
29.
Mahon, J. F
(1989). Corporate political strategy. Business in the Contemporary World, 2, 50-62.
30.
Mahon J. F.
, & Cochran, P. L. (1991). Fire alarms and siren songs: The role of issues management in the prevention of, and response to, organizational crises. Industrial Crisis Quarterly, 5, 155-176.
31.
Mahon, J. F.
, & Waddock, S. A. (1992). Strategic issues management: An integration of issue life cycle perspectives. Business & Society, 31, 19-32.
32.
Martello, W. E.
(1994, August). Issue definition as the key to responsible issues management. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Social Issues in Management Division, Dallas.
33.
McCann, J. E.
, & Gomez-Mejias, L. (1986). Assessing an intemational "issues climate": Policy and methodology implications. In J. A. Pearce II & R. B. Robinson, Jr. (Eds.), Academy of Management Best Papers Proceedings 1986 (pp. 316-320). Chicago: Academy of Management.
34.
Milliken, F. J.
(1990). Perceiving and interpreting environmental change: An examination of college administrators' interpretation of changing demographics. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 42-63.
35.
Moore, R. H.
(1979). Planning foremerging issues. Public Relations Journal, 35(11), 42-46.
36.
Nigh, D. W.
, & Cochran, P. L. (1987). Issue management and the multinational enterprise. Management International Review, 27(1), 4-12.
37.
Post, J. E.
(1978). Corporate behavior and social change. Reston, VA: Reston.
38.
Ryberg, R. J.
(1982). Defining the social issue concept. In R. W. Griffin (Ed.), 1982 Proceedings (pp. 230-234). Dallas: Academy of Management, Southwest Division.
39.
Sethi, S. P.
(1979). A conceptual framework for environmental analysis of social issues and evaluation of business response pattern. Academy of Management Review, 4, 63-74.
40.
Starling, G.
(1980). The changing environment of business. Boston: Kent.
41.
Thompson, J. K.
, Wartick, S. L., & Smith, H. L. (1991). Integrating corporate social performance and stakeholder management: Implications for a research agenda in small business. In J. E. Post (Ed.), Research in corporate social performance and policy (Vol. 12, pp. 207-230). Greenwich, CT: JAI.
42.
Tombari, H. A.
(1984). Business and society: Strategies for the environment and public policy. New York: Dryden.
43.
Wartick, S. L.
(1988, Spring). The contribution of issues management to corporate performance. Business Forum, 13, 16-22.
44.
Wartick, S. L.
, & Cochran, P. L. (1985). The evolution of the corporate social performance model. Academy of Management Review, 4, 758-769.
45.
Wartick, S. L.
, & Rude, R. E. (1986). Issues management: Corporate fad or corporate function? California Management Review, 29(1), 124-140.
46.
Wilson, J. Q.
(1974). The politics of regulation. In J. W. McKie (Ed.), Social responsibility and the business predicament (pp. 135-168). Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
47.
Wood, D. J.
(1991). Corporate social performance revisited. Academy of Management Review, 16,691-718.
48.
Zenisek, T. J.
(1979). Corporate social responsibility: A conceptualization based on organizational literature. Academy of Management Review, 3, 359-368.