University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Communication Communication 2017 The Outsiders: Understanding How Activists Use Issues Management to Challenge Corporate Behavior Chelsea Lane Woods University of Kentucky, [email protected] Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2017.210 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Woods, Chelsea Lane, "The Outsiders: Understanding How Activists Use Issues Management to Challenge Corporate Behavior" (2017). Theses and Dissertations--Communication. 61. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/comm_etds/61 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Communication at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Communication by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Chelsea Lane Woods, Student Dr. Shari Veil, Major Professor Dr. Bobi Ivanov, Director of Graduate Studies THE OUTSIDERS: UNDERSTANDING HOW ACTIVISTS USE ISSUES MANAGEMENT TO CHALLENGE CORPORATE BEHAVIOR DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Kentucky By Chelsea Lane Woods Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Shari R. Veil, Associate Professor of Communication Lexington, Kentucky 2017 Copyright © Chelsea Lane Woods 2017 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION THE OUTSIDERS: UNDERSTANDING HOW ACTIVISTS USE ISSUES MANAGEMENT TO CHALLENGE CORPORATE BEHAVIOR Increasingly, corporations receive pressure from activist organizations to alter activities that these individuals find problematic and irresponsible. Despite this escalation, research on activism from a public relations perspective progressed slowly; much of this literature privileges the perspective of corporations and rarely examines the process from the activist perspective. To address this gap, this dissertation examined how activist organizations use issues management and communication strategies to incite corporations to change their practices and policies while simultaneously building relationships with pertinent audiences. This study incorporated data collected from qualitative interviews with activist practitioners representing a variety of activist organizations, along with organizational texts and news articles. These data provided an understanding of how activist organizations campaign against corporations using a variety of strategies and tactics in an effort to pressure corporations into changing their behavior. Because this dissertation focused on how activist organizations generate and promote issues to gain the attention of their targets, issues management served as the theoretical framework. Guided by this theory and existing issues management models, this dissertation demonstrates how activist groups identify and establish legitimacy for their issue(s). As issues management is traditionally studied from a corporate perspective, the findings show that the process differs slightly for activist organizations and introduces the Issue Advancement Model to demonstrate how activists employ issues management. Additionally, this dissertation explored how activist groups develop relationships with their targets, supporters, communities, and other relevant publics, noting the nuances involved in each of these dynamics. Specifically, this dissertation supports claims that the dialogue approach is more appropriate for understanding and analyzing the corporation- activist relationship than other public relations models, but also notes that some activist organizations may not seek resolution. In addition to these theoretical findings, this dissertation also offers practical implications, introducing the Corporate Campaign Model, which depicts how activist organizations challenge firms while also offering suggestions for corporations targeted by these groups. KEYWORDS: Anti-Corporate Activism, Corporate Campaigns, Issues Management, Public Relations, Activist Organizations Chelsea Lane Woods_________________ May 19, 2017________________________ Date THE OUTSIDERS: UNDERSTANDING HOW ACTIVISTS USE ISSUES MANAGEMENT TO CHALLENGE CORPORATE BEHAVIOR By Chelsea Lane Woods _Dr. Shari Veil_______________________ Director of Dissertation _Dr. Bobi Ivanov_____________________ Director of Graduate Studies _May 19, 2017_______________________ To my Grandpa, who taught me not to take everything too seriously and bragged about me to everyone he knew (and people who he didn’t know). Thanks for being my number one fan. And to my Great Granny, for your thirst for life and adventurous spirit that continue to inspire all of us. I look forward to seeing you both one day. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to many people who helped and encouraged me throughout this process. First and foremost, thank you to my advisor, Dr. Shari Veil. You’re always willing to offer feedback on a project, impart advice, and provide words of encouragement. Thank you for pushing me to aim higher and inspiring me to work harder while still keeping my priorities in order. I’m so grateful that I ended up at the University of Kentucky and had the privilege to work with you and get to know you. I couldn’t have asked for a better advisor. Thank you also to my committee members: Drs. Walter Ferrier, Phil Hutchison, and Kevin Real, for your support and valuable feedback throughout this project. Thank you to Dr. Nathan Wood for serving as my outside examiner. Thank you to the activists who took the time amid their hectic schedules to speak with me, share their stories, and provide insight into the activism process, demonstrating enthusiasm and interest in the study. This dissertation would not have been possible without their willingness to participate. I would also like to thank the “whale pod.” In no particular order, a special thank you to Micki Olson, Sarah Sheff, Jake Matig, Nick Tatum, and Kody Frey. Thanks for becoming my second family for the past couple of years. From late nights in Grehan to our conference shenanigans, graduate school would have been significantly less enjoyable without y’all along for the ride. I can never find the words to thank my family enough for all of their support over the years. Thank you to my grandparents, for being always being there for sick days, celebration days, and every day in between. To my parents, none of this would have been possible without your constant support over the years. You’ve always believed I could do anything. To Dad, you’ve always done anything you could to help me. To my Mom, for the long phone conversations and putting things in perspective. Thank you to my husband Nick. Thank you for uprooting your life, sacrificing so that I can chase my dreams, reminding me that there’s more to life than scholastic achievements, encouraging me to take time off from work to preserve my sanity, introducing me to the religion of Kentucky basketball, and being the best husband and support system. You’re the real MVP. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ......................................................................................................................x Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................. 1 The History of Anti-Corporate Movements ............................................................ 5 The Bank War ............................................................................................. 5 “The public be damned” years .................................................................... 7 Ida Tarbell and the muckrakers ......................................................