Business Ethics Chapter 9
Tactics
Political contributions, economic leverage, political consulting aid, office personnel and junkets - cocktail parties / golf
Advocacy Advertising
advertisements that focus on a company's views on controversial political issues
Legal Challenges
business seeks to overturn a law after it has been passed
Public relations and trade associations
businesses may include a politically charged comment in a speech given by a senior company executive or even run a well-funded, long-running public relations campaign
Expert witness Testimony
businesses may want to provide facts, anecdotes, or data to educate or influence government leaders through public congressional hearings
Direct Communications with Policymakers
businesses often participate in activities that will improve government officials understand of management and employee hearings
Stakeholder Coalitions
businesses try to influence politics by mobilizaing various organizational stakeholders to support its political agenda
Level 1: Limited Organizational Involvement
contribution to political action committee and support of a trade association or industry activities
Level 3: Aggressive Organizational Involvement
executive participation, involvement with industry working groups and task forces and public policy development
Political Action Committees
independently incorporated organizations that can solicit contributions and then channel those funds to candidates seeking political office
Corporate Political Strategy
involves the activities taken by organizations to acquire, develop and use power to obtain an advantage
Lobbying
lobbyist communicate with and try to persuade others to support an organization's interest or stake as they consider a particular law, policy or regulation
Business Should Not Be Involved
managers not qualified to engage in political debate, business is too big or powerful, business is too selfish to care about and business risks its credibility by engaging in partisan politics
Economic Leverage
occurs when a business uses its economic power to threaten to leave a city, state or country unless a desired political action is taken
Level 2: Moderate Organizational Involvement
organizational lobbyist employee grassroots involvement and stockholder and customers encouraged to become involved
Business Should be Involved
pluralistic system invites participants, economic stakes are high, business counterbalances other social interests and business is a vital stakeholder of govt
Soft Money
unlimited contribution to the national political parties by individuals or organizations for party-building activities
Information Strategy
where busineses seek to provide government policymakers with information to influence their actions
Constituency-building Strategy
where business seek to gain from other affected organizations to better influence government policymakers to act in a way that helps them
Financial-incentives Strategy
where businesses provide incentives to influence government policymakers to act in a certain way