Chapter 12: Conflicting Loyalties
The six case studies in this chapter provide hypothetical and actual examples of ways practitioners, clients, associations, and corporations have struggled to ethically balance conflicting loyalties and values in their work settings—often in the glare of ongoing media coverage or social media exchanges. The managers and practitioners in these cases—from Coca-Cola Inc. to Toyota to an international communication firm—contend with multiple loyalties to key stakeholder groups such as employees and their families, customers, clients, vendors, sponsors, and their own governments as they make decisions and take action. Cases pose questions such as: in complex professional environments, how does a practitioner emphasize the values that lead to mutual benefit with key publics, rather than personal or one-sided partisan values within the daily workplace? To whom are primary duties owed? During periods of crisis, whose values should take precedence as practitioners adapt to changing scenarios? Various ethical principles are applied in the case analyses.
Chapter 12 – Video Introduction
Key questions for the chapter
- In such a complex professional environment, how does a practitioner emphasize values that lead to mutual benefit with key publics, rather than personal or one-sided partisan values within the daily workplace?
- How might one balance numerous conflicting loyalties?
- What principles offer guidance toward arriving at an ethical solution?
Case 51
Discussion Questions
- When the safety of consumers are concerned, how quickly should corporations inform the public of safety issues?
- Is it ever appropriate for corporations to prioritize profits over consumer safety?
- Is an apology from corporate leaders sufficient to restore consumer trust?
- Was “Toyota Conversations” on Twitter an effective way for the company to address consumer concerns?
Weblinks
- Article resource: Toyota “Unintended Acceleration” has Killed 89
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/toyota-unintended-acceleration-has-killed-89/ - Article resource: Who Was Really at Fault for the Toyota Recalls?
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/05/who-was-really-at-fault-for-the-toyota-recalls/238076/ - Video resource: Acceleration Problem Prompts Toyota Recall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c1Dwoak9rI - Press release: Justice Department Announces Criminal Charge Against Toyota Motor Corporation and Deferred Prosecution Agreement with $1.2 Billion Financial Penalty
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-criminal-charge-against-toyota-motor-corporation-and-deferred - Web resource: Statement of Facts in the Toyota Case
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/legacy/2014/03/19/toyota-stmt-facts.pdf - Article resource: New Toyota Sudden Acceleration Claim Surfaces
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/09/11/toyota-corolla-nhtsa-unintended-acceleration/15477263/ - Article resource: Toyota’s Slow Awakening to a Deadly Problem
https://www.cnbc.com/2010/01/31/toyotas-slow-awakening-to-a-deadly-problem.html
Case 52
Discussion Questions
- How does the language used by C-suite leaders affect internal (e.g., employees and investors) and external (e.g., the public) stakeholders
- At what point should practitioners end relationships with controversial companies and/or their leaders?
- How does the language used by C-suite leaders affect employee morale?
- Should the public expect C-suite leaders to be advocates for social justice issues?
Weblinks
- Article resource: Papa John’s Founder Used N-Word on Conference Call
https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkirsch/2018/07/11/papa-johns-founder-john-schnatter-allegedly-used-n-word-on-conference-call/?sh=2dcb2db34cfc - Article resource: Papa John’s Blames NFL ‘Debacle’ for Hurting its Pizza Sales
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/nation-world/2017/11/01/papa-john-s-blames-nfl-debacle-hurting-its-pizza-sales/16289584007/ - Article resource: Papa John’s Founder Apologizes: ‘Racism has no Place in our Society’
https://www.prweek.com/article/1487554/papa-johns-founder-apologizes-racism-no-place-society - Article resource: ‘It’s not Business as Usual’: Papa John’s is Killing its NFL Sponsorship Deal after its Founder said National-Anthem Protests Tanked its Sales
https://www.businessinsider.com/papa-johns-cuts-ties-with-the-nfl-after-national-anthem-protests-2018-2 - Article resource: Papa John’s CEO Steps Down Following Controversial Remarks on NFL
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/22/572779230/papa-johns-ceo-steps-down-following-controversial-remarks-on-nfl - Article resource: How the NFL Protests led to Papa John Schnatter’s Downfall
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-protests-led-papa-john-schnatters-downfall-203838856.html - Article resource: Experts: Papa John’s Brand Was Too Closely Associated with Ousted, Controversial Founder
https://www.prweek.com/article/1487693/experts-papa-johns-brand-closely-associated-ousted-controversial-founder
Case 53
Discussion Questions
- How do practitioners ethically balance competing loyalties?
- At what point do the reputational risks outweigh the benefits of a relationship?
Weblinks
- Article resource: What is a Russian Oligarch, and How is their Wealth Connected to Russia’s War in Ukraine?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-a-russian-oligarch
Case 54
Discussion Questions
- Can companies that sell products widely considered to be unhealthy be authentic advocates for public health?
- How would public reaction be different if Coca-Cola had disclosed their research funding before the controversy?
- Is it ethical for health researchers to receive funding from companies like Coca-Cola?
- Are publicly listed companies like Coca-Cola expected to be more transparent than privately-owned companies?
Weblinks
- Article resource: Research Group Funded by Coca-Cola to Disband
https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/12/01/research-group-funded-by-coca-cola-to-disband/ - Article resource: Coke Discloses Support for Health Studies
https://www.science.org/content/article/coke-discloses-support-health-studies - Web resource: Global Energy Balance Network Response
https://gebn.org/about/gebn-response - Article resource: Coca-Cola Tried to Influence CDC on Research and Policy, New Report States
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/29/coke-obesity-sugar-research-1125003 - Article resource: What Role Should Coca-Cola Play in Obesity Research?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryhusten/2014/04/27/what-role-should-coca-cola-play-in-obesity-research/?sh=79ac2fd5a51b - Academic research article resource: Inside ILSI: How Coca-Cola, Working through its Scientific Nonprofit, Created a Global Science of Exercise for Obesity and Got It Embedded in Chinese Policy (1995-2015)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32955566/
Case 55
Discussion Questions
- How do pay for play (PFP) practices influence public opinion and trust in PR and journalism?
- Who should take more responsibility when PFP practices are not disclosed? The journalist or the PR practitioner?
- How do PFP practices blur the lines between advertising, PR and journalism?
- Would disclosure of PFP practices in news articles make the content more trustworthy?
- Can the public trust any type of PFP content?
Weblinks
- Web resource: Pay to Play (Securities) – Explained
https://thebusinessprofessor.com/en_US/business-transactions/pay-to-play-definition - Web resource: PRSA Statement
https://www.prsa.org/docs/default-source/about/ethics/eas/pay-for-play-(october-2009).pdf
Case 56
Discussion Questions
- Should the media have waited to verify the information before sharing the misinformation?
- If the coal company had a PR team, how would the events that transpired change?
- How should media professionals balance speed and accuracy when such disasters occur?
- What should the mining company have done to care for the friends and families of the victims during the crisis?
Weblinks
- Article resource: 13 Coal Miners are Trapped in Sago Mine Disaster; 12 die
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/13-coal-miners-are-trapped-in-sago-mine-disaster-west-virginia - Web resource: Sago Mine Information
https://arlweb.msha.gov/sagomine/sagomine.asp - Article resource: Bush Puts Mine Safety Review on Agenda
https://www.southcoasttoday.com/story/news/nation-world/2006/01/22/bush-puts-mine-safety-review/50316071007/