Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA) and Organization-Public Relationships (OPRs): Leveraging Corporate Advocacy for Relationship Management
摘要
This chapter reviews the existing literature on CSA communications and their impact on organization-public relationships (OPRs). CSA has become an essential dimension of contemporary public relations, distinguished from corporate social responsibility (CSR) by its explicit alignment with divisive socio-political issues to influence public opinion. Unlike CSR’s broad societal focus, CSA involves taking definitive stances on controversial topics such as climate change, racial injustice, and gender equality, which can foster strong OPRs while risking alienating opposing stakeholders. Drawing from relationship management theory and other interdisciplinary frameworks, the chapter examines CSA’s effects on relationship management, exploring constructs such as authenticity, motives, credibility, and stakeholder issue congruence. Managerial implications for leveraging CSA to enhance relational outcomes are discussed. A case study on Starbucks’ LGBTQIA2+ initiative illustrates practical applications and the relational dynamics that underpin successful CSA efforts. This chapter contributes to public relations scholarship by synthesizing the theoretical and operational contexts of CSA research and offering actionable guidance for practitioners aiming to cultivate sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships with diverse publics in an increasingly polarized socio-political landscape.