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To explore the applicability of the organic theory of public relations to address “wicked” problems in public health systems.

This is a conceptual paper, based on critical assessment and application of relevant theory.

The organic approach to public relations practice is more likely to succeed than largely organisation–centric models as advocated in the work of J.E.Grunig and others. The rationale is that addressing wicked problems involves recruiting a wide range of insights and facilitating collaborative action. The broad, inclusive orientation of the organic theory is expected to be more effective than familiar, but more narrowly organisation-focused strategies.

The organic theory advocated here has potential heuristic value for future research in communication related to the delivery of social services.

Public health system managers and policy makers who adopt an organic approach to communicating system issues, especially adverse events, are more likely to build public support for their work than if they seek to address only “strategic” publics (Grunig & Hunt, 1984) who are seen as potential threats to the organisation’s ability to fulfill its mission.

Applying the organic theory of public relations to address wicked problems in public health management and communication breaks new ground. It contrasts with the managerialist orientation not only of public health systems in many western countries, but also the organisation-centric communication strategies often adopted to attempt to mitigate the effects of “wickedness” shown in recurrent adverse events. Such strategies may neglect the interest society as a whole has in public health outcomes.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the centrality of emotion, and how that emotion both created and contributed to meaning, in the communication of health professionals who worked in a regional pilot program for cancer screening.

As the third phase of a larger study, thematic analysis of semi‐structured interviews was carried out with the 19 members of the professional groups, which comprised the service. Brief comments were included from the questionnaire survey in phases 1 and 2 of the study to demonstrate the overflow effects on those served by the organization.

Emotion was found to be a critical component in the communication interface between the groups. The complexity of the way in which emotion was managed with the client group overflowed into the management of the communication process between the professional groups in the organization. However, it was not always recognised, and thus created difficulties for a number of staff.

Although the research was limited to one health‐care organization, it is possible that other health professions are experiencing similar situations as they cope with the certainty of unending change. Also, although secondary interviews were carried out to ensure that themes were credible to participants, it is possible that carrying out the interviews in the work environment may have constrained some participants.

Stresses the importance of the emotional component of communication and how it is recognised to facilitate effective working relationships and support staff coping with change and heavy workloads in health‐care organizations.

It is indubitable that society expects organizations “to employ their assets in a socially responsible manner” (Cordeiro, 1997, p. 1390) and also to be seen to be doing so. BP is a case of interest as in July 2000 the company launched a public relations campaign to appeal to the public as an environmentally-friendly “green” energy company. The company rebranded with “Beyond Petroleum” as a tagline, alongside a new logo of a fresh sunburst replacing the solid shield of BP. In the wake of the consumer boycotts of Exxon and Shell that clearly demonstrated how intense public feeling was about environmental issues, BP made a decision to invest in renewable energy. Although it was only a small investment compared to their commitment to fossil fuels, it was widely promoted. Their stated quest was to produce the cleanest burning fossil fuels and to become a producer of solar energy that would provide sustainable fuel to reduce carbon emission levels with products that were “safe, practical and affordable” (Verschoor, 2010).

The purpose of this paper is to explore the way in which health professional (HP)‐based subcultures interpret reform‐based changes.

A three‐phase study is carried out using thematic analysis to examine data from semi‐structured interviews held with 19 HPs to examine their responses to change. Also, responses from 639 self‐completion questionnaires and focus group interviews with 44 women provide insight into the influence of the change on end‐users of the service.

This study extends previous work through inductive examination of the interpretations of two subcultures, which reveal that acceptance of the strategic change objective is subsequently undermined by divergence in the way members of the subcultures interpret and seek to enact change – a divergent acceptance.

The findings result from a single case‐study healthcare setting. Future studies can extend the research to other settings.

The insight into the way HP‐based subcultures interpret reform‐based changes may advance the public service that these health care organisations strive to provide; much more broadly, it may advance the understanding of change.

This paper shows that any significant change must accommodate existing assumptions and values and the way they colour the interpretation and enactment of change, even when agreement on superordinate objectives exists.

This book aims to assist readers in navigating the conceptual maze surrounding discussions of business and sustainability by offering critical reflection on the state of business action for environmental sustainability and providing evidence about what is actually taking place in real localities and businesses. The chapters in this volume are relevant in sustainability research, focusing on issues that are critical, topical and needed at this stage of the discussion. This volume makes three main contributions. First, it offers a critical review of business engagement with sustainability from four perspectives: sustainability as a political project; sustainability as a response to environmental crisis, sustainability as business opportunity and sustainability as stakeholder management. The chapters for example, link business case for sustainability to the larger debate about ‘ecological modernisation’: this perspective believes that the way out of the ecological crisis is to go further into the process of industrialisation. A complication to this claim is that business must be given the right market signals to identify and profit from their environment impacts, in other words that ‘ecology must be economised’. As the chapters will show, the notion of a business case is misleading if it is intended to imply some freely arrived at evaluation without reference to the context in which decisions are made.

This practice paper describes how leadership education faculty and students at Virginia Tech have facilitated change through the use of appreciative inquiry (Ai) at the departmental level, program level, and project level. Appreciative inquiry has been found to be a useful tool for leadership educators, as its foundation in social constructionist philosophy aligns with contemporary leadership and learning theories. This paper outlines (a) the philosophy of Ai as it applies to organizational development (b) illustrates Ai practices associated with a five-stage model, and (c) highlights three examples that can be used as models for leading change in a variety of organizational situations. The authors suggest that leadership educators are uniquely positioned to serve academic communities as facilitators of change by bridging theory and practice in pursuit of new ways of knowing and working together.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the origins of the Jimmy Savile Scandal in which the former BBC entertainer was accused of a series of sexual offences after his death in 2011. The case has had a massive impact on UK policing and criminal justice policy and on care work, with implications for due process and public expenditure in responding to reports of sexual abuse.

The paper draws on an Economic and Social Research Council funded project to collate data on the Savile case. It is based, primarily, on interview material from former pupils and staff members from Duncroft School, from whence initial allegations against Savile emanate, contrasting these with media accounts.

The research provides a very different picture of Duncroft and the contemporary policy context to that presented in media accounts. A questioning account of the origins of the scandal emerges. The findings may lend themselves to a moral panics analysis but also point to the power of dominant stories in influencing public policy.

This paper is based on only a very small sample of interviews. The material is ethically sensitive in that it may be claimed or used to cast doubt on accounts of abuse.

The implications of the wider project from which it draws are potentially profound, casting doubt on the origins and detail of the Savile scandal.

The paper addresses one of the major socio-cultural episodes in recent British history, which has had a profound effect on the workings of the criminal justice system, signalling a shift away from a presumption of innocence. It also offers insight into the cultural context of care work and the possibility, especially for males, of being subject to allegations made against them.