Purpose – Modern managers are expected to deal with a wide range of problems – only some of which are properly defined as organizational issues. The purpose of this paper is to distinguish true issues from other day to day problems and to offer guidelines to a strategic approach for...

Most issue management practitioners and scholars accept that issue management has progressed substantially over 25 years, from primarily a reactive crisis prevention tool to a maturing strategic management discipline. But the terminology used within issue management to define the different...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to characterize commonalities between activists and corporate communicators, who are often perceived as natural antagonists within the context of managing public and community issues. Design/methodology/approach – The focus is on exploring the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to encourage understanding of the practical value to managers and communication practitioners of the positive lessons from issue and crisis management cases. Design/methodology/approach – Unlike many other areas of management writing, which focus on new...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the work of Howard Chase within the history of public relations, his role in the birth and development of issue management, and his relevance for contemporary practice. Design/methodology/approach – Research for this paper draws heavily on the...

Purpose – This paper aims to take a 20‐year perspective to revisit the Alar controversy, one of the most hotly argued public issues of the late 1980s, and to explore what fresh conclusions can be drawn for modern risk and issue managers. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews...