The Public Relations Coalition is challenging corporate America
to take a structured approach to regenerating trust with the
American public. The coalition of 19 communications organizations,
including PRSA, IPR, IABC, the Arthur Page Society and the Council
of PR firms, met last week at Farleigh Dickinson University to
address the issue of lost trust.
The model the Coalition proposes:
- Articulate a set of ethical principles closely connected to
core business processes and supported with deep management
commitment. These principles should balance all stakeholder
interests. - Create a process for transparency and disclosure appropriate to
the company and industry, including a senior oversight committee,
"culture audits" and consistent messaging. - Make trust and ethics a board-level corporate governance issue
and establish a formal system of measuring that touches all parts
of the organization.
Jim Murphy, chairman of the Coalition, notes that at the core of
the model is asking corporate leaders to create and reinforce the
principle of accountability within their organizations. Editor's
Note: Watch for more coverage of the results of the Coalition
summit in an upcoming issue. (Murphy, 917/452-4598)