Philosophy: PR actions towards whistleblowing

Information is the most frequently exchanged commodities which can either be a blessing or a crisis. Some information can shed a light to a dark tunnel of endless research but some can destroy a reputation built by sweat and tears. There are cases where an information can be saviors to most people but catastrophe to a group of people. The person who gave out this kind of information go with a name whistleblower. When a whistleblower decides to disclose the opinion, the group which can be an organization or a company will definitely go under a crisis. Public relation officer, whether in-house or out-house, is in the front-line to manage this disclosure and its tailing effects. The way a public relation officer handles this whistleblowing crisis should come before and after the crisis through precaution and solution.

According to a crisis management expert Jonathan Bernstein, crisis precaution lies in anticipation and team building. Crisis anticipation means to gather every probable negative scenarios that can happen. In whistleblowing case, anticipation is beyond listing probable scenarios but towards building a trustworthy environment for the employees. The logical reason for a whistleblower to resort in external whistleblowing is because the internal environment is not seen as a friendly environment in which will be able to process the issue. Therefore, a whistleblower seek help outside with a wish someone out there have the power and will to take matter into their hands and finish them.  An FDA investigator Cheryl Eckard did resort to internal whistleblowing to GlaxoSmithKline about their improper production process. Her continuous complaints were rejected which made her resorted to legal actions. The eight years of fight was then won by her with a large sum of settlement money. Next, Bernstein emphasizes on the importance of crisis management team building. Public relation officer must assemble a team in which will be in close contact during a crisis. The team aside from the PR officers must have the decision-makers which can be directors or executive and a spokeperson that will be trained to speak under a crisis by the officer.

During a crisis, there are four important PR strategies that must be carried on properly. The first one is the monitoring task which is an information gathering and assessing process. This will be an ongoing process as information must be continually gathered as the crisis develops. The second strategy is to manage the information and stakeholders. It is important to keep a great line of communication but it is more important to make sure the line is efficient by relaying key messages to the stakeholders in each group. Another very important task is to brief and train spokesperson as they will be the one showed to the media and answer questions. The third strategy is to respond quickly in order to not leave any space for speculations. The line of communication must be kept efficient and controlled. Quick response can control the direction of the crisis. After all the strategies are carried on, reassessment is important to be done in order to see if there is any unsatisfied stakeholders. Appropriate response is still very important.

All in all, whistleblowing case is a harmful crisis to the organization and PR officers can do a precaution and solution to it. It is important to create a trustworthy relation and environment to stakeholders in order to prevent external whistleblowing that can be damaging. it is also important to assemble a crisis management team in order to be able to respond directly in a fast, organised and efficient way as quick response and great line of communication are very important during a crisis. Whistleblowing may be unavoidable or unexpected at times but it can be anticipated and hopefully limited in terms of the damage.




Reference:
Bernstein, J. (2013, January 1). The 10 Steps Of Crisis Communications. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/articles/10-steps-of-crisis-communications.html

(n.n). (n.d.). Unit 16: Understanding the use of public relations in issues and crisis management. Retrieved November 6, 2014, from www.contentextra.com/publicrelations/files/.../PR_TopicGuide_16_2.pdf

Philosophy: The act for community

A corporate exist amidst our community and it inevitably affects it. The effects can often be negative

or positive depending on how the corporate utilize its community. More often than not, the mostly

known compromisation from the community to the company is how the corporate took resources

from the community. In order to 'redeem' itself, companies often do CSR or Corporate Social

Responsibiltiy. However, two professors from Harvard jotted a new idea to give back to the

community which is creating shared value (CSV). The two terms are often misunderstood and this

piece of work is going to differentiate the two and define them.


Corporate Social Responsibility is an activity of giving back to the community, in the simplest

definition. The act is done by the company to groups or people who are the members of the

community. According to United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Corporate Social

Responsibility is an act where the company is taking social and environmental concerns into their

business operations. The company may segregate a certain amount of money from their yearly

budget plan in order to help the community on behalf of them. Their CSR programs may be sourced

from the company based programs or a kind of funding for another program set by external party.

However, the second option must correlate and be relevant with the company's scope or the

company's vision and mission for their CSR. A CSR has a regulation of segregating a percent ot 1.5

percent of the yearly income for CSR. For example, the biggest private bank in Indonesia shared 1

percent of the budget for their CSR program. The CSR department of the company arranged a

marathon in three cities in order to support community health. Then, they funded a banking

tournament arranged by a university as it is relevant with the company's vision and mission.

CSV or Creating Shared Value is a new notion about giving back to the community notioned by

Michael Porter and Mark Kramer. It is so new that when it is googled, most of the sources would

refer back to Porter and Kramer. CSV is an act of a longer-term CSR directed to direct stakeholders

of  the company or corporate. It is done with a vision of creating a corporate production, distribution

chain and other elements work in a synergy of common value. CSV aims to bring a change to the

social and environment becuase of the value they hold that are implemented to the society. The

shared value that is created is aimed for the direct stakeholders for the company. Direct

stakeholders can be the supplier, farmers or distributor. The Body Shop is known for their

environment friendly trading system value. The company encourage local farmers to trade with

them. In their products, it is attached that they are getting the alcohol for the perfume from local

farmers trading. Producers, distributor and other stakeholders are taught of the value and

encouraged to practice it.


All in all, CSR and CSV is there in order for a company to give a positive impact to the community.

CSR aims for an external stakeholders and it may not always have to be direct stakeholders that got

the effect. Like the university event, the university students may not be directly related but the

vision and mission is related so the company give a hand and a part of their CSR programs. CSV is

creating a shared value among direct stakeholders in order to create a better economy and business

progress. Both of the programs are there to improve the community that the corporate is in and

they are looking to improve the environment.

Philosophy: Studying the hows and the whys of life

Philosophy appeared to my life as a major of study I did not understand initially but interests me eventually. When the words ‘philosophy’ came up in the list of university majors, I could not help but to look up for it in the dictionary. Then, the definition amazes me of how there is a major for something like this. What exactly is philosophy? I see philosophy as the study of the hows and the whys in life.

Philosophy is the study that looks into the basics of the life and other fundamental matters linked with it. It tries to decode on how an idea or a matter like new invention changes the life we live or the thoughts we think. In a talk for TEDx about philosophy, Amy Leask compares the idea of philosophy with plumbing. It compares how both philosophy and plumbing are always existence in our life but sometimes they are not taken into account due to its perfect blend with the routines and its ‘normality’. By normality, it means the constant existence and the stability of it. People pay no attention to their plumbing as long as the toilet flushes when it is flushed or the water in the sink goes into the sewage and not turning the sink into a mini tub.

Some people, at least in the circle I currently live in, would probably think it’s foolish to study philosophy. Why spend four years to study something that works already? The life has no problem, it goes just as usual. Perhaps it is a better idea to study biology of medical to find a cure of the world’s nightmare now, Ebola. There is a point to the study, which is it can troubleshoot a problem in life. The thing is, philosophy is not about troubleshooting. It is making sense of what’s in the world, assembly of ideas to live and study of fundamental matters and beliefs in the world. Merriam-Webster dictionary wrote a very interesting definition of philosophy which is ‘a pursuit of wisdom’. Wisdom itself is defined as a natural ability to understand things. Philosophy is there in order to look through life and understand it, make sense of it from the sphere of life or other things.

In this sense, I see Amy Leask definition of philosophy for young thinkers relatable. The example she gave proves the definition I speculate philosophy to be. She told the audience what she gave to her philosophy students, a microwave example. The question was how it changes the life they live and the thoughts they think as the microwave invented.

On the other hand, people do use the world philosophy multiple times. A junior in high school named Sam who has a biological cell illness called Progeria gave a talk about his philosophy of life. After 15 minutes watching him and comprehending what he is trying to say in his talk, I could conclude that philosophy is the fundamental of a matter. In Sam’s case, it is the fundamentals of happiness. How he must act in order to be happy and it is a set of understanding of where happiness comes from.

All in all, I can agree to the term philosophy is a pursuit of wisdom. From that big definition, it runs to a more narrow definition which is a study to gain general understanding of life and the ideas or changes in it. It can relate back to our life as in it looks how something can change us. Philosophy can also means to make sense of fundamentals of something after experiencing it like how Sam experiences Progeria and learn how to actually not think of it as an entity then establish his own philosophy to be happy. 

TMLTH

Too Much Love To Handle

Too much happiness for the lips to smile.
Too much love for the heart to contain.
Too much euphoria for the brain to have.

Rainy Days Season

It has finally come to this time of the year.

Rainy days season.

Days where you wake up to a cloudy sky and the nicest thing to do is to curl in your bed, snuggle in your warm blanket. Four pm, rather than being productive or sitting in the car waiting fro red to turn to green, I am here writing blog, looking at the raindrops falling and listening to One Direction's Little Things.

Many would belittle them for they are boyband which have its own stereotype. But I find most of their songs comforting and loving. Especially little things. It gives the feeling of incredibly loved. Women try their best to look perfect and be perfect, but this song shows how the little things that women hates are the best things that are endlessly loved. Simply, this song makes a girl feel loved and beautiful. The two adjectives a girl should feel and be reminded. A perfect song to listen to while curling up and cuddling with your pillow. If you listen deeply like I do, you'd find yourself smiling sheepishly through each words. :}

As the sun would be pretty much hidden by the clouds, my sunflowers are ready to take its place. The shoots are showing already. I saw this sunflower plant set in the store and I thought, I could use some green in my room. Other than that, I would find something to live for. Every day, looking for the shoot to grow, watching it grow taller, trying my best to keep it strong and loving the yellow flowers. Just like Izibor's song Mmm that I sing to it every day, it makes everything so simple in this crazy world. It's quite good to see that beautiful thing can grow without a fuss. So beautiful and so simple. Reminding me not to be too bullied by life, as life itself is simple.  My sunflowers are becoming one of the reason to live, number two after my future child.

Although I should be preparing my informative speech about the ugly truth of the Vietnam war and study five chapters of of Introduction to Communication, I feel that I need to get out of the cruel pictures and the deep thoughts about perception and way of communicating to give time to myself and pour out the thoughts in my head.

The car's wipers, however, is not set up for the rainy days season. It's wobbly and weak. Probably representing the driver. I wish it has more strength, and I wish for the same thing for me. I wish my breaths won't be too short after walking up the stairs. I wish I could do all the things I wanted and not getting out of energy. But since the rainy days season has arrived, let's stop all the wishing, sit back, and relax.

Wherever you are, I wish you feel as peaceful as I do. Take Sunday as a perfect day to relax not a remorseful day before Monday.



"I'm in love with you, and all these little things."

Maroon 5 Overexposed: Completely Overexposed

Like most of other people, the voyage of enjoying Maroon 5's latest album "Overexposed" started with "Payphone". Which a friend said isn't pulling Maroon 5 to its best because of Wiz Khalifa presence. I, personally, enjoyed screaming 'Man fuck that shit" during the song. So I am totally OK with it.

After that, following its publicity strategy, moving to the second single "One More Night". No, I wasn't hooked on the first try. But after listening to people playing it, it sort of cling to your brain. Which I love. A lot. Singing it with lyrics made me fall deeper in love with this semi-reggae song. Funny, at first, I disliked this song for the reggae influence but then, I found it quite amusing.

As I browsed "One More Night" lyrics, I read some of the song titles in the album. I do judge a song by its title. Some titles just hooked me right away. So I did a little youtube research for it.

My oh my had I found myself...completely overexposed.

Every single song is fascinatingly attractive. Whoever picked the album title worth a praise. The title is the adjective you'd be searching for upside down after you listened the whole album. The feelings in this album is so delicate, sincere, pure and....overexposed.

And it is reasonable to call it a voyage. What I truly felt when I listened to the songs, is as if my heart was floating in a deep water, so buoyant. The water messed up with my feelings in a good way. Embracing it and carrying it away from side to side. From happy to sad. Just...swaying it. 

Another masterpiece by Maroon 5. Praise. Cheers. Yiasas. Gan bei.








Current Favorite:

1. Sad
2. Wipe Your Eyes
3. Love Somebody
4. One More Night
5. Daylight

Reflection and Refence

Referring to my last posted blog, I may sound bipolar.

I am not.
Really.

I'm just that good finding things to distract myself. This case, renovating my blog. Yeah.

To www.jakartapanasbanget.blogspot.com that made me incredibly jealous with the pretty fonts in it. I found the way to do it before I gave up and texted Irene (the writer of the blog). -grin but you are a trendsetter. Unique in your own way. Kind of good unique. Cool unique. Long live, Irene.

Talking about fonts, I do adore fonts. Kimberly Geswein's are my favorite. You don't know how much I adore fonts. ADORE! Probably to entertain myself that I can finally write in a better - much better - handwriting.

 More to Irene's blog it kind of making me reflecting my blog. How her blog is all humor and mine is the melancholy type of blog.

I'm happy.

I'm happy that I made this blog. My personal trash bin. If the one I have in my room has an anti corruptors sticker, this blog has anti judgement invisible sticker.

There's a part of me that wanted to write out what I felt and to publish it. Not as snobbish as whatever comes to your mind. Twitter is a choice. But back to the anti judgement sticker, Twitter is pretty famous, I know how judgmental people can be in there. Knowing your story and stuff. It's more like.... giving them a quite interesting reading while they dump or before they sleep. 

In here, I must say it's quite safe. Not that noticeable. Still published - enough to satisfy my publicity necessity. - am I narcistic? Questionable. 

More to the melancholy genre, thanks to www.klaksonbunyikuntilanak.blogspot.com , I finally thought of my genre. Good job, Jon.More to the genre, it became melancholy because the urge to write down the feelings happened in those melancholy moment.


That's the logic. Behind this blog.

I don't expect you to comprehend this. Referring to my last post, sometimes the thought in yourmind isn't easily comprehended by others. Referring to my megamind, I completely understand why.





THE END