Risk Communication Strategies for JDJ - Case Study Example

Risk communication Strategies for JDJ Insert Name Institution Date Risk communication strategies for JDJ Introduction This report aims to describe a background to understanding of risk by the public and the factors that affect public response to risk. The report is to be structured in there section the first is background of the problem and its nature at JDJ pharmaceutical company. T the second is suggested theoretical framework analysis pinpointing Ares of intervention and solutions for the problem at JDJ any salient factors affecting launch of cyclon insecticide. The third section is recommendations for JDJ should do to implement the solutions suggested by this report to achieve the goal of manufacturing the new product. . Section one Scope and background of risk communication Risk communication is new field, which became important component in environmental and occupational health as the countries faced mounting concern over pollution from hazardous material. The field generates a lot of interest from the public, policymakers, and the media. It includes methods for estimating risk to humans exposed to toxicants and in research directed to how individuals perceive risk. Improving Risk Communication has become very vital for serious companies like JDJ pharmaceutical .these companies need to define, describe, and implement the basis for successful risk communication. However there are problems and difficulties in implementing these strategies As Many fail due to ignorance by the public on many issues hence many public outcry to perceived dangers when companies want to manufacture new products, this is a bottleneck of firms like JDJ. Section two JDJ pharmaceuticals risk communication strategies Risk communication is a psychological process, and must appeals to expectations, ideals and aspirations of the public to engender a specific action or reaction. Communication of risk factors is a process of increasing importance to public and people are involved in making decisions hence dialogue in environmental health sues such as air insecticides, pesticides, and other pollutants, Risk communication theories focus on changing community behaviour in an interactive process of exchange of information and opinions. The theory of Risk communication engenders participatory resolution of conflict. This is usually radical approach from traditional health communication models. Persuasion theory of risk communication Persuasion is the core of risk communication and determines company’s success in risk education to public in a world governed by communication techniques. Risk positive persuasion theories and techniques are employed to achieve manufacturer’s goals. There are several theories that can be combined to craft successful persuasion messages to the public whether they like it or not .we start with the theory of likelihood elaboration theory of communication, which argues that there is a middle ground in every situation due to many processes for public to weigh the various alternatives. In addition, the public will behave according to the elaboration by the manufactures term so of message about the new product. The communication accommodation theory argues that our culture and attitudes affect our ability to be objective the publics ability to accept new ideas and our defence’s argument are skewed in favour of subjectivity (Solomon, M, 2009.p. 8O) secondly we suggest that the pharmaceutical company adopt the Inoculation theory this theory is developed to conquer difficult radical positions which are beyond the conscious at the subconscious levels hence impossible to confront(McGuire, W.(1961). theory provides a psychological weapon in risk communication and is a advanced processional communication techniques designed to elicit desired tailored responses. These are translated into business objectives and goals. This can be achieved by JDG pharmaceutical company in launching the new insecticide cyclon. (Stiff, B. & Mongeau, p. 2003, p. 286, 287) This theory will supports resistance to JDJ pharmaceutical messages persuasion by the public by using weak arguments like the way doctors use weak virus to develop immunity to actual disease infections. Its treats the public outcry as a disease which must be immunized against never to affect JDJ pharmaceutical company in future product launches. The company can use the inoculation technique to ensure this product to be manufactured is inoculated against public truism that endanger the future messages and consumer patterns of the cylcon brand of insecticide. Risk communicators for business use the inoculation theory to penetrate difficult public minds and win them to favour the new messages. The theory of symbolic inter ractionism is an advanced approach to peoples perception especially in what people think is a dangerous. The community attach meaning to symbols and these symbols aid our capacities to perceive and assist in selecting particular symbols associated with products or brands .the JDJ pharmaceuticals product communication message will be interpreted and symbols tags placed on it. This will determine future community response to the new brand of CYCLON. This theory to explain culture and communication human behaviour and this is true in the JDJ pharmaceuticals case. This theory captures the interplay of human elements of perception in a group think setting the crowd thinking and this influence the way people respond to risk messages. In addition, it affects level of objectivity, ‘Once objectivity is eroded then there is no amount of convincing the company can do except to start the process in a new way using a different theory of risk .communication. According to George Herbert, mead communities are initially subjective in reaction to company product information however; competitor may influence decisions in public to hinder the production of new offers by the JDJ pharmaceutical company. Communication theory of Fear appeals .This theory is used to influence people to support many products under manufacture .This theory is combined with other theories including theory of source credibility The application of various theories are key to risk communication messages .risks that strongly affect a community are persuasively crafted in appealing messages by focusing on self-preservation against undesirable consequences. Kim witte argues that motivation from fear is main motivator to take action due to fear. Risk is part of Fear Appeals and should be used us exactly how fear in manipulation as a motivator to support the new product s being proposed for manufacture. The fear appeal theory is used to persuade communities to change their actions whether they like the changes or not whether they are biased or not (Griffin, E.1997). Risk communication can also benefit from the Theory of the coordinated management of meaning by (Bennett Pearce & Vernon cronen). It helps understand how communities want way of representing racist’s ideas without the fearing to be branded as racial prejudiced (Griffin, 2000). Fear theories of communication show that the public construct their own social realism wand simultaneously are influenced by the fear factors in their social perceptions. Fear motivates people to avoid what they fear, hate, or what they despise hence when companies want to launch products the people fear the future they do not know, the fear of the unknown(Griffin, E.1997). Risk communicators can also benefit from the theory of Dramatism developed by Burke, which highlights motives of failure, fear, frustration, resent, competitiveness, and ambition determines public action. Griffin, E.1997). According to George Gerbner Cultivation theory, which is also known as cultivation analysis can be used cultivate fear t motivate the masses to homogenous behaviour and this is a theory we many cultivate some opinions in the community in favour of the new cyclon product. Theory of constructivism argues that people have more complex cognition levels, which give many options ion terms of action. Risk communicators can adopt the credibility theory of communication, which argue it is self-evident to judge others as credible while simultaneously the public make subjective credibility assessment of the company according to the way messages are communicated about the new product in order to be persuaded (Hovland, C.I., et al, (1953). The public will also apply the reinforcement theory, which posits that people will compare how a message reinforces the pharmaceutical message validity (Griffin, E.2008). The public favours credible messages. There various credibility models can be applied in risk communications functional credibility model theory analyses all the factors like to affect or be affected by the future company product or ideas. The functional model will focus on how credible are the various company messages in part and as a whole while the and the constructivist model attempt to analyze how the common person is likely to construct a credible reality to assign a level of rating for the company product. In this case, the cyclone, as credibility reference point and act accordingly (Griffin, E.2000). The pharmaceutical company can use the Expectancy Violations Theory by Judee Burgon, which explain how interpersonal expectations are strategically placed to influence public behaviour and action. They will than agree to the company offerings of the new product to be manufactured. According to this theory when there is ambiguity in a message the public, view it as lack of credibility will demand or ask for more action and persuasiveness of the company by working against expectations. In this case, they will have public outcry to refuse the product in a bid to ask for more persuasive messages or action inn order to be convinced that the company holds good intn intentions. Unless this is done then the re is no success in in the future because the same status quo can only be changed by creative messages well crafted to bring in the emotions as well as the reasons in support to identify with the public concerns, the publications will match expectations of the pharmaceutical firm and vice versa(Griffin, E.2003) Company rumours about the new product must also be checked d through risk communication. According Assimilation contrast theory even company rumours tend to gain evidence of credibility in the rumour and public will act in favour of rumour whether true or not (Griffin, E.2006). Risk Communicators can also apply the theory of focus on two-sided messages theory, which give opposite sides to one item in proposed action hence public will choose between two either one option or another. This Theory focuses on the pros and cons of a particular action and has more impact The public normally respond to risk in ways, which seem unreasonable built reasonable to them selves ands serious enough to decide to protest. This emanates from what has been termed as mob psychology, mass psychology or groupthink. This is how people will tend to respond negatively to any perceived present or potential future risk. Unless they have enough information or non-conflicting opinions in an issue, they are likely to respond in pessimistic way to avoid the risk from affecting them. Section three Ways of improving risk communication Strengths and weakness There are many ways of improving risk communication in general. Companies like JDJ pharmaceutical should design communication messages about health risk in a way to avoid the one-way flow of traditional information psyche in seeking to address the stakeholders and policymakers. Companies like JDJ should adopt the concept that Effective risk communication is a two-way process allowing democratic right of the of the public as a partner and this should be adopted by JDJ management as part of the corporate social responsibility. There is always a Conflict resolution message component in risk communication. Normally risk information often is controversial to pubic and interest groups, activists, government agencies and officers, scientists. All these including competitors will differ on JDJ message credibility. Good messages will persuade these public to support the new product. Dissenting voices will always be in society and communication theories analysed above should be combined with informed dealing on community concerns by applying communication theories Strengths and weaknesses of risk communication The public becomes loyal consumers of the new product due to early involvement in its manufacture hence they expect it in the market long before kits manufactured. Its good marketing as consumer is aware of it from start. Risk communication strengths include improved decision-making, in society fro benefit of all publics. The purpose of the information exchanges and the nature of the information have good impact on the society. Worries of community about e health risks and impact on environment are reduced while weaknesses are that they may be increased. Risk communication develops good relationships between company and other interest groups especially environmental conservationists and government agencies. there is a better educated community and publics these is communities become participants, in their own community localities and give them a sense of ownership of to activities within their environment The public help to contribute to the solutions of problems because they are involved and also and they become loyal consumers Other weaknesses of risk communication is the failure of many professional to agree on how to measured risk. Other disagree on how to describe risk communication The explanation of risk in terms of numbers bad scientific terms make it hard for the common man to understand and this mean that they don’t understand then they don’t accept whatever it is they are told including benefits of new products. Scientific information is not easy for majority of humankind and its serious problem. The professional have problems and they do not agree on risk levels hence thus poses individual counterproductive mechanisms in the mob psychology even from professionals. Recommendations for JDJ pharmaceuticals JDJ should implement the strategise of communication suggested in this report to achieve JDJ goals JDJ should put these communication theories into practice of risk communication Although the management involved the public and failed it must not assume it knows why the failure occurred because the consultants as well as those internal risk communicators could as well be responsible fro the failure of the process. Although it sis suggested to involved the public. This should be doe with caution as competitors of JDJ penetrate the public and use manipulation to create public outcry and this could be business sabotage by competitors who use group psychology as a weapon by targeting activists and media. Finally, JDJ should remember the seven cardinal rules of risk communication, (Vincent T. Covello and Frederick H.Allen 1988) 1. Accept and involve the public as a legitimate partner. 2. Plan carefully and evaluate your efforts. 3. Listen to the public's specific concerns. 4. Be honest, frank, and open. 5. Coordinate and collaborate with other credible sources. 6. Meet the needs of the media. 7. Speak clearly and with compassion There is also a checklist to use for an overview of Factors Influencing Risk Perception (Max R. Lum, Ed.D., M.P.A., and Tim L. Tinker, Dr.P.H., M.P.H. 1981.) People's perceptions of the magnitude of risk are influenced by factors other than numerical data. Risks perceived to are more accepted than risks perceived to Be voluntary Be imposed Be under an individual's control Be controlled by others Have clear benefits Have little or no benefit Be fairly distributed Be unfairly distributed Be natural Be manmade Be statistical Be catastrophic Be generated by a trusted source Be generated by an untrusted source Be familiar Be exotic Affect adults Affect children Remember also the questions checklist. These are the ten questions to ask while implementing the risk communication checklist (Barcuh Fishchoff, 1981) 1. Why are we communicating? 2. Who is our audience? 3. What do our audiences want to know? 4. What do we want to get across? 5. How will we communicate? 6. How will we listen? 7. How will we respond? 8. Who will carry out the plans? When? 9. What problems or barriers have we planned for? 10. Have we succeeded? References OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, (2-4 February 2004), Management of uncertainty in safety cases and the role of risk: workshop proceedings, Stockholm, Sweden, Issue 3502, radioactive waste management, OECD Publishing, 2005 Vincent T. Covello and Frederick H. Allen. (April 1998)Seven Cardinal Rules of Risk Communication. Pamphlet by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Max R. Lum, Ed.D. M.P.A., and Tim L. Tinker, Dr.P.H. M.P.H., (1994) A Primer on Health Risk Communication Principles and Practices. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Washington, DC. Baruch Fischoff, Sarah Lichtenstein, Paul Slovic, Stephen Derby, and Ralph Keeney.Acceptable Risk, New York: Cambridge University Press. 1981. Griffin, E. 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