Public Relations

Public Relations

Latonya Louden

Strayer University

07/28/2019

Professor Janet Largaespade

1. Nonprofit organization: World Vision

The organization, in this case, is World Vision International. This is a non-profit organization which engages in humanitarian aid and development. The organization is Christian-based and operates on a religious foundation. The organization identifies itself as interdenominational and goes ahead to employ individuals from non-evangelical Christian denominations.

Mission

The following is the mission statement of World Vision

“…to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in working with the poor and the oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice, and bear witnesses to the good news of the Kingdom of God.”

Concerning the mission statement, the organization is established to help the needy and uplift them both physically and spiritually from a Christian perspective (World Vision, 2019).

Purpose

Drawing from the organization's mission statement, one of the primary goals is to transform the society by targeting the poor, the needy, and the children by uplifting them through the provision of sustainable assistance. The organization also purpose is to provide emergency relief to the victims of disasters or conflicts. The word vision also looks forward to the promotion of justice in society by changing the unjust structures that affect the poor because they cannot adequately defend themselves. The organization also works together with churches for the interest of contributing to both spiritual and social transformation. The overall purpose of the World Vision is to help the needy by positively transforming their lives (World Vision, 2019).

2. Events that created negative publicity

The major event that caused the negative publicity is when the World Vision openly declared that it would hire individuals that have engaged in same-sex marriages. This is the origin of the public relations crisis at the World Vision, given the fact that it is a Christian-based organization. Concerning the Bible, which is the most potent spiritual book in the Christian life on which World Vision is based, same-sex marriages are not allowed. This left the supporters and partners of the World Vision confused because the organization went against the Christian principles.

Concerning the story of creation, God created a man and a woman, and this implies that Christians only recognize marriages that exist between a man and a woman and not between individuals of the same gender. As much as this are also members of the society who need assistance from Christians, they should not actively take part in Christian matters because they have gone against moral principles. By agreeing to hire LGBT, the World Vision greatly tainted its public image, and this significantly affected how it is perceived.

Despite the apology from the leadership of the organization following the incident, the supporters of World Vision change their perspective toward the organization because they believe the direction only apologized to satisfy their supporters but deep inside they might still hire individuals who have engaged in same-sex marriages. It is essential for organizations to always stick to their guiding principles and values to maintain the support and the trust of the public (Vanvactor, 2015). Going against this will hurt its public image.

3. Goals for the campaign

The overall goal that the campaign will try to achieve is basically to win the public trust, given the fact that the organization service billions across the globe. The first goal is to enable the public to understand that the organization does not hire employees who are married to partners of the same sex. The campaign will also focus on convincing the public to believe that the apology was sincere, and the organization has implemented it for the benefit of all stakeholders. The third goal of the campaign is to encourage the public to keep supporting the cause of the World Vision because it has good intentions for the less fortunate in society. It is noted that through the operation of any organization, there are instances that mistakes can be made and they might significantly affect the image of such an organization. It is essential to make sure that measures are put in place to focus on cleaning the picture and winning back the trust of the public (Bernays, 2013).

The goals stated above are justified because they will play a key role in enabling the organization to win back the trust of its supporters and partners. The goals focus on the right position of the World Vision, and the achievement of these goals will mean that the campaign has been successful. For instance, the completion of the purpose of convincing the public that the organization reversed its position on hiring employees who are engaged in same-sex marriages will play a critical role in maintaining the support at the partnership of the current stakeholders. It will be a confirmation that the organization indeed is sticking to its moral principles by ensuring that it does not bend the Christian values for the interest of accommodating a section of the society. Whenever a crisis arises, it is the responsibility of the management team to convince stakeholders that all is well (Bernays, 2013).

4. Steps to achieve the goals

i. Insisting on opposite-sex marriages

One of the ways to achieve the goals is by making it required that if by any chance a job applicant is married, then they must be married to partners of the opposite sex. This step will ensure that the element of same-sex marriage is wholly eliminated.

ii. Openly campaigning against same-sex marriage

To convince the public that World Vision was sincere in apologizing about the same-sex marriage incident, it should engage in a campaign that discourages same-sex marriages. This will assure the public that indeed, the organization is sincere in its effort to discourage homosexuality.

iii. Focus on its mission to support the needy and the poor

World Vision needs to stick to its mission and purpose of delivering its services to the needy and the poor. This will convince the supporters that indeed, the organization is still guided by its primary principles of Christianity. The partners and supporters will keep doing what they can to make sure the organization can meet its goals and objectives.

5. Evaluation plan

The evaluation plan seeks to assist the organization in determining whether or not the crisis has been effectively handled as well as the extent of the effectiveness. The project will assess the outcome of the campaign by taking a survey of the public opinion about World Vision. The evaluation plan will also reveal the types of marriages that the employees of World Vision are engaged in.

References

Bernays, E. (2013). Public Relations. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.

Vanvactor, J. (2015). Crisis Management: A Leadership Perspective. New York: Nova Science Publishers.

World Vision. (2019). Mission & Values. Retrieved from https://www.worldvision.org/about-us/mission-statement