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Coffee as a Medium for Ethical, Social, and Political Messages: Organizational Legitimacy and Communication

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Abstract

This research examines how an organization, Thanksgiving Coffee, establishes and maintains its legitimacy with its constituent publics. In line with Boyd’s (2000, Journal of Public Relations Research 12(4), 341–353.) concept of actional legitimacy, Thanksgiving Coffee demonstrates a legitimation strategy addressing social issues and by responding to ethical and political questions. Applying Fisher’s (1984, Communication Monographs 51, 1–18) concepts of narrative fidelity and probability, Thanksgiving Coffee’s policies and communication activities were found to alleviate the social issues to which they were addressed and therefore reinforce perceptions of legitimacy among publics. Viewing the influence of organizations from a different perspective, this study provides an example of how the policies of an organization can have a positive impact on the broader society in which it operates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication, Northern Kentucky University, Nunn Drive, 116 Landrum, Highland Heights, KY, 41099, USA

    Gregory Gustave De Blasio

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  1. Gregory Gustave De Blasio
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Correspondence to Gregory Gustave De Blasio.

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Gregory G. De Blasio teaches courses related to business communication, public relations writing, and marketing communication campaigns. His research interests include the study of communication campaigns as they relate to social issues and organizational legitimacy. Dr. De Blasio joined the Communication Department at Northern Kentucky University in 2004. His Ph.D. in communication is from Wayne State University. He received his M.A. from the Pennsylvania State University and his B.A. from William Paterson University. A past International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) board member and chapter president in Detroit, Greg has provided public relations and marketing communication counsel to clients based in Detroit and elsewhere.

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De Blasio, G.G. Coffee as a Medium for Ethical, Social, and Political Messages: Organizational Legitimacy and Communication. J Bus Ethics 72, 47–59 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9155-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-006-9155-9

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