Its wide coverage and easily quantifiable causes corporations to pay more attention to the media. In fact, this step is not completely effective.
For this reason, corporations should conduct stakeholder mapping. This theory, which is known as stakeholder mapping, starts with the question: what are the most effective ways and channels when a company will build relationships and communicate with key stakeholders?
To get there, the company must first determine the goals it wants to achieve and identify the issues that will arise when achieving these goals. Then, understand and determine who the stakeholders are considered important because they can be influenced and influence the strategic objectives of the company so that they must be invited to communicate.
According to the President Director and Principal Consultant of Kiroyan Partners Public Affairs Anton Rizki Sulaiman, the theory that emerged for the first time from management science aims to determine and map who are the stakeholders who can influence the achievement of the goals set by the company. Met by PR INDONESIA at his office in Jakarta, Monday (27/5/2019), he reviewed some of the benefits of stakeholder mapping.
First, the company has and is able to maintain its competitive advantage. Second, know who they should pay attention to, especially when carrying out corporate social responsibility programs. And third, the company is more focused on building and establishing relationships with key stakeholders. “As a result, companies can be more precise in determining issues and the public to target. They can also use budgets and resources as effectively as possible,” he said.
“Don’t get caught up in bias when mapping stakeholders,” said Anton, Kiroyan Partners.
Bias
However, it is not an easy matter to map stakeholders. This is because companies are often trapped by several biases. Among other things, power bias, interest bias, elite bias, and purpose bias. Power bias occurs because there is a myth that is believed by the company against someone who is considered to have great power and can influence business activities. Meanwhile, interest bias occurs when a company considers certain stakeholders important because those concerned are often encountered. For example, for public relations (PR), the media are the main stakeholders because they often interact. Another with the HR division. They prefer trade unions as priority stakeholders.
The elite can grow because of one’s character or strategic position. “Sometimes we just build a relationship with the leader because it is considered to have represented the members. Even though this is not always the case,” said Anton while emphasizing that building downward relations is equally important. Lastly, purpose bias or tends to pay more attention to those who have a big share behind the company.
In order not to fall into bias, companies must focus on the goals that have been set. Well, this is where PR comes in. “Public relations is the mouth and ears of a company,” said the holder of the Licencié en Science Politique degree, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. They are also tasked with providing input (insight), and together with the management to understand and balance the various interests of many divisions/departments, including shareholders.
For that, there needs to be a communication director in the board room who has the role of regulating the company’s relationship as an institution to stakeholders and the direction of communication. What is certain is that stakeholder mapping is not an activity that only needs to be done once and then it is considered complete. Instead, it will be done again if the company is faced with an issue or has new goals to be achieved. For example, a new product launch. “Stakeholders mapping is not attached. It can be adjusted depending on the purpose,” he concluded.
Anton Rizki
Managing Director & President, Kiroyan Partners
This article has been published in PR Indonesia magazine 51st Edition, issued on June 2019, page 24.
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