-

Abstract

Environmental activism is widespread and growing today, and consumers are aware of environmental problems. This has led companies to influence conscious consumers to prefer their products, to conceal the environmental problems their products cause, to avoid a negative social reputation resulting from the problems they cause, and to practice greenwashing to give the impression that the risks they take are socially acceptable by using the means and tactics of green public relations. Thus, companies budget for green public relations, conduct sustainability and social responsibility projects, and give financial support to environmental groups or do projects with them. This study concerns the development of environmental activism movement and analyzes in depth the concept of greenwashing. It discusses the relation between public relations and greenwashing, and its critics, offering a theoretical approach to the issue

Keywords

• Environmental activism, greenwash, public relations

Çevresel Aktivizm, Halkla İlişkiler ve Yeşil Aklama Üzerine Kuramsal Bir Bakış

Abstract

Yükselen ve yaygınlaşan çevresel aktivizm hareketi ve tüketicide çevre konusunda oluşan bilinç nedeniyle şirketler çevresel duyarlılığa sahip tüketiciyi kendi ürün ve hizmetlerini tercih etmeleri yönünde etkilemek, ürün ve hizmetlerinden doğan çevresel olumsuzlukları örtbas etmek, yol açtıkları sorunlarla ilgili olarak toplumun gözünde negatif bir imaj yaratmaktan kaçınmak ya da neden oldukları riskleri toplum nezdinde daha kabul edilebilir kılmak amacıyla yeşil aklama olarak tanımlanan faaliyetleri kullanmakta, bu bağlamda da yeşil halkla ilişkiler araç ve taktiklerinden yararlanmaktadırlar. Bu amaçla yeşil halkla ilişkiler faaliyetlerine bütçe ayırmakta, sürdürülebilirlik, kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk projeleri yürütmekte, çevresel gruplara parasal destekte bulunmakta ya da birlikte projeler yürütmektedirler. Çalışmada çevresel aktivizm hareketlerinin gelişimine değinilerek, yeşil aklama kavramı etraflı bir biçimde irdelenmiş, halkla ilişkiler ve yeşil aklama ilişkisi tartışılarak, halkla ilişkilere yeşil aklama konusunda yöneltilen eleştirilere değinilerek kuramsal bir bakış açısı ortaya konmuştur.

Keywords

• çevresel aktivizm, yeşil aklama, halkla ilişkiler

References

1. Bakan J (2004) The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, New York, Free Press Beder S (2002) Environmentalists Help Manage Corporate Reputation: Changing Perceptions Not Behaviour, Ecopolitics: Thought + Action, 1(4), 60-72.
2. Boele R, Fabig H ve Wheeler D (2001) Shell, Nigeria and the Ogoni. A Study in Unsustainable Development1: I. The Story of Shell, Nigeria and the Ogoni People Environment, Economy, Relationships: Conflict and Prospects For Resolution, Sustainable Development, Vol.9, 74-86
3. Boff L (2003) (Un)sustainable Development, National Catholic Reporter, 1 (5), www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/globalpers/gp043003.htm. 27 Ağustos 2014.
4. Bowen F, Correa J A A (2014) Greenwashing in Corporate Environmentalism Research and Practice: The Importance of What We Say and Do, Organization & Environment, Vol. 27(2) 107-112
5. Bullard R D ve Johnson G S (2000) Environmental Justice: Grassroots Activism and Its Impact on Public Policy Decision Making, Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 56, No. 3, 555-578.
6. Coombs W T ve Holladay S J (2012) Privileging An Activist vs. A Corporate View of Public Relations History in the U.S., Public Relations Review, 38, 347-353.
7. Deegan D (2007) Managing Activism: A Guide to Dealing with Activists and Pressure Groups, London, Kogan Page.
8. Delmas M A ve Vanessa C B (2011) The Drivers of Greenwashing, California Management Review, 54(1), 64-87.

9. Frankental P (2001) Corporate Social Responsibility-A PR Invention?, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 6 (1), 18-23.
10. Furlow N E (2010) Greenwashing in the New Millennium,Journal of Applied Business & Economics, 10(6), 22-25.
11. Gerlach L P (2001) The Structure of Social Movements: Environmental Activism and Its Opponents in Ed by. Arquilla, John & David Ronfeldt (2001). Networks and Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy, Pittsburgh, RAND.
12. Grunig L A (1992) Activism: How It Limits the Effectiveness of Organizations and How Excellent Public Relations Departments Respond, (Ed), James E. Grunig, Excellent Public Relations and Effective Organizations: A Study of Communication Management in Three Countries, New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
13. Karliner J (1997) The Corporate Planet, San Francisco, Sierra Club Books
14. Laufer W S (2003) Social Accountability and Corporate Greenwashing, Journal of Business Ethics, 43: 253–261.
15. Lenox M J ve Charles E E (2009) Private Environmental Activism and the Selection and Response of Firm Targets, Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 18 (1), Spring, 45-73.
16. L’etang J (1994) Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility: Some Issues Arising, Journal of Business Ethics, 13, 111-123.
17. Mayer R N, Scammon D L ve Zick C D (1993) Poisoning the Well: Do Environmental Claims Strain Consumer Credulity?, Advances in Consumer Research, 20, 698-703. Munshi D ve Kurian P (2005) Imperializing Spin Cycles: A Postcolonial Look at Public Relations, Greenwashing, and the Separation of Publics, Public Relations Review, 31, 513-20 .
18. Nakajima N (2001) Green Advertising and Green Public Relations as Integration Propaganda, Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 21(5), October, 334-348.
19. Polonsky M J, Bailey J, Baker H, Basche C, Jepson C ve Neath L (1998) Communicating Environmental Information: Are Marketing Claims on Packaging Misleading?, Journal of Business Ethics, 17, 281–294.
20. Raymond D (2003) Activism: Behind the Banners, S John & S Thomson (Eds.), New Activism and the Corporate Response, New York, Palgrave MacMillan.
21. Smith M F (2005) Activism, Encyclopedia of Public Relations, (Ed.), Robert Lawrence Heath, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, Volume I: A-L., 6-9.
22. Smith M F ve Ferguson D P (2001) Activism, R L Heath (Ed.), Handbook of Public Relations , Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications, 291–300.
23. Solman G (2008) Coloring Public Opinion? Adweek, 49 (2), 22.
24. Switzer J V (2003) Environmental Activism: A Reference Handbook, California, ABC-CLIO.
25. Wapner P (1996) Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics, New York,New York State University of New York Pres.
26. Zimmer M R, Thomas F S ve Stafford M R (1994) Green Issues: Dimensions of Environmental Concern, Journal of Business Research, 30, 63-74.
27. Zinkhan G M ve Carlson L (1995)Green Advertising and the Reluctant Consumer, Journal of Advertising, XXIV( 2), 1-6.