ABSTRACT
Chapter 19 offered a sobering view on the effectiveness of issue conflicts in general and the reputation mechanism in particular. Despite countless codes of conduct, sustainability reports, new institutes and institutions, it is difficult to address societal issues effectively if relations remain fraught with tension. In the international arena the potential for confrontation increases, not least because rivalry extends beyond the firm to include also cultural and country rivalry. Confrontation triggers simplification and overly emotional statements. In this trend, the media play an important role. Comparative research in the UK shows that in 1974 the ratio of negative versus positive articles in newspapers was 3:1 and by 2001 it had shot up to 18:1 (Kamp, in ODE, March 2005:3). The bargaining society in action seems to generate greater confrontation, greater rivalry between models and institutions coupled with a sharper distinction between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.
