Business and Society

• Businesses with a tarnished reputation as a result of pressure group activity may find it more difficult to recruit employees.

How might businesses react to pressure groups?

• By positively responding to the issues raised by pressure groups. It was argued that pressure from Greenpeace contributed to Shell’s decision not to dump the Brent Spar oil platform in the North Sea in 1995. Instead it was dismantled and used to build a ferry quay in Norway. Similarly, local pressure groups have been successful in persuading some firms to change building plans and landscape nearby areas.

• Through promotions and public relations. Firms can attempt to counteract negative publicity through their own promotional and public relations work. For example, a number of oil companies which have been criticised for their impact upon the environment have sought to deal with this by promoting the `greener’ aspects of their industry, such as the availability of lead free petrol.

• A number of leading firms either lobby politicians themselves or pay for the services of professional lobbyists to represent their interests.

• Legal action. Where pressure groups make false allegations about a business, this can be dealt with by the legal system. For example, allegations by pressure groups that McDonald’s were contributing to the destruction of the Amazonian rainforest were dealt with through legal action in the courts.