CPRS Stakeholder Relations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A company is planning a factory expansion that will affect nearby residents. Which stakeholder engagement approach is most appropriate BEFORE the project is announced publicly?
- Issue a press release to all media outlets simultaneously
- Conduct private briefings with community leaders and local officials (Correct answer)
- Post updates exclusively on the company website
- Wait for stakeholders to raise concerns before engaging
Correct answer: Conduct private briefings with community leaders and local officials
Proactive private briefings with key community stakeholders before a public announcement builds trust and allows concerns to be addressed early.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes a 'latent' stakeholder in PR theory?
- A stakeholder who is actively vocal about their concerns
- A stakeholder who has power but is unaware of or uninterested in the issue (Correct answer)
- A stakeholder who has been formally recognized in a stakeholder map
- A stakeholder who participates in all public comment periods
Correct answer: A stakeholder who has power but is unaware of or uninterested in the issue
Latent stakeholders possess power or interest but have not yet become active participants in the issue.
Question 3: A nonprofit's major donor expresses dissatisfaction via a private email. What is the FIRST action a PR specialist should take?
- Share the complaint with the board of directors immediately
- Acknowledge the concern promptly and schedule a personal conversation (Correct answer)
- Draft a public statement addressing the donor's concerns
- Forward the email to the fundraising department without responding
Correct answer: Acknowledge the concern promptly and schedule a personal conversation
Prompt, personal acknowledgment preserves the relationship and opens dialogue before escalating or broadcasting the issue.
Question 4: The practice of 'stakeholder mapping' primarily helps PR professionals:
- Design the company's organizational chart
- Identify, prioritize, and understand the interests of key audiences (Correct answer)
- Create media contact lists for press releases
- Determine advertising spend by demographic segment
Correct answer: Identify, prioritize, and understand the interests of key audiences
Stakeholder mapping visually plots audiences by influence and interest to help prioritize engagement strategies.
Question 5: During a crisis, a government regulator contacts your organization demanding immediate information. This stakeholder should be classified as:
- A secondary stakeholder with low urgency
- A definitive stakeholder with power, legitimacy, and urgency (Correct answer)
- A discretionary stakeholder requiring periodic updates
- A dormant stakeholder to be monitored but not engaged
Correct answer: A definitive stakeholder with power, legitimacy, and urgency
Mitchell, Agle, and Wood's salience model classifies stakeholders with all three attributes—power, legitimacy, urgency—as definitive.
Question 6: A technology firm's employees are leaking internal concerns to journalists. The BEST long-term stakeholder strategy to address this is:
- Implement strict non-disclosure agreements and monitor communications
- Create internal feedback channels and improve two-way communication with staff (Correct answer)
- Discipline employees who speak to media and issue a gag policy
- Hire an outside PR firm to manage all media inquiries
Correct answer: Create internal feedback channels and improve two-way communication with staff
Establishing robust internal communication channels addresses the root cause—employees feeling unheard—rather than just suppressing symptoms.
Question 7: Which metric is MOST useful for evaluating the effectiveness of a stakeholder engagement program over time?
- Number of press releases distributed
- Change in stakeholder trust and satisfaction scores across measurement periods (Correct answer)
- Total social media followers acquired
- Volume of media coverage generated
Correct answer: Change in stakeholder trust and satisfaction scores across measurement periods
Tracking shifts in trust and satisfaction scores directly measures whether stakeholder relationships are strengthening or deteriorating.
CPRS Stakeholder Relations 2
A company is planning a factory expansion that will affect nearby residents.
Which stakeholder engagement approach is most appropriate BEFORE the project is announced publicly?