Communication & Stakeholder Engagement Flashcards

A city council must engage residents about a controversial infrastructure project. Which stakeholder mapping criterion is most important to identify first?

Answer: Which stakeholders have high interest and high influence over the outcome

Interest-influence mapping prioritizes engagement resources by identifying who cares most and who can most affect the project's success.

An author argues that 'strategic ambiguity' in policy language can be a deliberate communication tool rather than a failure. This claim is best supported by which example?

Answer: A constitutional phrase intentionally broad enough to allow future reinterpretation by courts

Constitutional language is a classic example where deliberate vagueness enables long-term adaptability, fulfilling the author's claim about strategic ambiguity.

A passage argues that crisis communication requires prioritizing speed over accuracy. The strongest counterargument to this position is:

Answer: Premature inaccurate statements can compound a crisis by eroding public trust

Misinformation released hastily can destroy credibility and worsen outcomes, making accuracy a necessary constraint even under time pressure.

In negotiation theory, 'BATNA' most directly shapes which aspect of stakeholder communication?

Answer: The communicator's willingness to walk away and thus their leverage in dialogue

Knowing your Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement determines how firmly you communicate positions and whether concessions are warranted.

A researcher finds that communities with lower health literacy receive the same cardiovascular risk brochures as those with higher literacy. The most significant communication flaw identified is:

Answer: A one-size-fits-all approach ignores audience-specific comprehension needs

Effective health communication requires tailoring materials to the literacy level of the target audience to ensure comprehension and behavior change.

A corporate spokesperson states: 'We cannot comment on ongoing legal matters.' In terms of stakeholder communication, this response is best characterized as:

Answer: A legitimate boundary that protects legal interests while acknowledging the question

Acknowledging the question while citing a legitimate reason for non-disclosure is a standard and defensible communication boundary, not inherently deceptive.

Which rhetorical technique does a speaker use when citing expert testimony to validate a claim about climate policy to a skeptical audience?

Answer: Ethos — an appeal to credibility and authority

Citing experts transfers their authority to the speaker's position, which is the defining feature of an ethos-based appeal.