Public communication of animal welfare:

The case of animal-related sports bodies

Horses in sport and welfare perspectives

Julie Fiedler, Kate Ames, Kirrilly Thompson

Animal Intersections ConferenceAdelaide, July 2017

iStock

1With acknowledgement to support received from Horse SA www.horsesa.asn.au

This presentation is based on a literature review in preparation for a Masters in Communication (by Research) with Central Queensland University, Australia.

Horses in sport and welfare perspectives - how the attitudes of horse organisation members about horse welfare can inform the design of a communication framework for

horses-in-sport organisations seeking to negotiate a social licence to operate.

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 2

Contents

What is social licence to operate?

Animals and disruptive technologies

About social licence to operate

Social licence to operate and the media

Social licence and sport involving animals

Social capital

Considerations for a communication framework

Summary

Julie Fiedler

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 3

What is a social licence to operate?

Challenges for horses-in-sports organisations lie in reconciling the expectations of

• the public ^• the horse-in-sport organisation

management• the participants

about horse welfare, so that the activity may continue.

This organisation-public discourse called a Social Licence to Operate (SLO).

Ultimately SLO can influence the conditions under which the activity takes place.

^ public may include research, government

iStockAnimal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 4

The term ‘social licence to operate’ originates from the mining industry, traditionally a ‘right to mine’ between the company and the community.

SLO involving animals in sport potentially have two further dimensions;

• sport fans • the horse

One way to mitigate against a negative organisation-public discourse is by designing a communication framework which incorporates measures for organisations to address SLO.

However there is a knowledge gap:How do organisational members talk about their attitudes to welfare?

(& therefore participate effectively in the organisation- public discourse)

iStockAnimal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 5

Animals and disruptive technologies

Historically, animals have been entwined in human lives e.g. war, farming.

Today, animals intersect with humans in expanded roles e.g. sport, social & therapy activities.

Coupled with this expanded role is the power of disruptive technologies.

An audience can watch horses-in-sport regardless of the geographical location at which the activity takes place.

The audience is worldwide, in real or delayed time, with more people witnessing human-animal interactions than ever.

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 6

This new audience is potentially naïve, which leads to a level of questioning relating to legitimacy.

The profile of animal welfare is raised in wider society; this can call into question

• human motives• money• cultural relevance • transparency of business practices

This confusion/contest of ideas leads to alienation and disparity amongst sporting participants, fans and advocates.

iStockiStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 7

About Social Licence to Operate (SLO)

Public participation in an SLO discourse about horses in sport commences when there is a perception that the horse’s welfare is at risk.

This challenges the organisation’s legitimacy of practising their chosen sport.

In turn, leading to a possible erosion of the public’s trust in the ability of the sport to conduct its business transparently.

iStockAnimal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 8

Further confusion arises surrounding the term ‘licence’ due to linkages with the field of economics, as it implies a binary agreement.

Instead:

• no single entity issues a social licence

• it is not a written document• withdrawal can take place at

any time

A SLO discourse operates along a continuum, and at multiple levels, with many valid smaller SLOs at given points.

iStockAnimal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 9

An existing level of social licence is automatically held by any organisation legitimately established and trading under relevant government laws.

However, if the public perceives that the horse is at risk, SLO can be lost or erodedleading to:

• financial risk exposure• loss of reputation • loss of trust• questioning of transparency

-or cessation of the sport.

Failure by the organisation to participate in the public discourse could be perceived that the organisation has something to hide.

iStockAnimal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 10

Confusion also arises as there are multiple representations from those who claim to be the agent for the horse.

For example:• government regulation (animal welfare)• horse sports organisation management• researchers• the public• horse owners

Each is purporting to represent the horse, yet the dialogue is conflicting and contentious.

From an organisational communication framework perspective, do members understand what a social licence to operate is? or are members able to articulate messages for the organisation in a manner that resonates with contemporary public expectations?

iStock Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 11

Social licence to operate and the media

Expressing outrage against an organisation on social media is easy to do.

Outrage is amplified by journalists who position stories for the optimum sharing of reader feedback.

‘If it bleeds it leads’ or ‘click-bait’

Many organisations seek to reduce threats to reputation through moderating social commentary to such a level that there is a loss of the ‘social’ aspect.

iStockAnimal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 12

Social media platforms are not set up to allow the telling of long, complicated or technical stories, or for adding context.

For example, Facebook enables users to divide up a story with many interconnected parts into single snapshots, or ‘frames’.

Framing focuses on one aspect of a story, usually the crisis, acting in turn to solicit negative posts from community members who until this point had not spoken.

Framing provides challenges for organisations seeking to manage their online reputation, especially if reputation restoration is required.

iStockAnimal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 13

Facebook, or similar platforms which appears to be the cause of a problem, also offer insights into the solution.

While at many times social media has been very controversial, the business viability and user support continues.

Core to the success is the maintenance of the ‘social’ aspect whereby users are encouraged to co-create knowledge.

e.g. third party application developers invited to design tools to further enhance the interaction of users to enhance their social experience.

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 14

Social licence to operate and sport involving animals

Research related to farming found that it takes strong leadership to negotiate with stakeholders persistently magnifying their power through the media.

In the farming case studies, it was found that the long-term costs are unevenly worn by the farmer.

The application of pressure on a horse-sport organisation in relation to an issue can also occur through organisational entities including government.

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 15

Organisations need to find a way to use a combination of leadership and the leveraging the of institutionalized administration structures to broker a way forward for horse welfare and greater long-term public acceptance of the sport.

The organisation acts to safeguard its practices amongst diverse stakeholders, resulting in long-term cost savings and reduced risk to ongoing operations

However, the responsibility for SLO rests with all people who care for horses, not just the overarching

administration structure.

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 16

Social capital

Social capital is the common resource inherent in social relations that facilitate collective action.

The resources include trust and a culture which values reciprocity.

Behaviours include

• Bargaining for resources• negotiation of agreeable positions• mobilisation of collective action • ability to exert influence in political

processes

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 17

Social capital exists in formalised structures e.g.

• government • registered non-profit organisation • horse trail riding group

All structures have the ability of reciprocity as a function of standardised group practices.

Therefore, the stronger the social capital of an organisation, the better positioned it is for participation within a SLO discourse.

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 18

Considerations for a communication framework

The digital age has irreversibly changed the traditional institutionalisedapproach to:

• co-creation of knowledge• sharing of ideas • decision making

The convergence of digital technologies is likewise affecting change in the common understanding of concepts such as ‘good’ and ‘trust’

e.g.‘Trust’ is devolved (Trivago, Uber)‘Good’ is the responsibility of all & integrated into everything we do, not just offset with acts of philanthropy.

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 19

Technologies have resulted in:

• flattening of power structures• increased, uncontrolled movement

of information internally and externally

Leading to people walking away from conversations and challenging democratic processes.

Failure to recognise and manage the disruption of technology increases the risk of the organisation becoming meaningless for members.

iStockAnimal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 20

Organisational oblivion can be avoided…

The contemporary communication framework will need to include organisational listening skills, and ways to acknowledging member and stakeholder contributions to the SLO dialogue

e.g.• identification of key players (social

leaders) • understanding cultural contexts and

language, acknowledgement of cultural adjustments

• develop ways to link #socialcapitol• construct permission to build trust and

legitimacy into authoritarian structures • leverage relationships to foster socially

acceptable outcomes for the organisation which are long-term

• Include tools to facilitate reciprocity, transparency & multi-layered conversations

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 21

A further way to manage the risks of being involved in a SLO dialogue is through reporting on SLO progress.

Reporting is a form of organisational accountability and guides a way forward for future negotiations.

A report adds to the social capital resources held by an organisation.

A successful communication framework will be recognised throughengaged, empowered members acting as a social asset and demonstrating social leadership.

These are skills required to participate in an SLO discourse.

iStock

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 22

Summary

In public debates, agitated by disruptive technologies, there are many voices providing representations on behalf of the horse.

A SLO is a complex, contested, multi-layered dialogue.

Active participation in an SLO is described as

• listening• reflective• collaborative and; • facilitates the co-creation of

knowledge.

No organisation is exempt.

iStockAnimal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 23

iStock

Summary con’t.

From an organisational communication framework perspective, do members understand what a social licence to operate is? or are members able to articulate messages for the organisation in a manner that resonates with contemporary public expectations?

SLO rests with all people who care for animals, not just the overarching sports administration structure

The challenge is to develop a communication framework which leverages stakeholders to become significant long-term collaborators, and as a result, the organisation remains relevant in modern society.

Which in turn, facilitates continuous improvement in animal welfare.Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 24

iStock

Thank you

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 25

Julie FiedlerStudent (Masters in Communication)Central Queensland UniversityE julie.fiedler@cqumail.com

Dr Kate AmesSenior Lecturer Professional Communication School of Education and the ArtsCentral Queensland University, AustraliaE k.ames@cqu.edu.au

Assoc. Professor Kirrilly ThompsonPrincipal Researcher & Cultural AnthropologistCentral Queensland University, AustraliaE kirrilly.thompson@cqu.edu.au

With acknowledgement to support received from Horse SA www.horsesa.asn.au

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 26

ReferencesBart, L., Herm, J., Edward, C. M., Marcel van, B., Pelin, A., Werner, H. K., & Ming-Hui, H. (2013). Value fusion; The blending of consumer and firm value in the distinct context of mobile technologies and social media. Journal of Service Management, 24(3), 268-293. doi: 10.1108/09564231311326996Berger, C. (2011). Losing a social licence can hurt, Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/business/losing-a-social-licence-can-hurt-20110717-1hk1l.htmlBice, S., & Moffat, K. (2014). Social licence to operate and impact assessment. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 32(4), 257-262. doi: 10.1080/14615517.2014.950122Black, L. (2013). The Social Licence to Operate: Your Management Framework for Complex Times. United Kingdom: Greenleaf Publishing Limited.Black, L. (2014). Your social licence to operate: Risk protection through sustainable community development. Governance Directions, 66(1), 12. Black, L., & Bice, S. (2011). Defining the elusive and essential social licence to operate. Retrieved 13 August, 2016, from http://accsr.com.au/defining-the-elusive-and-essential-social-licence-to-operate/Bolt, A. (2013). How do you get a "social licence"? From whom?, Herald Sun. Retrieved from http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/how-do-you-get-a-social-licence-from-whom/news-story/cf1f943476bd0244cf08b73338b8ec38Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a Theory of Practice. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.Brown, M. (2015). Greyhound industry kills up to 17,000 young dogs, warned about being shut down, inquiry hears. Retrieved 30 April, 2016, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-28/nsw-greyhound-racing-industry-in-crisis-inquiry-hears/6809724Cao, Q., Lu, Y., Dong, D., Tang, Z., & Li, Y. (2013). The roles of bridging and bonding in social media communities. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 64(8), 1671-1681. doi: 10.1002/asi.22866Clarke, D. R. (2014). Trust is at the heart of social licence, Canadian Cattleman. Retrieved from http://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/2014/09/29/trust-is-at-the-heart-of-social-licence/Colman, E. (2016, 26 July, 2016). Greyhound poll result revealed as harness racing says “whips are next”, News Local. Retrieved from http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/news/greyhound-poll-result-revealed-as-harness-racing-says-whips-are-next/news-story/98ae43d36718b8b771d5d2df85d94f15Cuckson, P. (2016, 4 February 2016). Endurance racing in UAE brought to halt as FEI seeks assurances about horse protection, The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/horseracing/12140747/Endurance-racing-in-UAE-brought-to-halt-as-FEI-seeks-assurances-about-horse-protection.htmlDare, M., Schirmer, J., & Vanclay, F. (2014). Community engagement and social licence to operate. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 32(3), 188-197. doi: 10.1080/14615517.2014.927108David Weber, L. G. (2016). Harness Racing Australia to ban use of whips over animal welfare concerns and 'industry's image'. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-10/harness-racing-australia-to-ban-whips-from-trots/8109250Delahunty, V. (2015). What is ‘Social Licence’ and why do I care? [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.vff.org.au/vff/Documents/UDV%20-%20Hotline%20January%202015.pdfDr. Hanfried Haring. (2017). Expert Commentary: The Social License. http://www.euroequestrian.eu/media/expert-commentaryEllis, E. (2016). Comment: Greyhound ban shows need for joined-up thinking across all animal industries. http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/07/12/comment-greyhound-ban-shows-need-joined-thinking-across-all-animal-industriesEtter, M. A., & Vestergaard, A. (2015). Facebook and the public framing of a corporate crisis. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 20(2), 163-177. doi: 10.1108/ccij-10-2013-0082Feighery, A. (2012). Facebook is for bonding, Twitter is for bridging: Contextualizing social media involvement as help-seeking behavior. Retrieved 25 March, 2017, from http://www.scoop.it/t/social-media-in-healthcare-evaluation/p/2285697520/2012/07/31/facebook-is-for-bonding-twitter-is-for-bridging-contextualizing-social-media-involvement-as-help-seeking-behaviorFenner, K., Yoon, S., White, P., Starling, M., & McGreevy, P. (2016). The Effect of Noseband Tightening on Horses' Behavior, Eye Temperature, and Cardiac Responses.(Report). PLoS ONE, 11(5). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154179

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 27

Fiedler, J. M., McGreevy, P. D., & Thompson, K. (2016). Reconciling Horse Welfare, Worker Safety, and Public Expectations: Horse Event Incident Management Systems in Australia. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 6(3). doi: 10.3390/ani6030016Garson, G. D. (2006). Social capitol theory. In H. University (Ed.).Government, Q. (2013). Social Impact Assessment Guidelines (pp. 13). Australia.Heugten, K. v. (2004). Managing Insider Research. Qualitative Social Work, 3(2), 203-219. doi: doi:10.1177/1473325004043386Höijer, B. (2011). Social representations theory. A new theory for media research. Nordicom review, 32(2), 3-16. Jijelava, D., & Vanclay, F. (2014). Social licence to operate through a gender lens: The challenges of including women's interests in development assistance projects. Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal, 1-11. doi: 10.1080/14615517.2014.933505Johar, I. (2017). The future of good. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7bm1laoxNs&index=31&list=PLbVNzuvdu2nAdvRS8QYVUWwsyxnK-mOddJulien, C. (2015). Bourdieu, Social Capital and Online Interaction. Sociology, 49(2), 356-373. doi: 10.1177/0038038514535862Kathleen M. Wilburn, R. W. (2011). Achieving social licence to operate using stakeholder theory. Journal of International Business Ethics, 4(2). Keller, B., Labrique, A., Jain, K., Pekosz, A., & Levine, O. (2014). Mind the Gap: Social Media Engagement by Public Health Researchers. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(1). doi: 10.2196/jmir.2982Kelly, A. (2016). The Whip - It's In Your Hands DVD Released [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.harness.org.au/news-article.cfm?news_id=29141Kennedy, A. K., & Sommerfeldt, E. J. (2015). A Postmodern Turn for Social Media Research: Theory and Research Directions for Public Relations Scholarship. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 23(1), 31-45. doi: 10.1080/15456870.2015.972406König Von Borstel, U., & McGreevy, P. D. (2014). Behind the vertical and behind the times (Vol. 202).Krieger, J., Gallois, C., Ashworth, P., Leach, J., & Moffat, K. (2017). The Language of Science and Social Licence to Operate. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 36(1), 45-60. doi: 10.1177/0261927X16663254Kylar Loussikian, E. R. (2016, 11 July, 2016). Thoroughbreds boss feared greyhounds ban, The Australian. Retrieved from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/thoroughbreds-boss-feared-greyhounds-ban/news-story/f1aafd851d1111785a0586b22f3be5a1Lacey, J. (2013). Can you legislate a social licence to operate? Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/can-you-legislate-a-social-licence-to-operate-10948Lai, L., & To, W. M. (2015). Content analysis of social media: A grounded theory approach. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 16(2), 138-152. Leith, P., Ogier, E., & Haward, M. (2014). Science and Social License: Defining Environmental Sustainability of Atlantic Salmon Aquaculture in South-Eastern Tasmania, Australia. Social Epistemology, 28(3-4), 277-296. doi: 10.1080/02691728.2014.922641Macnamara, J. (2016a). Organizational listening. The Missing Essential in Public Communication. New York: Peter Lang Publishing Inc.Macnamara, J. (2016b). Organizational listening: Addressing a major gap in public relations theory and practice. Journal of Public Relations Research, 28(3-4), 146-169. doi: 10.1080/1062726X.2016.1228064Mancini, P. (2017). Designing democracy for an new generation [Vlog]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY11LH2E_58&list=PLbVNzuvdu2nAdvRS8QYVUWwsyxnK-mOdd&index=21Martin, P. (2011). Defending the Social Licence of Farming Issues, Challenges and New Directions for Agriculture. Melbourne: Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing.McLean, A. N., & McGreevy, P. D. (2010). Ethical equitation: Capping the price horses pay for human glory. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 5(4), 203-209. doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2010.04.003Melé, D., & Armengou, J. (2016). Moral Legitimacy in Controversial Projects and Its Relationship with Social License to Operate: A Case Study. J Bus Ethics, 136(4), 729-742. doi: 10.1007/s10551-015-2866-zMoran, S. (2017). Whip ban inevitable. Retrieved from https://www.racenet.com.au/news/129994/OPINION:-Steve-Moran-%E2%80%93-Whip-ban-inevitableNewman, N. (2009). The rise of social media and its impact on mainstream journalism: . Reuters Institute.Paine, N. (2016). Weatherill is right to seek a "social licence" on nuclear industry. from http://indaily.com.au/opinion/2016/05/20/weatherill-is-right-to-seek-a-social-licence-on-nuclear-industry/Parsons, R., Lacey, J., & Moffat, K. (2014). Maintaining legitimacy of a contested practice: How the minerals industry understands its ‘social licence to operate’. Resources Policy, 41, 83-90. doi: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2014.04.002Parsons, R., & Moffat, K. (2014). Constructing the Meaning of Social Licence. Social Epistemology, 28(3-4), 340-363. doi: 10.1080/02691728.2014.922645Putnam, R. (2001, 2001). Social Capital: Measurement and Consequences. Isuma, 41-51.

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 28

Putnam, R. (2005). Bowling alone. In R. Putnam (Ed.), (Vol. 27, pp. 155-167).Richardson, L.-J. (2015). Micro-blogging and Online Community. Internet Archaeology(39). doi: 10.11141/ia.39.2Sabatini, F. (2009). Social capital as social networks: A new framework for measurement and an empirical analysis of its determinants and consequences. Journal of Socio-Economics, 38(3), 429-442. doi: 10.1016/j.socec.2008.06.001Smith, S. S., & Kulynych, J. (2002). It May be Social, But Why is it Capital? The Social Construction of Social Capital and the Politics of Language. Politics & Society, 30(1), 149-186. doi: 10.1177/0032329202030001006Snell, H. (2010). Cultural Theory: An Anthology (Vol. 41, pp. 249). Calgary: Johns Hopkins University Press.Storr, V. H., & Haeffele-Balch, S. (2012). Post-disaster Community Recovery in Heterogeneous, Loosely Connected Communities. Review of Social Economy, 70(3), 295. doi: 10.1080/00346764.2012.662786Teh-White, K. (2011). Social licence to operate is not simply theory but new way to manage. from http://www.smh.com.au/business/social-licence-to-operate-is-not-simply-theory-but-new-way-to-manage-20111109-1n7e8.htmlThomas, H. (2016, July 30, 2016). Greyhound racing industry dogged to its death by ‘social licence’, The Weekend Australian. Retrieved from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/greyhound-racing-industry-dogged-to-its-death-by-social-licence/news-story/bcd1045f8b1d199fe2f98188bea698faVoyer, M., Gladstone, W., & Goodall, H. (2015). Obtaining a social licence for MPAs – influences on social acceptability. Marine Policy, 51, 260-266. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2014.09.004Wasko, M., & Di Gangi, P. (2016). Social Media Engagement Theory: Exploring the Influence of User Engagement on Social Media Usage. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing (JOEUC), 28(2), 53-73. doi: 10.4018/JOEUC.2016040104Weatherill, J. (2015). Debate and Decide [Vlog]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT-QoM1NQbI

Animal Intersections July 2017 Julie Fiedler 29