Company Spokesperson Research Articles

Community Development Programs on Palm Oil Plantation Industry in Aceh Tamiang - Indonesia: the Participation of Opinion Leaders in Information Governance

Understanding the different disputes that have occurred in the Aceh Tamiang oil palm plantation sector requires a communication strategy focused on teaching ideals that are in harmony with community social life. The study of plantation disputes in Aceh Tamiang demonstrates how the function of opinion leaders from formal actors as corporate spokespersons opens up communication channels that have previously been blocked. The community can express its desired ambitions to the firm through opinion leaders that the company has deployed. The business also takes formal village actors into account as opinion leaders in order to comprehend the needs and circumstances of its citizens. “Datok Penghulu”, the local chief, was officially selected by the corporation to serve as its public relations representative. This opinion leader's function as a company spokesperson at least includes creating community development (CD) initiatives, coordinating CD initiatives with the company, and promoting programs to the community.

Strategi Marketing Public Relations Auto2000

The business competition in the current era of digitalization is increasingly fierce, so companies need to adapt and are required to have good and innovative strategies. This research aims to analyze and describe the sustainability of Marketing Public Relations strategies at Auto2000 PT. Astra International Tbk. The theory used in this study is the Marketing Public Relations theory proposed by Kotler & Armstrong, which includes 9 tools of Marketing Public Relations: Publications, Events, Identity Media, News, Speeches, Public Service Activities, Sponsorship, Press Relations, and Product and Brand Publicity. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method, which is a problem-solving procedure investigated by describing the state of the research object based on existing facts. The data collection method employed was through interviews. The Publications involved creating persuasive, informative, and educational content to attract customers using social media. The Events activities included organizing a series of events aimed at introducing new products and sustaining various campaigns to increase brand awareness. For Identity Media, Auto2000 emphasized the characteristics of the logo and the use of dominant colors for each published content. In the News activities, Auto2000 utilized the website and made efforts to obtain organic news from mass media. For Speeches, a company spokesperson was appointed to deliver credible information and clarify issues. The Public Service Activities involved social initiatives as a form of responsive services and social assistance. Sponsorships supported events relevant to the company. Press Relations efforts were made to build good relationships with the media. For Product and Brand Publicity, Auto2000 ensured the quality of services and products, complemented by high publicity.

How spokespeople help or hurt business through crisis messaging: experiments testing the roles of narratives, non-narratives and counterargument

PurposeWhen an audience mentally counterargues a spokesperson, the message is backfiring. In such cases, audience members are practically persuading themselves to take the opposite position advocated by the spokesperson. Yet spokespeople who are professional persuaders serving corporations often seem to instill counterargument. This paper examines the role of counterargument as the conduit through which a spokesperson's different message types affect a company during a crisis. The authors explore the paradox of spokespeople's (in)effectiveness by testing divides in research drawn from normative crisis communication theory, narrative persuasion theory and the theory of reporting bias.Design/methodology/approachTwo controlled, randomized experiments are reported. Participants (total N = 828) watch video clips of media interviews of a company spokesperson fielding questions about a scandal.FindingsIn the first study, non-narrative information most effectively bolsters purchase intentions and reduces negative word-of-mouth. The effect is mediated by decreased counterargument. The second study replicates the results concerning on-topic narratives compared with spinning, while on-topic narratives and non-narratives perform equally well.Originality/valueThis study addresses conflicts between two distinct traditions of theory as well as between normative crisis communication and its frequent practice. Reducing counterargument matters in the context of non-narrative persuasion, and non-narratives can perform at least as well as narratives in crisis communication.

Effects of narratives and parasocial interaction on consumer behavioral intentions

ABSTRACT Drawing upon parasocial interaction theory, this paper examines the impact of narratives. A randomized experiment (N = 365) is reported in which a company spokesperson in a televised news interview is questioned about a scandal. The spokesperson replies to the journalist with (a) on-topic narratives, (b) off-topic narrative spinning, or (c) nonnarrative information. Multiple mediator modeling indicates nonnarrative information most effectively bolsters the audience’s purchase intentions and reduces negative word-of-mouth. The effect is mediated by parasocial interaction reducing counterargument. Viewers react most adversely to off-topic narrative spinning.

Society Frowns Upon Spinning and So Do the Alleged Spin Doctors: Tests of Present and Future Crisis Communicators Responding to Spin in the Media

ABSTRACT Although spin pervades mass communication, crisis communicators claim that they share society’s aversion to spin. Grounded upon image repair theory and the practical model for ethical decision making, we report two experiments testing the reactions of crisis communicators exposed to a media interview in which a company spokesperson either spins or provides answers in line with normative crisis communication. Study 1 (N = 261 public relations practitioners and professional journalists) tests whether crisis communicators’ cognitions align with those working in the media and with normative theory. Study 2 (N = 315 public relations students aspiring to work in the industry) provides a replication of Study 1 concerning the processing of spin, and adds perceived competence as a theoretical variable. The studies indicate that present and future crisis communicators have positive attitudes toward the organization under scrutiny, sense more goodwill, and perceive the message source as more competent, when normative crisis messaging is used rather than spin. Mediation analysis demonstrates that increased goodwill leads to more positive attitudes toward the organization, which bolsters organizational reputation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Effects of a “spin doctor” in crisis communication: a serial mediation model of identification and attitudes impacting behavioral intentions

ABSTRACT This paper combines theories of identification and image repair to explain why an organization in crisis should avoid designing messages that engage in “spin.” An experiment is reported (N = 262 nationwide U.S. Qualtrics Panel) in which a company spokesperson replies to questions from a journalist in a news interview. Results indicate that people (a) identify more with the spokesperson, and (b) have more favorable attitudes toward the business, when the spokesperson directly answers rather than spins. Serial multiple mediator modeling reveals the theoretical process of consumer behavioral intentions bolstered by an organization “coming clean” instead of spinning in a scandal.

On the Merits of Transparency in Crisis: Effects of Answering vs. Evading through the Lens of Deception Theory

ABSTRACT This article applies interpersonal deception theory (IDT) to crisis communication. As strategic communicators, spokespeople representing organizations in crisis often evade questions in media interviews. Upper management and legal counsel tend to prefer evasive language over directly answering questions. Normative crisis communication, however, exhorts honest and straightforward language. In Experiment 1 (N = 262), a company spokesperson either evades or directly answers questions during a media interview. Consistent with IDT, truth and completeness in the messaging mediate the effect of a spokesperson being perceived as less trustworthy when evading, which hampers the organization’s reputation. The results replicate in Experiment 2 (N = 262), in which a spokesperson replies to questions in a media interview through varying degrees of narratives including on-topic narratives, off-topic (spin) storytelling, and nonnarrative answers. On-topic narratives and nonnarratives both serve as viable strategies – bolstering the spokesperson’s trustworthiness and the organization’s reputation – through the messaging components of truth, completeness, clarity, and relevance.

Reducing skepticism about corporate social responsibility: roles of gender and agentic-communal orientations

PurposeCompanies are increasingly emphasizing corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, consumers are often skeptical of the sincerity of companies’ CSR claims, particularly when the claim comes directly from the company. This paper aims to demonstrate how to reduce consumer CSR skepticism by examining the role of a company spokesperson’s gender and gender-related characteristics.Design/methodology/approachTwo between-subjects experiments with a combined total of 329 participants examined how consumers’ levels of CSR skepticism are affected depending on the gender of the consumer and the gender and gender-related characteristics of the company’s CSR spokesperson.FindingsStudy 1 finds that a female (vs male) spokesperson generally elicits less CSR skepticism. However, Study 2 expands on this to demonstrate that consumers are less skeptical of a company’s CSR efforts when they are promoted by a spokesperson who exhibits gender-related characteristics that match, or are typically associated with, the individual consumer’s gender.Practical implicationsBrands often face difficulties in successfully promoting their own CSR efforts to skeptical consumers. These findings should guide companies and their brands in choosing ideal spokespeople for making effective, sincere CSR claims, depending on the target market.Originality/valueThis research is the first to identify the important role of gender in consumers’ perceptions of CSR sincerity. Thus, it provides practically-oriented strategies that may mitigate a growing consumer CSR skepticism that exists in today’s marketplace.

Do public relations practitioners perceptually share ingroup affiliation with journalists?

Upwards of 200 studies over the past hundred years have reported on the relationship between public relations practitioners and journalists. However, no experiment has compared the group members’ perceptions when seeing their roles in action. Inspired by frameworks of social identity theory, intergroup deception, and the black sheep effect, we test how public relations practitioners and journalists respond to a crisis communication media interview. In our experiment, a company spokesperson either answers questions or engages in stereotypical “spin,” which journalists historically consider one of the most offensive public relations strategies. Results indicate that public relations practitioners align with journalists in their perceptions of a spokesperson’s trustworthiness and the organization’s trustworthiness across treatment conditions. Practitioners also manifest the black sheep effect, disliking their group representative engaging in deception. Furthermore, we explore whether the effects on perceptions of trustworthiness are moderated by psychological identification with their respective industry. Discussion concerns the theoretical and practical ramifications of the groups sharing ingroup affiliation, contrary to prevailing notions of acrimony.

Air Liquide plans H2 for energy market

Air Liquide is spending $150 million on what it says will be the world’s first large hydrogen plant dedicated to supplying the energy market. To be built in the western US for the California market, the plant will have the capacity to power 35,000 fuel-cell electric vehicles. The firm’s bet on hydrogen fuel follows numerous smaller investments in hydrogen fueling stations in California and elsewhere supplied from the firm’s industrial gas network. The new plant will be built at an as-yet-undetermined site and produce most if not all of its 30 metric tons of hydrogen per day from landfill-derived methane. Some of the gas will come from Air Liquide–owned and operated facilities that convert waste to “renewable” natural gas, a company spokesperson says. The firm also plans to use renewable energy to run the process. Though fuel-cell vehicles emit only water and heat from their tailpipes, the conversion of methane

Effects of explanations communicated in announcements of alleged labor abuses on valuation of a firm’s stock

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gauge the impact of the following on the share price of a firm that has allegedly committed labor abuses: the allegation itself, explanations (justifications and excuses) offered by the company spokesperson, and denials of responsibility for the alleged abuse.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses archival data and an event study methodology.FindingsLabor abuse allegations have a negative impact on the firm’s share price. Allegations that are accompanied by an explanation (a justification or excuse) have a less negative impact than those that are not accompanied by an explanation. Denials of responsibility have a negative influence on the share price.Practical implicationsIf managers want to avoid a negative hit on the share price from an allegation of wrongdoing, they should provide an explanation (a justification or excuse) and avoid the use of denials.Originality/valuePrior research has shown a negative impact from several types of labor abuse. This study extends prior research by showing a negative impact for all forms of labor abuse as a general category; it also extends findings from lab research on the impact of explanations on fairness judgments to a new context and a new dependent variable (the financial performance of the firm), which is on an organizational scale. It adds to the extreme paucity of empirical findings relative to the impact of denials and also adds to a small but growing literature on fairness judgments by third parties and their consequences.

IGOR SECHIN’S LAWYERS THREATEN MEDIA WITH CRIMINAL PROSECUTION

IGOR SECHIN’S LAWYERS THREATEN MEDIA WITH CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. (By Irina Kezik. Izvestia, Aug. 4, 2016, p. 1. Excerpts:). .. Rosneft president Igor Sechin is suing Novaya gazeta, Dozhd [Rain] television channel, as well as a number of other media outlets that are disseminating materials containing inaccurate information. This [information] was issued in a statement by oil company’s press service.. . . ... Rosneft’s press service told Izvestia that matter concerns an article in Novaya gazeta about [Igor Sechin’s] private life and similar coverage in other media outlets. ... According to a company spokesperson, Rosneft is showing production and financial successes, and bought-off journalists have no choice but to disseminate inaccurate information about CEO’s family, thus flagrantly violating right to privacy. The company considers such media attacks as unfair competition driven in part by privatization process. ... We understand that Rosneft chief is a figure of interest for individuals and entities representing a lot of commercial and political interests. At same time, we are not witnessing similar interest in other, no less prominent market players. This forces us to assume that such coverage has been bought. If that were not case, we would have seen at least an attempt to conduct same sort of ‘information gathering’ that we have seen with Igor Sechin concerning other market participants who are not as interesting to journalists, a Rosneft representative told Izvestia. ... For its part, Novaya gazeta stated that it welcomes the only civilized means of dispute resolution and is ready to meet with Rosneft representatives in court. ... We cannot comment on Rosneft’s grievances, since so far, they are only intentions. Novaya gazeta would be prepared to clarify its position once it receives a summons, Novaya gazeta [representatives] stated. ... According to an Izvestia source familiar with situation, Igor Sechin’s lawyers have already prepared their concluding statements. The source also stated that [Rosneft’s] lawyers do not rule out that Prosecutor General’s Office and [Russian] Investigative Committee could also get involved in Novaya gazeta case. As for lawsuit itself, it will be of a substantial financial nature, interlocutor told Izvestia. ... Readers are reminded that Sechin has previously sued media outlets (namely, Vedomosti, Kommersant, Komsomolskaya pravda and Forbes) and won, but without demanding financial compensation.. . .

Med Check

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Med CheckFull AccessMed CheckJun YanJun YanSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:20 Jul 2013https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2013.8a18Safety Warning Issued on Olanzapine InjectionThe long-acting formulation of olanzapine pamoate (Zyprexa Relprevv) for intramuscular injection has been linked to two “unexplained deaths,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in a safety alert June 18. The drug is indicated for treatment of schizophrenia in adults, with a recommended dosing schedule of once every two or four weeks. Because of known risks for delirium and severe sedation, even coma requiring intubation and resuscitation, the use of this product is restricted to health care professionals and facilities registered in a special program. All patients receiving the injection are required to remain under observation for three hours after every injection before they are allowed to leave accompanied, according to the prescribing information.The two deaths occurred three to four days after an olanzapine injection. Both “were found to have very high olanzapine blood levels after death,” according to the FDA. In clinical trials that led to the drug’s approval, the same phenomenon of rapidly and greatly elevated olanzapine concentration in the blood stream had been documented and considered a possible cause for the severe sedation. The FDA says in the alert that it is “continuing to evaluate these deaths.” The alert is posted at http://www.fda.gov/drugs/drugsafety/ucm356971.htm, and prescribing information for Zyprexa Relprevv is posted at http://pi.lilly.com/us/zyprexa_relprevv.pdf.Companies Pool Resources In Search for New MedicationsTwo large pharmaceutical companies, Roche and AstraZeneca, announced June 26 a plan to share biochemistry data on molecules in each company’s drug-development pools in the hope of designing and discovering molecules with a better chance to become viable drug candidates. An external company specializing in molecular analysis will manage this collaboration.SSRI Wins Approval for Treating Hot Flashes in MenopauseParoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, was approved by the FDA June 28 for treating moderate to severe hot-flash symptoms associated with menopause. The 7.5 mg formulation of paroxetine will be marketed by Noven Therapeutics under the brand name Brisdelle. Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials had been conducted in more than 1,000 postmenopausal women suffering from seven to eight hot flashes a day or 50 to 60 a week. After 12 weeks or 24 weeks of treatment, patients on paroxetine reported greater reduction in hot flashes than patients on placebo.Patch Can Be Used for Patients With Severe Alzheimer’sRivastigmine transdermal patch has been approved by the FDA for treatment of severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Novartis announced June 27. The patch was previously approved for only mild and moderate AD. This approval was based on a randomized, double-blind, 24-week study in which the high-dose patch (13.3 mg/24 hour) was compared with the low-dose patch (4.6 mg/24 hour) in patients with severe AD. The improvement on cognition and daily-function assessments in the high-dose group was statistically significantly greater than that for the low-dose group. In the clinical trial, adverse drug reactions were more common in the high-dose group.FDA Approves Insomnia Drug But Lowers Approved DosesMerck’s new insomnia drug, suvorexant, has received a green light from the FDA at the doses of 10 mg to 20 mg but not 30 mg and 40 mg, the company announced July 1. In a complete response letter, the agency agreed that the efficacy of the drug is established, but it did not approve the higher doses out of safety concerns. Suvorexant is an orexin receptor antagonist, a class of molecules that are separate from currently available drugs used to treat insomnia. Orexin, also known as hypocretin, is a neuropeptide associated with the regulation of wakefulness. In May, an advisory committee voted 13-3 in favor of approving suvorexant at doses of up to 20 mg. The votes on the higher doses were mixed, with eight against, seven for, and one abstention.FDA OKs New Treatment For Opioid DependenceA combination of buprenorphine and naloxone in sublingual tablet (brand name Zubsolv) has been approved by the FDA for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence, the manufacturer Orexo US, announced July 5. The product will compete with Suboxone sublingual film, marketed by Reckitt Benkiser Pharmaceuticals, which contains the same active drugs. Like Suboxone, Zubsolv is a C3 controlled substance. The approval is based on a provision in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act known as 505(b)(2), a company spokesperson told Psychiatric News. The provision allows a new drug application to be approved on data published in medical literature or the agency’s finding of safety and/or effectiveness of a previously approved drug product. ■ ISSUES NewArchived

Company spokesperson vs. customer testimonial: Investigating quoted spokesperson credibility and impact in business-to-business communication

Through the framework of source credibility, this study examines the impact of quoting a company executive versus a customer testimonial in a business communication context. A 2 (spokesperson)×7 (media channel) full factorial experiment (N=514) showed partial support for enhanced perceived credibility of information conveyed by a customer testimonial compared to a company spokesperson in independent and controlled media channels online. When evaluated through a measure of media credibility, a customer spokesperson rates higher than a company spokesperson. In addition, a product is viewed more positively by an audience receiving information quoting a customer spokesperson rather than a company spokesperson. An audience with low business expertise considers both types of spokespersons as more trustworthy than a high-expertise audience; however, a customer is considered more trustworthy than a company spokesperson. The study provides public relations professionals with insight in determining the use of spokespersons when communicating to businesspeople.

In stories we trust: How narrative apologies provide cover for competitive vulnerability after integrity-violating blog posts

Consumers' confidence in companies has fallen due to recent and widespread violations of integrity and consumers' voicing of discontent in weblog (blog) posts. Current research on integrity restoration offers little guidance regarding appropriate responses. We posit that not only what (with which content) but also how (in which format) the company responds, contributes to an effective restoration of integrity and a reduction of consumers' intentions to switch. The results of Study 1 show that the combination of denial content and analytical format as well as apologetic content and narrative format works better than combinations of opposing response content and format. Comparing narrative apologies and denials in two consecutive studies, we demonstrate that the concept of “transportation”—the engrossing effect of a narrative—is the mechanism underlying narrative-based integrity restoration. We further assess in Study 2 how the use of empathy accounts for higher levels of transportation and perceived integrity. In Study 3, we establish that a personal response by the involved employee is more effective than a response issued by the company's spokesperson. Consumers trust in stories from the involved employee.

Academic Hackers in Court

A Dutch court is set to decide whether academic researchers can reveal how they cracked one of the most widely used security cards in the world. Chip producer NXP of the Netherlands has sued to prevent computer scientists from Radboud University in Nijmegen from discussing the topic at an October symposium in Spain. As part of a program to identify security weaknesses, the researchers announced in March that they had figured out how to “clone” MIFARE Classic, a chip used in hundreds of millions of building security and transit cards. Bart Jacobs, who led the work, says that academic freedom is at stake; NXP is “trying to kill the messenger,” he says. A company spokesperson declined to comment. A verdict is expected before 14 July, the deadline to submit final papers for the Malaga meeting.

Celebrity versus Company President as Endorsers of High Risk Products for Elderly Consumers

This study examines the effectiveness of a celebrity endorser vs. a company president as an endorser for a high financial/performance risk product, supplemental health insurance, with a sample of 280 senior citizens (65+) drawn from six geographically dispersed markets. The results show significant differences between a celebrity and a company spokesperson in initial interest in the product and likelihood of seeking additional information but no differences in belief of claim or likelihood of enrolling in the insurance program.

Recovery Program Finds No Humor in Ad Campaign

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Professional NewsFull AccessRecovery Program Finds No Humor in Ad CampaignDavid MilneDavid MilneSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:3 Jan 2003https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.38.1.0013In response to a massive advertising campaign by Christian Dior to market a new cosmetic and fragrance line called “Dior Addict,” the Detroit drug and alcohol recovery organization Faces and Voices of Recovery is coordinating a nationwide counter campaign called “Addiction Is Not Fashionable.”Drug recovery organizations complain that the Dior campaign, complete with its own Web site at www.dior-addict.com and state-of-the-art, no-expense-spared marketing and public relations tactics, tramples the dignity and hard work of people fighting addiction. A press conference in October was broadcast coast to coast protesting the Dior campaign.Dior’s unwelcome advertising message comes at a particularly bad time, according to drug abuse experts. A recent survey commissioned by the private Skillman Foundation of Detroit found that suburban parents appear to be unaware of the immensity of the drug problem in their neighborhoods and schools, and most call it “minor.”“That’s a joke,” said Patricia Ehlert, admissions coordinator of Pathway Family Center, a day drug treatment center for adolescents in Southfield, Mich. “It’s not a minor problem. It’s a major problem, and parents are too much in denial.”The poll showed that 55 percent of suburban residents think drugs are a minor problem in their neighborhoods. About 25 percent don’t think there’s a problem at all. When asked about drug sales on school grounds, 48 percent of suburbanites again called the situation a minor problem. Only residents of Detroit felt that drugs were a major problem in their neighborhoods and schools. Lloyd Johnston, Ph.D., principal researcher of Monitoring the Future, a national survey of substance abuse among adolescents and young adults now in its 28th year, said: “It’s not as visible sometimes in the suburbs because there aren’t as many open-air drug markets or visible crack houses. But that doesn’t mean drugs are not there.”Benjamin Jones, president of the Michigan National Council of Alcohol and Drug Dependence/Impact, and Andre Johnson, program manager of the Partnership for a Drug-Free Detroit, said the Dior Addict campaign should be stopped, the products renamed, and all the negative, nonproductive advertising pulled immediately.Health care professionals, members of the media and the fashion industry, policymakers, churches, and recovering communities are being encouraged to begin an e-mail and letter-writing campaign to Dior against the ads.Christian Dior has no intention of pulling the ads or canceling or rerouting the Dior Addict campaign, according to a company spokesperson. ▪ ISSUES NewArchived

CBP 1011: Colirest, Hematrol.

InKine Pharmaceutical Co. is developing an oral compound, CBP 1011, for the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) [Hematrol] and for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disorders, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (Colirest). This profile has been selected from R&D Insight, a pharmaceutical intelligence database produced by Adis International Ltd. CBP 1011 or medroxyprogesterone, is a progesterone agonist and inhibits pro-inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF). CBP 1011 was originally developed by CorBec Pharmaceuticals, which in 1997 was aquired by Panax and then intergrated into InKine Pharmaceuticals. According to a company spokesperson, InKline is pursuing outlicensing opportunities for Hematrol since the company's current commercial focus is on gastrointestinal products. In June 2000, InKine announced the completion of a study comparing the bioavailability of a commercially viable tablet formulation of CBP 1011 to the original capsule formulation that is currently being used in the company's phase III studies in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Preliminary results from this study indicate that the bioavailability of the tablet formulation does not differ significantly from that of the capsule formulation. The trial enrolled ITP patients (i) who are HIV positive, (ii) who are chronic ITP sufferers despite having had a splenectomy, (iii) who are older, or (iv) who have less severe thrombocytopenia. In preclinical trials, CBP 1011 was shown to decrease lymphocyte infiltration into the bowel compared with the control. Studies also show that it possibly offers safety benefits over steroid therapies. In June 2001, InKine commenced enrolment for a pivotal phase III trial in the treatment of Crohn's disease. This randomised, double-blind trial will enrol approximately 250 patients and will compare two doses of CBP 1011 (400 and 1000mg) with placebo. In April 2003, the US Patent and Trademark Office granted InKine Pharmaceutical a 'Notice of Allowance' for the 'Method of Treating Inflammatory Conditions with Progesterone or Progesterone Analogs'. This patent for medroxyprogesterone (Colirest) provides InKine patent protection for the use of Colirest in treating patients with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, proctitis, microscopic colitis, allergic eosinophilic gastroenteritis, food allergies, drug-induced oesophagitis, coeliac disease, recurrent polyps and haemorrhoids. The patent protection also covers Colirest in a variety of delivery forms such as tablet, enema, suppository, foam, gel, ointment and suspension.

Drug Firm Violated Disabled Worker’s Rights, Panel Says

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Government NewsFull AccessDrug Firm Violated Disabled Worker’s Rights, Panel SaysKen HausmanKen HausmanSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:20 Jul 2001https://doi.org/10.1176/pn.36.14.0004The manufacturer of two of the most widely prescribed antidepressant drugs engaged in disability-based discrimination against an employee diagnosed with depression and panic disorder, according to a ruling by the Maine Human Rights Commission.The commission ruled on May 14 that GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Paxil and Wellbutrin, discriminated against sales representative Arlene P. Emery by refusing to make adequate accommodations for her psychiatric disorders.From 1997, when she began working for what was then SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, until 1999 Emery had taken one leave of absence as a result of her psychiatric condition and another for an unrelated medical condition.In February 1999, at her psychiatrist’s urging, Emery asked the drug company to reduce her workload in the form of a shortened work week and lowered sales quotas, changes that she maintained would enable her to continue in her job while accommodating her depression and panic disorder.According to the report filed with the commission by her attorney, David Webbert, the company agreed to allow her to work just three days a week, but would not consent to any reduction in her sales quota. (Webbert was co-counsel for the plaintiff in the precedent-setting discrimination case against a Maine dentist that led to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that HIV infection was a disability under the terms of the Americans With Disabilities Act.)Soon after having her request turned down by her employer, which was then SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, Emery said she suffered a severe panic attack and, as a result, did not return to work.She began to receive short-term disability payments, but the company eventually fired her. According to its response to the human rights commission, the company insisted that Emery, a single mother with two children, was not disabled as evidenced by activities in which she was engaging outside of work. One such activity cited was studying for a master’s degree to become a psychiatric clinical specialist.GlaxoSmithKline’s attorney, Matthew Porter, told the commission that the company would not agree to Emery’s terms, particularly her request to have flexible work hours, because the sales representatives work as a team, and as a result it “is essential that everybody knows who will be at work on a given day.”Webbert rejected the company’s argument and said that its failure to accommodate Emery’s disability was especially troubling since it “sells to and is expected to heal and help people with psychiatric disabilities.”The human rights commission labeled the company’s actions “punitive” and “arbitrary” and said that its actions “had the predictable result of aggravating her mental illness, making it impossible for her to continue working any longer.”During the four-and-a-half months Emery was receiving short-term disability benefits and prior to her firing, SmithKline sent her for an independent evaluation with a psychiatrist identified only as Dr. V. According to the commission’s report, he concluded that Emery “has an adjustment disorder . . .with depressed mood versus major depressive disorder and [also has] panic disorder with mild agoraphobia (driving).” The examiner concluded, “He did not believe she was able to perform her work as a sales representative. . .nor was she able to return to work immediately [in another position]. He did believe her prognosis for full recovery was favorable,” according to the investigator’s report to the commission.The investigator the commission assigned to assess the case concluded in her report, “The company’s discriminatory treatment of Ms. Emery had the predictable result of aggravating her mental illness, making it impossible for her to continue working any longer.”After hearing from the two sides, the commission unanimously found that “Emery was denied reasonable accommodation and was terminated because of her disability,” which constitutes a violation of the Maine Human Rights Act.Despite the commission’s finding, GlaxoSmithKline “disagrees with the allegations in this case,” company spokesperson Nancy Pekarek told Psychiatric News. “The company granted Ms. Emery the accommodations she requested and believes it operated in good faith and in accordance with the law,” she said.The next step in the process involves representatives for Emery and the company engaging in mediation to try to arrive at a settlement of the dispute acceptable to both parties. ▪ ISSUES NewArchived