The NBA and the Hong Kong Protests: Managing Reputation in a Multipolar World

Authors
Brown, N.; Udall, C.; Thomas, E.; O’Rourke, J. S. (editor)
Region
Asia - Pacific
North America
Topic
Ethics & Social Justice
Marketing & Sales
Strategy & General Management
Length
11 pages
Keywords
NBA
Hong Kong
Brand Management
reputation management
Copyright Holder
Notre Dame
Student Price
$4.00
Target Audience
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students

In October 2019, Houston Rockets General Manager tweeted in support of the Hong Kong Protests. The tweet was met with outrage by the Chinese government and many Chinese fans. After calling the tweet “regrettable” the NBA then found itself under fire in the United States for seeming to have bowed to Chinese censorship demands. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver must now decide how to balance the league’s business interests in the Chinese market with support for free expression.

Learning Outcomes
  1. To demonstrate how one individual’s opinion can attract instantaneous international attention both positive and negative, potentially harming an organization’s brand and public image in the process.
  2. To show the diversity of reactions various stakeholder groups can have to a communication choice by a person or company and the communications posed by engaging those varied reactions.
  3. To illustrate the ways in which corporations in the age of globalization can face challenges to upholding their stated values while doing business in countries with different prevailing ideologies and forms of government.