What is an issue?
It is best to define issues as the topics that matter in politics and society. Issues have a major impact on society, a person or the reputation of an organization. These are topics that evoke many emotions and in which people feel strongly involved. A group of Dutch people recognize this and want the issue to be resolved. They ask for targeted policy, a different social choice or a political decision.
With an issue there is usually no acute threat to the organization, the immediate time pressure is absent. The urgency for the future is certainly felt, but it builds up slowly, in contrast to the acute threat of a crisis. There is still enough time and peace to make an informed decision.
What kind of issues are there?
Negative versus positive issues
In everyday speech, the word issue is mainly used in a negative context and therefore has a negative connotation. That's a shame, because it doesn't do justice to the power of the word and the emotions that issues evoke. These can indeed be issues that people reject. But just as often it concerns issues that are dear to them.
Most issues are both positive and negative, otherwise they quickly cease to be an issue. The person communicating about the issue determines whether it is used positively or negatively. A clear example is the ongoing debate about whether or not Black Pete is racist.
A number of Dutch people see this as a reference to the colonial past of the Netherlands and want Black Pete to disappear from the streets. Others regard it as a traditional Dutch tradition that they want to maintain at all costs.
Or take the floppy chicken, put on the agenda by Wakker Dier as the ultimate example of animal suffering. Through this issue, the organization has gained a lot of support for making the food chain more sustainable. This issue has also contributed to the fact that more and more Dutch people are eating less meat.
If the sentiment surrounding an issue is mainly negative, most organizations do not want to burn their fingers. Out of fear for their reputation and because they often cannot foresee the effect. What does a broadcaster think about banning Zwarte Piet? How many customers does the supermarket lose that keeps poppy chicken in the display cases?
Other issues are mainly positive. For example, the pursuit of a smoke-free generation, an initiative of the Heart Foundation, the KWF and the Lung Fund. The aim is to ensure that children come into contact with tobacco as little as possible in the hope that this will prevent them from starting to smoke as teenagers. It is at this age that children are most susceptible to addiction. The pursuit
Although there are pros and cons in its implementation, almost everyone agrees with the goal. Also non-smokers. Or take the Green Santa, with which Oxfam Novib started the fight against 'wrong' chocolate letters. Who is against fair trade? Nobody, right?
Tame versus wicked issues
Many issues are manageable. They can be persistent, but are eventually solvable. We therefore call them tame or routine. Tame issues are clear, easy to define and have a clear endpoint. For example, the discussion about lighting fireworks seems complicated, but can easily be resolved. After all, if there is enough support, a ban can be imposed. The right solution can be found by trying different solutions or by analyzing how similar issues have been resolved. Anyone who has solved a minor issue once knows the routine. This will make it easier to solve a similar issue next time.
Wicked or unruly issues are less likely to be resolved. These issues involve a multitude of stakeholders, each with very different interests. There are so many pitfalls to wicked issues that every possible solution results in new problems. And none of the stakeholders can solve the issue alone: they often do not agree on the definition of the problem, let alone its solution. The question is therefore whether it is actually possible to solve a wicked issue. Because information is incomplete or contradictory, because it involves a large number of parties with very different opinions, because major economic interests are involved and because the issue is connected to other major issues. Examples of wicked issues are comprehensive topics such as climate change, affordability of a good healthcare system, road safety, poverty and social inequality. There is never one for these issues
find the ultimate solution.
Six characteristics of wicked issues
- Wicked issues cannot be clearly defined. They are intertwined with other issues and there is no single cause for the issue.
- Wicked issues have many conflicting interests. Each party has its own ideas about the problem and how it can be solved. It is never possible to create a complete list of possible solutions.
- Wicked issues are difficult to quantify because they are so complex.
- Wicked issues are unique. Experience with similar issues does not help in finding a solution, nor does trial and error. And because the solution often has unexpected consequences, in fact every choice is a random one.
- Wicked issues have no winners and losers. A solution is never good or bad, but always a personal choice.
- The person who determines the solution is often held responsible for the consequences of this choice because it has a lot of impact and is not easy to justify.
Valence issues versus position issues
Another classification of issues comes from the political arena. There a distinction is made between valence and position issues. With valence issues – also called connection issues – everyone involved is on the same page. They share the same norms and values, have the same preferences and pursue the same goals. Think of economic growth, low unemployment, good education, reducing crime or good healthcare. These are issues that connect people, but they often do not agree on how this goal can be achieved. This is different with position issues. Those involved have their own preferences, which leads to different points of view and choices. Position issues tap into opposing opinions and interests. These are the issues with which political parties position themselves in relation to each other. Examples include euthanasia, the death penalty, abortion, drugs, taxes and smoking. Whether an issue is a valence issue or a position issue can differ per country and depends on the culture and norms and values. The distinction is important to assess the impact of the issue on the organization.