Marketing communication: principles and practice

M A N A G I N G W I T H S T A K E H O L D E R S
101

---

mediated communication. If the citizen lives in one state, where does the
corporation live? Nationalism based on kinship has been eroded by corpor-
atism based on ownership. Where will this take us in the long run? Do we care?
THE THIRD- AND FOURTH-WAVE SOCIETY OF THE
NEW MILLENNIUM
The nature of business and that of the society within which it is nested are
changing. The world-views which characterize the outmoded (but still
operational) industrial age (the second wave) and the emerging post-industrial
age (the third wave) are characterized by Maynard and Mehrtens (1996)
and discussed at length by Professor Bill Halal (1996) of George Washington
University. Maynard and Mehrtens urge to think ahead into the twenty-first
century when the fourth wave will emerge. These world-views are summarized
below because their values, principles, and assumptions will have profound
implications for the creation and management of systems of communication.
The second wave: 1750–1970 (approx.)
Mankind assumed supremacy over the environment and nature through
exploitation. Values stressed separation, individualism, and competition,
based on a drive for self-preservation. Success meant material gain –
consumption required production. Business is the way to make a living.
‘Consumeritis’ resulted from winning by beating competitors – consumers
were of secondary importance, so corporate imperialism resulted. Hierarchies
of control and authority ensured that those who had power could retain it.
Yet, all suffered from the denial of reality which sprang from co-dependence,
in the pursuit of profit, efficiency, bigness, and growth.
The third wave: 1970 to early twenty-first
century
In the third wave, values are shifting towards conservation, cooperation,
balance, and sustainability. Team processes are emerging as ways to create
value in projects to serve stakeholders – the new way to accomplish within
limits to growth. Workplace democracy, collective learning, diversity, and self-
management characterize the working environment, in which communication
is open and direct, resulting in trust and collaboration for a shared purpose.