Mark MeisterGerhts Endowed Professor and Chair

Department of CommunicationNorth Dakota State University

Mark.Meister@ndsu.edu

The Corporate Rainmaker Persona

IntroductIon

InAmericanfolklore,rainmakersaredescribedascharlatanswhopromisedto“makerain”indroughtstrickenareas.1WhileNativeAmericansreliedonthemysticalpowersofmedicinementobringmuchneededrain,farmersandlandownersduringtheDustBowlyearsofthe1930s,oftenemployedcharlatanrainmakerswhopromisedrainthroughseeminglymagical,mystical,andtech-nologicalincantations.Underthisauspice,thecharlatanrainmakerwasironi-callyregardedwithreverence,suspicion,anddependence.2

Contemporaryrainmakersarecapableofmakingrain(e.g.money,positivepublicopinionandlegitimacy)forthemselvesandtheiremployers.3Corpo-rations,undertheauspiceofsocialresponsibility,areconcernedwithbeinggoodcommunitycitizens.FictionalizedinJohnGrisham’snovelRainmakerandJohnWilliamCorrington’spoem4ofthesametitle,andchampionedinseveralsalestradebooks,5corporaterainmakersarguablyprovideboththefinanciallifebloodandsocialethicinmanyAmericancommunities.Giventheincreaseddependenceoncorporationsforbothfinancialandsocialbenefit,entirecorpo-rations(andnottheCEOorothercorporateleaders)oftenexhibitrainmakercharacteristics.

Cheney6identifiesthecorporationasoccupyingsignificantculturalinflu-encebecauseitmustaddressmultiplestakeholders.Assuch,allaspectsofculture(individuals,institutions,laws,racial/ethnicgroups,art,popularculture,etc.)arepotentialsurrogatesforthecorporationanddelineationbetweencultureandthecorporationismuteevenwhenmessagesaredeliveredbyindividualsdirectlyaffiliatedwiththecorporation.Corporationsareinterest-edinbeing“good”corporatecitizens,andwiththeexplosionofCorporateSocialResponsibility7efforts,corporationsdictatepoliticalandgovernmentalinitiatives.CSRliteraturefocusesoneconomicbenefits,8stakeholderresponses,9andlegitimacy.10Thisprojectdepartsfromthosetraditionstoofferacriticalframeworkforanalyzingcorporateclaimsratherthananalyzingtheoutcomes.Thisessaypres-entstheconstructoftheCorporateRainmakerPersona11asanextensionofthebroaderliteratureoncorpo-ratesocialresponsibility.Indoingso,IadvancetheCRPasaCiceronianconstructthatextendstherepublican

rhetoricalstyletoincludecorporateclaimsofsocialresponsibility12andasacontributiontorhetorical/criticalscholarshiponneoliberalismandCSR.IbeginbyestablishingtherelevanceofrainmakingandcorporationsincontemporarysocietyandextendthisdiscussionbyprofilingthecharacteristicsoftheCRPasarhetorical/criticalconstruct.Finally,IpointouttheimplicationsoftheCRPforsocietyandfuturerhetoricalscholarship.

raInmakIng and relevant rhetorIc

Inwhatspecificways,istherainmakeridealrelevantincontemporarycorporaterhetoric?First,corpora-tionsarehighlyrelevantincontemporarysocietynotonlybecauseoftheireconomicinfluencebutalsobecausetheydesireandseekoutpublicaffinity.Corporationsareincrediblyrelevantforrhetoricalexaminationbecausetheypersonifyhumancharacteristics,especiallythosecommunicativecharacteristicsthatbolsterpositivepublic

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By Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK via Wikimedia Commons

opinion.Corporationsenactapersonathatshapespublicperceptions.Liketheteenager,politician,parent,andteacher,corporationswanttobeliked.Likeindividuals,corporationssayanddothingsforthepurposeofbeingliked.Infact,theU.S.SupremeCourtinitslandmarkruling,CitizensUnitedv.FEC,sanctionedthatinrestrictingcorporatespeech,the“Governmenthasmuffledthevoicesthatbestrepresentthemostsignificantsegmentsoftheeconomy.”13Likewise,thecharlatanrainmakercharacterinAmericanfolklore,understoodthatnecessitytobeliked.Makingpromisesformuch

neededrain,forexample,providesthecharlatanrainmakerwithanopportunitytocapitalize.

Second,corporationsandtherainmakercharacterbothfacilitaterhetoricalpersonaandstyle.Personaisoftenassociatedwiththerhetoricalactor.Theindi-vidualenactsapersonaforavarietyofrhetoricalmotives,andasCiceroteachesus,theimpressionsofahighlystylizedpersonabolstersdecorum,respect,andlegitimacy.Corporationsunderstandthatstylisticcommunicationisnecessary,especiallyinitsadvertisingandpublicrelationsinitiatives.Stylisticmessagesprovidethecorporationelaborateopportunitiesforperformingitsrelevanceandsignificancebeyondmerelytheeconomicrealm.Infolklore,therainmakercharac-ternotonlytellsneedypeoplewhattheywanttohear,buttheydosoinhighlystylisticways.Folkloretalesoftherainmakercharlatantellhowtherainmaker’slanguagewasoftenflamboyant,optimistic,andengaging.

Third,corporationsandtherainmakercharacterarerelevantbecausebothengagetherhetoricalconstructsofpersonaandstyleasawaytobelikedandalsotoshapeeconomicandsocialdependence.Corporationsinculcateboth

resourceandculturaldependencebycombiningliberal-ismwithnationalisttendencies(betweenlargeenterpriseanddevelopmentactivitiesofthestate).14Aslocal,state,andfederalgovernmentsrelinquishadministrativeandlegalcontroltoprivatecorporations,theresultiscontinuoushegemonicacquiescenceandincreasedsocialpolarization.Governmental(de)regulationandprivatecorporateinterventionexhibitsneoliberaldisparitiesinwealthandincome,yetarguablybecauseofCSRinitiatives,thesedisparitiesaremostoftenlegitimized,naturalizedandmadetoappearinevitable.Inlightofthebroad,andalbeitabbreviated,waysrainmakingandcorporationsarerelevantIfurtheroutlinetherelevancyoftheCRPanditsemergenceincorporateclaimsofsocialresponsibility.

cSr, PerSona, and cIcero’S rePublIcan Style

CSRhasemergedinrecentyearsasbothanacademicconstructandabusinessparadigm.15Corporationsengageinsociallyresponsiblebehaviorsinresponsetosocietaldemands,thedesiresofinfluentialstakeholders,andtheabilityofsuchactivitiestoincreasecompetitivenessandstockvalue.16CSRmessagesallowacorpora-tiontocommunicateitsrelevancetotheeconomic,social,andculturaldesiresofasociety17andmayhelptosilencecriticsandgivevoicetothepositiveattributesofacorporation.18CSRclaimsdemonstrateacarefulfitwithinlargersocialandculturalvaluesthatsustaincurrentbusinesspracticesandexistingindividualconsumptivelifestyles.19

Personaisarhetoricaldevicethatreflectstheaspirationsandculturalvisionsofbothactorsandaudiences20andreferstoa“charactertypebearingsomesignificantrelationshiptoacontextinwhicharhetoricattempts

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toaffect,andanaudienceattemptsmakejudgments…”.21Corporationsarguablyenactapersonathatstylisticallyestablishesa“consciousnessthatorganizes,controls,anddirectswhat…ismanifested.”22Theviewspresentedincorporatemessagesdonotrepresentthoseoftheindividualexecutives(e.g.,CEOs).Ratherthemessagesareattributabletotheorganizationasawhole.Assuch,thecorporatepersona

becomespartofalargerculturaldiscoursewithnoperceivedauthority,standards,orethicsthusmakingitripefororganizationalclaimsthatcannotbeeasilyrefuted.

ForRomanstatesmanandoratorCicero,theperfectoratorhadtobeconversantwithmanysubjectspossessingbroadculturalknowledgetoinventargumentsthatidentifiedwithavarietyofaudiences.Cicero’snotionofprobabilia,notesBarilli,“hasanintrinsichistoricityortemporaldimension:whatisprobable,andcanbe‘followed’today,maynotbesotomorrow,orviceversa,assituationschange.”23Therhetoricalconstructionofprobability,intheCiceronianvein,ishighlystylisticfusingtheoryandpractice,styleandwisdom,decorumandscienceintoarhetoricalpersonathatiseloquentandcredible.Butmostofall,Cicero’srhetoricembodiespersona,decorum,andaudienceidentificationaspersuasiveprinciples.24

Corporationsactascontemporaryrepublicanactorsandupholdthepreceptsoftherepublicanstylebyfacilitatingapersonathatappreciatesrhetoric(attentiontopresenta-tionanddiscernmentofcharacter,equationofpolitywithpublictalk,theruleofdecorum,andthecultivationofliberaleducation).25Civicvirtueanddecorumarecentraltenantsoftherepublicanpoliticalstyle.Adecorousspeakerfollowscloselytherulesofpublicaddressupheldbysociety.Harimannotes:“Thismodelincludesappreciationofverbaltechnique,anormofconsensus,theembodi-

mentofcivicvirtue,andadoctrineofcivilitythatexemplifiesthedifficultiesoffacingcontemporaryliberalism.”26ForCicero,thisoftenmeantforcedpoliteness,eventothepointofself-efficacy.Therepublicanactorcreatesareputationgroundedincivicvirtue,asdemonstratedwithrhetoricalskillandtimelyaction.Oncethereputationoftheactoriscreatedtheactorstrivestoactinaccordancewiththatreputation.Therepublicanstylistgainslegitimacythroughmoralcharacter.

Thechallengefortherepublicanoratoristotranslatethelanguageofindividual-ismintothelanguageofcivicmorality.Harimanstates,“Therepublicanstylisttoday,asalways,hastospeakinamannerthatcanconstitutetherepublicanconceptionsofspeaker,audience,polity,andpolitics,andnowhastodosoforanaudiencewhobeginasliberalindividualists.”27Thespeakerhastoovercometheaudiences’priorpoliticalstatus,theirdesireforautonomy,andtheirwishforliberty,whichhasmostlikelydevel-opedindependentlyofpublicaddress.Therepublicanoratorcanbethwartedbytheculturalvariabilityoftoday’ssociety.Thediversityofsocietytodaymakesitincreas-inglydifficulttoreachconsensusbecauseofthedivergentinterests,needs,andgoalsofpublics.ThepremisesoftherepublicanactorarepresentincontemporaryCSRdiscourse.Arguably,theconstructoftheCorporateRainmakerPersonaisthemoderndayembodi-mentofCicerobycorporation.Toprovideinsightintothisquestion,IpresentthebasictenetsoftheCorporateRainmakerPersona.

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By Visconti - Iconograph rom. pl. 12 N. 1 (Abb. 428) (Publisher K. A. Baumeister) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

drIvIng the raIn: decorum, rePutatIon, and cIvIc duty

TheCRPisembodiedbythreebroadlyconceivedcharacteristicsofrepublicandiscourse.First,theCRPiniti-atesaCSRdiscoursethatpredicatesdecorum.Second,theCRPconstructsareputationbasedontheneoliberalCSRinitiativesthatdelegitimizegovernmentalregulations.Third,theCRPpromotesitscivicdutiesandobliga-tionsthroughitspublicrelationsinitiatives.

TheCRPreliesondecorumtoprovideanaestheticworthandintrinsicmerittoitsdiscoursenotonlytodeflectattentionawayfromeconomicstagnationbuttoestablishcoherenceandsolidaritywithinthecorpora-tionthatenablesconfidenceinsoon-to-be-profits.Leffpointsoutthatthis“aesthetic”valueofpersonaallowsactorstoviewdecorumas“aflexibleprinciplethatcoordinatesparticulardiscoursesastheysimultaneouslybuildinternalcoherence,refertoacontextoffactsandcircumstances,andstretchoutwardtoalterperceptionofthatcontext.”28

SustainabilityisaprominentthemeinCRSdiscourse.29TheCRPpotentiallyalignsthecorporationwithsustainabilitybecausetheconceptofsustainabilityembodies—incorporateterms—partnerships,networks,andallianceswithotherprofit-drivenentitiesandgovernments.SimilartoCicero’spremiseinreachingconsen-sus,onemustbeconcernednotonlywithone’sowninterestsbutalsorespectingtheinterestsofothers.Followingthenormofconsensus,CRPreliesonpublicdiscussiontodeterminepolicy.Agribusinesscorporate

giantCargill’s30CSRillustratesthedecorum-consensusassociation.Cargill’srespectfulCSRmessagestatesfourinitiatives:“Conductingbusinesswithintegrity.Operatingresponsiblesupplychains.Workingtofeedtheworld.Enrichingourcommunities.”Thefirstinitiativerelatestobusinessstandards(“weobeythelaw,weconductourbusinesswithintegrity,andwearecommittedtobeingaresponsibleglobalcitizen”).Thesecondinitiativetosupplychains(that“respectspeopleandhumanrights;producessafeandwholesomefood;treatsanimalshumanely…includingprotectingthelandandconservingscarceresources”),thethirdtonutritionandworldhunger(“developingmorenutritiousfoodsandcollaboratingwithpart-ners…tofindlong-termsolutionstohunger”).Cargill’sfourthinitiativeiscommunityengagement(“buildvibrantandstablecommunities…accessto

educationandprovidetrainingandschooling…”).Separately,themessagesinCargill’sinitiativesarerespectfulintoneandpurpose,butwhenconsideredasacompleteCSRprogramoperatingequallywithitscorporatemission(“Cargilliscommittedtooperatingresponsiblyaswepursueourgoaltobethegloballeaderinnourishingpeople.”),Cargill’stoneandpurposeissomewhat“priestly.”31

Messagesthatemphasizeresponsibility,obligation,commitment,enrichment,integrity,andnourishment,seeminglyreflectapriestlyvoicethatisextensive,authoritative,andproactive.Cargill’sCSRengagesavoicewherebyconsensushasnoalternative;itisseeminglyanethicalobligationofCargill’sandothercorporationscommittedtoglobalcitizenship.TheCRPreflectsacorporate-priestlyvoicewhoseauthorityisseeminglyearnedfromconsumerswhoaredependentoncorporations,likeCargill.LiketherainmakerfromAmericanfolklore,Cargill’sCRP’sdiscourseiscommandingandconvincing,seeminglyabletoinfluenceconsumersthatrespectandconsen-susareasequallyimportantasrevenueandprofit. ThesecondcharacteristicoftheCRPisreputation.ThischaracteristicoftheCRPisimpor-tantforidentificationwithitsstakeholders.TheCRPknowsandunderstandsthesignificanceit

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hasoninternalandexternalstakeholders,includingconsumers.Therefore,thecorporation’srespectfulmessagesalsopromiseconsumersa“goodlife.”Thebeliefthatcorporationspromiseconsumersa“goodlife”isvitalforcreatingpositiveconsumerpublicopinionanddependency.AsMeisterandJappnote,the“goodlife”isoftenarhetoricalconstructioninstitutedbycorporationsandgovernmentsforpurposesofdeflectingcriticismawayfrominconsistencies.32Therefore,acorporation’sreputationisoftenbasedonhowclearlyitassociatesitsproductsandserviceswiththepromiseofa“goodlife.”

Identifyingitsproductsasameanstoa“goodlife”isclearlyapparentintheFordMotorCompany’scorpo-ratediscourseonsustainability.Ford’s2013“BlueprintforSustainability”introduceditscorporateinitiativesbyexpandingthedefinitionofsustainabilitytonotonlyincludeenvironmentalandsocial/culturalthemes(reducinggreenhousegasemissionsandhumanrights),butalsoasvitaltoitscorporatesurvival.“Wenowusethetermmorebroadlytodescribeoursustainabilitystrategy…reflectingthefactthatourimportantsustainabilityissuesarepartofacomplexsystemthatinterconnectsourproducts,plants,peopleandcommunitiesinwhichweoperate.”33

Herein,Ford’sCRPdoesnotrequestlimitedconsumptionbyconsumers,butpointsoutthatcontinuedconsumption(andcorporateprofits)isnecessaryforfacilitatinga“goodlife.”Asevidencedbythe“BlueprintforSustainability”campaign,consumersareaskedtobelievethatthediscourseofFord’sCRPproducesthenecessaryproductsandservicessoconsumerscancontinuetoconsumewithoutchangingconsumption.

ThethirdcharacteristicoftheCRPisthepromotionofcivicetiquette.IKEA,aglobalretailleaderinhomefurnishingsanddesign,promotesitsgoodcorporatebehaviorinits2013sustainabilityreport“People&PlanetPositive:IKEAGroupSustainabilityStrategyfor2020.”34Thereportoutlinesinitiativesthatemphasizethe

politenessandtactoftheIKEACRP.ForIKEA,civicetiquetteisalong-termbusi-nessstrategythatrespondsspecificallytorapidglobalpopulationincreasesanddangerousglobalclimatechange.IKEA’sCRPstrategyremindsconsumersthatfacingsuchchallengesrequirescommittedgroupworkandthat“amoresustain-ablelifeathome”requiresthatit

“...addressthehigherpriceofrawmaterialsandenergy,whiledrivingdownemis-sionsandmaintainingourowprices,weneedtotransformourbusiness(empha-sisoriginal).Wecannolongeruse20thcenturyapproachestomeet21stcenturydemands…weneedtransformationalchange…embracingthenew,beingbold,innovativeandcommittedtotakingaction…that,together,willhavetrans-formationalimpact.”35

Theideathatsustainabilityrequirescollectiveaction(corporationsworkingdirectlytomakeinternalbusinesschangesthatwillshapeconsumersustainablepractices)isfurtherbolsteredbyIKEA’sCRPwhosetoneandcontentemphasizes

“...strongvalues;togethernessandenthusiasm;desireforrenewal;cost-consciousness;acceptingresponsi-bility;humblenessandwillpower;simplicity;leadershipbyexample;daringtobedifferentandstrivingtomeet

By Peretz Partensky from San Francisco, USA (Life’s Good Uploaded by russavia) via Wikimedia Com-mons

By Yero (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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reality.Ourcultureandvaluesshapethewaywedobusinessandcreateapowerfuldesiretodotherightthing.Wealwaysdoourbesttomaintainthehighestethicalstandardsandtobeagoodpartnerinsociety.”36ThestrategyoflinkingsustainabilityandcivicvirtuewithcollectiveandengagedinitiativesdemonstrateshowIKEA’sCRPinspiresandenables“millionsofcustomerstoliveasustainablelifeathome.”37EtiquetteseeminglymattersatIKEA.Somuchso,thatIKEA’sCRPcitestheUnitedNations(UN)GuidingPrinciplesonBusinessandHumanRights,“asourbase…ourbeliefthatouractionsshouldalwayshavethebestinterestsofthechildinmind.”

MypresentationthusfarexemplifieshowtheCRPisgroundedinCSRdiscourse(sustain-ability)andhowithelpsrhetoricallydepictsapositiveorganizationalimageforbolsteringrhetoricalprofit,throughdecorum,reputation,andetiquette.CRPandCSRdiscoursenotonlydeflectspubliccriticismandscruti-nyofcorporations,butinevitably,facilitatesavisionofsustainabilityandamanifestationofconsciousness,thatissubvertedforpurposesofgeneratingprofits.

ImPlIcatIonS and concluSIon

EnvironmentalethicistMaxOelschlaegerreferstothesustainabilitybuzzwordas“primarilyanapologeticforthecontinuedwholesaleexploi-tationoftheearthandThirdWorldpeoplesbymultinationalcorporationsanddevelopednations.”38TheCRPpresentedinthisessayexploreshowitispossibleforcorporationstorhetoricallydirecthumanconscious-nesstowardacommodifiedobject/servicewhilesimultaneouslypresent-ingacorporateimagethatisrespectful,reputable,andpolite.Yet,theCRPdescribedheredoeslittletocurtailthecontinuedexploitationofthenaturalresourcesneededbyagrowingpopulationabsorbedwithlivingaversionofthe“goodlife”promisedbyseeminglyrespectful,upright,andcivilcorporations.LefttotheCRP,our

consumptivebehaviorsarealwaysshapedandreproducedbycorporatedepen-dence.Growingcorporatedependence,arguablythemainpurposeoftheCRP,isproblematicformanyreasons.Thetwoimplicationsmosttroubling,inmyopin-ion,ishowtheCRPmaybecontributingtotheendofenvironmentalismandthedeathofcitizenship.

Becausecorporationsfacilitate“goodlife”manifestations(therebycateringtohumanandcorporatedesires)Tokarsuggeststhatanenvironmentalbacklashistakingshape.Tokarpointsoutthatthreerelatedphenomena--theabsorptionofthemainstreamenvironmen-talmovementbythepoliticalstatusquo,theemergenceofcorporateenvironmentalism,andtheproliferationof“ecological”productsinthemarketplace--havehelpedfueltheperceptionofadecliningpopularcommitmenttoenvironmentalprotection.39ThisisparticularlytruegivenMichaelShellenbergerandTedNordhaus’essay,2004“TheDeathofEnvironmentalism”and2007bookBreakThrough:FromtheDeathofEnvironmentalismtothePoliticsofPossibility.40Theauthorsconcludethatthepoliticsofenvironmentalismthatledtocleanwater,lesssmog,andsignificantreductionsofacidrain,arenotkeepingupwiththepresentimperativesassociatedwithglobalwarming.Thecampaignandspecialinterestledenvironmentalpoliticsofthe1970s,1980,and1990sneedstochange,argueShellenbergerandNordhaus,“toreplacetheirdoomsdaydiscoursewithanimagina-

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tive,aspirational,andfuture-orientedone.”41CRPrhetoricpromisingenvironmental“engagement”andcivicdutycreatesapuesdo-environmentalethicthatabscondscitizensoftheirresponsibilitiesandobligationsbecause“thecorporationsaretakingcareofit.”Assuch,a“sustainable”futurereliesuponhowweseethroughtheCRPrhetoric.AsPetersonstatesinhercritiqueofsustainabledevelopmentdiscourse,“Itisquitepossibleforperfectlysustainablesystemstoperpetuategrossinequali-ties.”42

Ascivicenvironmentalinitiativesfadeandcorporatedependencygrows,indi-vidualcitizensareseeminglycontenttoletcorporationsdictateindustry-friendly“democratic”principles.Citizenshipisapoliticalconceptextendedtoindividualsparticipatinginthedemocraticprocessforsocietalbetterment.Forcorporations,citizenshiphasadifferentconnotation.Theterm“corporatecitizenship,”forexam-ple,potentiallyhighlightsthedeclineofliberalcitizenship,wherethepivotalactoristypicallythestateandgovernmentalinstitutions,boundbytheprotectionofcivil,social,andpoliticalrights.43Likethecharlatanrainmakerdepictedinfolklorethatusedcharm,decorum,andreputationinpromisingrainforaprice,thecontemporaryCRP“pitch”isnotwithoutconsequences.Mostsignificantly,CRPdiscoursefacilitatesfurthercorporatedependencewherebyhumanrights,obligations,environmentalconsciousness,anddemocraticpracticesareperceivedascorporateandconsumer-basedinitiativesratherthancitizenactivities.

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livingstingy.blogstpot.com

End Notes1 D’Alto, “The Rainmakers.” D’Alto traces the history of rainmaking in the United States and how the rainmaker became an icon in popular culture. Specifically, the article discusses the traditional practices of influencing the weather, especially the rainmaking techniques of Charles Mallory Hatfield. Often called “The Wizard of Weather,” Hatfield and his brother Paul were famous during the turn of the 20th century for erecting rain derricks: homemade square-sided wooden trestles that were the “secret” to producing rain in drought stricken areas. In 1915, San Diego hired the Hatfield’s to end the southern California drought. Using their weather-making techniques, the city of San Diego received 38 inches of rain in a 14-day period causing mass flooding. Significantly, dramatist N. Richard Nash immortalized the story of Charles Hatfield and countless other would be “cloud kings” in his play, simply titled, “The Rainmaker.” Later, screen legend Burt Lancaster portrayed the title role in a film version. In 1999, film star Woody Harrelson reprised the role in a limited engagement on the Broadway stage. Accordingly, the “moral” of Nash’s play and film version is that “rainmaking” is not really about precipitation, but about belief—a morality play about the power, and the danger, of where we choose to place our trust.2 D’Alto, “The Rainmakers,” p. 27. The folklore of rainmaking includes how “percussionists” sought to “tear the clouds” via explosions and how “vortexers” attempted to produce allegedly favorable flows. 3 Rainmakers are described in the following articles as capable fundraisers, exceptional executives, popular college presidents, motivated salesperson, and persuasive lawyer. See respectively: Eliza Newlin Carney. “The New Rainmakers.” National Journal 38 (Oct. 28, 2006): 18-27. Jenny Anderson. “Can a Rainmaker be Morgan Stanley’s Peacemaker?” New York Times 154 (July 1, 2005): C7. N.A. “College Presidents as Rainmak ers.” Chronicle of Higher Education 51 (Nov. 11, 2004): B2. O’Connor, Joanne. “New York-based Rainmaker Touted as Next Senior Partner at Shearman.” Lawyer 19 (May 30, 2005): 5. 4 John William Corrington. “The Rainmaker.” Legal Studies Forum 27 (2003): 541-542. The poem reads: There is no such thing as a job well done. The rule is, I must leave as soon as it’s’ begun. I live deserts. In my wake green explodes like the dream of a winter tree. A women in Tulsa, late one night, came to shake my thirst. We drank. Lips wet and shimmering, she said she had dreamed me long ago, a weather cock turning wind less above a crumbling barn. She asked why? I could not say whether she asked about the deluge or that wooden contrivance that serves me for what I do not need. Dressing quickly, feeling my vitru go, the motel pipes beginning to play, awaiting my lie: Because it isn’t there, I said, leaving her money I had got for bringing what was not. What they do not know is that the rain seeks me. It is my tempest that they see. I have been fragments of an ancient thing wedded together again, and love or the sight of green, the touch of mist would melt me like the Witch of the West upon whose breast I fed Last Spring When I was dead. And when I dream in a dry bed, rutted with dusty sweat, I see my brother on his way beneath our Father’s eyes, to set about the lethal thing he does so well: Perhaps an Iowa field in July, full of prayers and striving, ending as you would surmise in a flash flood.5 For examples of books that promote rainmaking skills for generating profits, consult: Ford Harding. Creating Rainmakers: The Manager’s Guide to Training Professionals to Attract New Clients (New York, John Wiley & Sons: 2006). Jeffery J. Fox. Secrets of Great Rainmakers: The Keys to Success and Wealth. (New York, Hyperion: 2006).6 George Cheney. Rhetoric in Organizational Society: Managing Multiple Identities (Columbia, University of South Carolina Press, 1991).7 Referred to as CSR for the remainder of the essay.8 A. Henriques. “CSR, Sustainability, and the Triple Bottom Line.” In A. Henriques and J. Richardson (Eds). The Triple Bottom Line: Does It All Add Up? (London, Earthscan: 2005) 26-33. 9 M.E. Porter and M.R. Kramer. “Strategy & Society: The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility.” Harvard Business Review 84 (2006): 78-92. 10 J. Dowling and J. Pfeffer. “Organizational Legitimacy: Social Values and Organizational Behavior.” Pacific Sociological Review 18 (1975): 123-137. J.D. Patterson and M. Watkins-Allen. “Accounting for Actions: How Stake holders Respond to the Strategic Communication of Environmental Activist Organizations.” Journal of Applied Communication Research 25 (1997): 293-316. 11 Referred to as CRP for the remainder of the essay.12 I argue that the Corporate Citizen Report (CCR) is one of the primary means by which CSR is communicated. For information on the significance of CCRs, see: N.A. “Rolling Off More Presses: Reports on ‘Social Responsi bility’—The 2000 Some Reports are Efforts to Provide More Disclosure and to Communication with Important Stakeholders.” The Christian Science Monitor (December 4, 2006): 25. 13 Randall P. Bezanson. “No Middle Ground? Reflections on the Citizen’s United Decision.” Iowa Law Review. 96 (2010). 649.14 Kathryn C. Lavelle. “The Business of Governments: Nationalism in the Context of Sovereign Wealth Funds and State-Owned Enterprises.” Journal of International Affairs 62 (2008): 131-147.15 J.D. Hoover. “Corporate Advocacy: A Powerful Persuasive Strategy.” In J.D. Hoover (Ed.), Corporate Advocacy: Rhetoric in the Information Age. (1997). Westport, CT: Quorum. S. Sen and C.B. Bhattacharya. “Does Do ing Good Always Lead to Doing Better? Consumer Reactions to Corporate Social Responsibility.” Journal of Marketing Research, 38 (2001): 225-243.16 For a discussion justifying CSR activities, please see: B.W. Altman. “Corporate Community Relations in the 1990s: A Study in Transformation.” Business and Society 37 (1998): 221-227. M.J. Barone, A.D. Miyazaki, and K.A. Taylor. “The Influence of Cause-Related Marketing on Consumer Choice: Does One Good Turn Deserve Another?” Journal of Academy of Marketing Science 28 (2000): 248-262. I. Maignan, O.C. Ferrell, and G.T. Hult. “Corporate Citizenship: Cultural Antecedents and Business Benefits.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 27 (1999): 455-469. R. Marchand. Creating the Corporate Soul: The Rise of Public Rela tions and Corporate Imagery in American Big Business. (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998). T.S. Mescon and D.J. Tillson. “Corporate Philanthropy: A Strategic Approach to the Bottom Line.” California Management Review 29 (1987): 49-61. 17 S.P. Sethi. Advocacy Advertising and Large Corporations. (Lexington, MA: Lexington Books, 1977).18 M.P. Gardner and P. Shuman. “Sponsorships and Small Business.” Journal of Small Business Management 26 (1988): 44-52.19 Neil Carter and Meg Huby. “Ecological Citizenship and Ethical Investment.” Environmental Politics 14 (2005): 255-272. Roel Stootweg. “Biodiversity Assessment Framework: Making Biodiversity Part of Corporate Social Responsibility.” Impact Assessment & Project Appraisal 23 (2005): 37-46. Marc Gunther. “Tree Huggers, Soy Lovers, and Profits.” Fortune 147 (2003): 98-104. L. Michaelis. “The Role of Business in Sustainable Consumption.” Journal of Cleaner Production 11 (2003): 15-22. Daniel Chudnovsky and Andres Lopez. “Diffusion of Environmentally Friendly Technologies by Multinational Corporations in Developing Countries.” International Journal of Technology Management & Sustainable Development 2 (2003): 5-18. Paul Hawken, Herman Daly, John Holmberg, and Karl-Henrik Robert. “A Compass for Sustainable Development.” Interna tional Journal for Sustainable Development & World Ecology 4 (1997): 79. .20 B.L. Ware and Wil A. Linkugel. “The Rhetorcal Persona: Marcus Garvey as Black Moses. Communication Monographs, 49 (1982): 50-62. Ware and Linkugel’s significance on persona is warranted based on their insistence that there is a difference between the actor’s personal ethos and ethos associated with a particular mask, or persona, but not on the basis that one (personal ethos) is more real or authentic than the other. Both per sonal ethos and persona are constructed rhetorically via language and action, yet persona is often characterized distinctly from personal ethos because it emerges within a culture complicated with rhetorical efforts by multiple actors (competitors), whereas personal ethos is more the result of individual decisions. 21 Ware and Linkugel, “The Rhetorical Persona,” 50.22 James Jasinski. Sourcebook on Rhetoric: Key Concepts in Contemporary Rhetorical Studies. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2001), 429. 23 Renato Barilli. Rhetoric: Theory and History of Literature, Volume 63. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1989), 28.

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24 Interestingly, Cicero’s “principle” of “If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words” is used in teaching students how to write effective and persuasive business proposals. Ac cording to author Tom Sant, Cicero’s advice for writing “winning” corporate proposals is to consider three factors of the audience: its personality type, its level of expertise, and its role in the decision making process. See: Tom Sant. Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts. (New York: AMACOM, 2004): 55-71.25 Hariman, Political Style, 96. 26 Hariman, Political Style,427 Hariman, Political Style, 134.28 Michael Leff. “Decorum and the Rhetorical Interpretation: The Latin Humanistic Tradition and Contemporary Critical Theory.” Vichiana 1 (1990): 107-126.29 Marcel van Marrewijk. “Concepts and Definitions of CSR and Corporate Sustainability: Between Agency and Communion,” in Concepts and Definitions of CSR and Corporate Sustainability: Between Agency and Communion, eds. Alex C. Michalos and Deborah C. Poff (The Netherlands: Springer, 2013), 641-655.30 As cited in Cargill’s 2013 CSR Report, “Responsibility Across Many Dimensions,” accessed December 4, 2013, http://www.cargill.com/cargill-corporate-responsibility-report-2013/31 Thomas M. Lessl. “The Priestly Voice.” Quarterly Journal of Speech, 75 (1989): 183-197.32 Meister and Japp. “Sustainable Development and the Global Economy.” 33 As cited in Ford’s 2012-13 Corporate Sustainability Report, “Our Blueprint for Sustainability,” accessed December 8, 2013, http://corporate.ford.com/microsites/sustainability-report-2012-13/blueprint34 As cited in IKEA’s 2013 sustainability report, “People & Planet Positive: IKEA Group Sustainability Strategy for 2020,” accessed December 10, 2013, http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/pdf/reports-downloads/peopleandplanet positive.pdf 35 IKEA, “People & Planet Positive,” p. 3.36 IKEA, “People & Planet Positive,” p. 6.37 IKEA, “People & Planet Positive,” p. 8.38 Max Oelschlaeger. Postmodern Environmental Ethics. (Albany, NY: State Universityof New York Press, 1995): 7.39 Brian Tokar. Earth for Sale: Reclaiming Ecology in the Age of Corporate Greenwash. (Boston: South End Press, 1997): 61-68.40 In 2004, Shellenberger and Nordhaus’ essay received front-page coverage in the New York Times, The Economist, and Salon. In 2011, the authors revisited the essay in a speech at Yale University entitled “The Long Death of Environmentalism” in which they argue recent environmental efforts to address climate change and build a green economy have crashed. A copy of the 2004 essay is available at: http://www.thebreakthrough.org/ images/Death_of_Environmentalism.pdf. A transcript of the 2011 speech is available at: http://thebreakthrough.org/archive/the_long_death_of_environmenta41 Reponses to Shellenberger and Nordhaus’ essay and book received support and criticism. Of note, is Robert Brulle and J. Craig Jenkins’ critique “Spinning Our Way to Sustainability?” in which they state, “the fundamental problem with [Shellenberger and Nordhaus’] proposal is its lack of democracy” (85). 42 Peterson, Sharing the Earth, 26.43 Dirk Matten, Andrew Crane, and Wendy Chapple. “Behind the Mask: Revealing the True Face of Corporate Citizenship.” Journal of Business Ethics 45 (2003): 109-120.

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