Howard the politician has a multiple audience dilemma: he wants to appear to one audience as a strong fighter against terrorism but wants to appear to another audience as opposed to a recent military campaign.Which of the following strategies is NOT a successful way to manage this dilemma?
A) Give separate speeches to the two different audiences.
B) Moderate his message so that it is a compromise between the desires of the two audiences.
C) Present ambiguous statements that appeal to both audiences because they can interpret them differently.
D) When making a statement to one of the audiences, give nonverbal signals indicating that he does not really believe what he is saying.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Giving nonverbal signals that contradict his message will only undermine his credibility and possibly offend the audience he is addressing. This strategy is not effective in managing a multiple audience dilemma. Therefore, the best choice would be either A, B, or C.

Howard the Politician Has a Multiple Audience Dilemma: He Wants