Corporate Communication Course Quiz

Corporate Communication

• Aims of the course:

  • Describe the basics of corporate communication in terms of definition, historical development, and organization.
  • Explain the conceptual foundations.
  • Distinguish and discuss key special areas.
  • Develop CC strategies and measure their impact.
  • Critically evaluate the consequences and impact of actions.
  • Design and assess overall corporate communication strategy and specific activities and tools.

• CC is:

  • An area of managerial practice within organizations, focusing on how it is organized and managed.
  • A subject of academic research, drawing on strategy, management, and organizational theory.
  • A strategic approach of guiding an organization's communication with stakeholders.

• A reflective practitioner (theory-informed practice) is:

  • Able to transfer skills to others.
  • Aware of theoretical skills.
  • Able to adapt practices to changing circumstances.
  • Able to use theories as resources for critical analysis and sensemaking.

• CC encompasses various specialized areas/disciplines:

  • Sales promotions
  • Direct Marketing
  • Advertising
  • Issues & Media Relations
  • Media Relations
  • Event Management
  • Public Affairs
  • Crisis Management
  • Investor Relations
  • International/Global Communication
  • Sponsorship/Publicity
  • Digital/Online Communication
  • Employee/Internal Communication
  • CSR Communication & Community Relations

Historical Development of CC

• Three phases:
  • Industrial Revolution to 1930s: Early corporate communication emerged with the need to promote products, with activities led by press agents, promoters, and propagandists. Muckrakers also played a significant role.
  • 1930s to 1980s: Increased public skepticism toward large businesses led to a greater need for professional communication expertise. Public relations and marketing became distinct disciplines.
  • 1980s to Present: The need to integrate PR and marketing into a unified corporate communication function became evident.

Definition of CC

• A single, integrated entity.
• More than advertising; a management function that coordinates internal and external communications to establish and maintain positive stakeholder reputations.
• Orchestrates organizational identity.
• A variety of functions (public relations, crisis communication, corporate citizenship, reputation management, community relations, media relations, etc.).
• Aims to encompass all communications into a unified expression.

Stakeholder Theory

• Stakeholders are individuals or groups who can be affected or can affect the achievement of organizational objectives (employees, customers, investors, suppliers, competitors, governments, political groups, etc.).
• Stakeholder theory emphasizes that organizations should be accountable to various stakeholders' interests, not just shareholders.
• An organization's success depends on maintaining positive relationships with all its stakeholders.

Corporate and Stakeholder Communication Models

• There are models and perspectives for understanding communication with stakeholders.
  • The traditional view of communication.
  • The integrated communication paradigm that dominates 1980s.
  • The overlapping view/relationship between marketing and public relations.
• Active stakeholder engagement involves actively engaging, listening to, and enabling stakeholder input into organizational decision-making processes.

Corporate Communication and Integration

• Organizations use different drivers like market and environmental changes; communication effectiveness; organizational needs (efficiency) to integrate communications for different stakeholder groups.
• There's a need for consistency and clarity in communication.
• It is important to have a clear direction and a coherent approach to communication, a "one body” approach.

CC Towards Integration

• The historical path of CC toward integration:
• There was a linear model, where the assumption is that any outcome was already pre-determined and stakeholders were the passive recipients only.
• Now the trend is to empower individuals by providing platforms with different stakeholders to discuss experiences and to interact.
• Shift from communication as a tool for other corporate functions to communications as a strategic tool.

Corporate Identity, Brand & Reputation

• Corporate identity is an organization's values and image communicated to stakeholders.
• Corporate image is a brief collection of stakeholder's current perception of the organization in any moment, and can change fast.
• Corporate reputation is the overall perception of the organization over time.
• A strong corporate identity can establish a positive reputation with stakeholders leading to trust and acceptance of the organization and to potential profit gains.

Strategy, Planning and Evaluation

• Communication strategies should align with corporate goals and help build or maintain a positive reputation.
• The process of forming a communication strategy may be flexible and visionary or analytical and planned.
• Different types of message styles can be used to effectively communicate with diverse audiences.
• Research and measurement are essential in evaluating the effectiveness of communication materials.

Social Media Communication

• Social media involve the creation and exchange of user-generated content.
• Social media technologies have blurred the lines between "internal" and "external" communication, making employees key communicators for the company.
• New social media trends have dramatically increased the speed and ease for communication and information sharing, both formally and informally.
• Social media have increased the power of individuals in communication within organizations/between organization and stakeholders.
• The exponential rise of social media platforms created a more participatory media with higher interactivity and engagement. This created also challenges in measuring the impact of communication activities.

Intercultural Communication

• Intercultural communication deals with understanding and appreciating cultural nuances when communicating across different cultures.
• Key factors include language, non-verbal communication, and cultural values.
• An organization's culture may have more influence than organizational values on how communications are conveyed.
• Cultural intelligence is crucial for effective international communication.

Crisis Communication and Reputation Management

• Reputation management is an important organizational function to deal with crisis.
• Reputation is about the accumulated perceptions and interpretations of a company, based on stakeholder perceptions.
• Organizations can manage their reputation through their messages.
• Communicating in a clear, consistent, and timely manner is important to maintain a positive reputation during and after a crisis.

Event Management

• Corporate events, such as conventions, trade shows, and promotional events, are important communication tools.
• They provide a way to convey messages in a face-to-face interaction format and engage stakeholders more intimately.
• Events are also costly to implement; thus requires advanced planning and logistics.

Employee Communication

• Employee communication is important to maintain a positive organizational culture.
• Maintaining communication channels to listen to employees’ opinions, concerns and feedback are also crucial.
• Technology can facilitate employee interaction and communication.
• Strong communication channels and strategies are vital for building a positive reputation, loyalty and trust with employees.

Measurement and Evaluation

• Measurement is important to understand the communication strategy effectiveness.
• Quantitative and qualitative assessment techniques can be used.
• Effective measurement practices that account for the appropriate criteria (and standards for evaluation) lead to better results.