This document summarizes a study that explored corporate communication practices in South African companies. The study utilized a mixed methods approach involving 26 corporate communication professionals from various South African businesses and sectors. The study found that professionals viewed their roles as strategic but that this was often not applied in practice. It also found a basic understanding of strategic issues like reputation but a need for continuous training, particularly regarding power relations. The study aims to contribute to understanding best practices worldwide by benchmarking with similar international studies.
Strategic Communications: The Agency in the South African Context by Fezile D...Fezile Dhlamini
Instant Grass, a consumer
collaboration agency, was selected for the main fact that it is a postmodernist agency with a unique
business model that they have managed to master by connecting the brand to the consumer and
the consumer to the brand, having a flat structure which makes it easier for those whom they
communicate with to be convenient, as well as it (the organization) being flexible to change at any
given moment in the organization. What will be explored is the mentioned agency as well as
proving that the agency, in a South African context, functions as a postmodern agency holistically.
La combinación de gestión del conocimiento y gestión del cambio en procesos y servicios de Consultoría.
En este trabajo se analiza la relación entre los procesos de cambio y la gestión del conocimiento, entre los partidarios de gestión del cambio y facilitadores de la Gestión del Conocimiento.
Theorical basis: Excellence, Critical and Rhetorical theories in Public Relat...Stephen Tindi
Theories are helpful in understanding and explaining the actions of organizations, PR practitioners and publics. The Excellence, Critical and Rhetorical theories provide useful information on meaning-making between organizations and their publics.
Effective PR Management: Evaluating PR Managers with Quinn's Competing Values Model analyzes the necessary management roles within PR departments using Quinn's model. It explores the professional demands of modern PR practitioners in agency, government, and non-profit sectors from internal and external communication perspectives. PR has both external functions like marketing/publicity and internal roles such as building employee relations. Agencies focus externally on clients but also communicate internally during crises. Government PR aims to provide information access between groups and foster understanding through two-way communication.
Leading Discussion, Entrepreneurship, Campaigns, & Strategies, JC8603, Fardin...Afghanistan
The document discusses two academic papers related to entrepreneurship and strategic communication.
The first paper explores how Korean-American female entrepreneurs cultivate relationships and build social capital on social media. It finds they employ strategies like networking, sharing tasks, and cultural interest. Relationship cultivation and social capital are important for overcoming challenges of limited networks.
The second paper examines how a health tech startup constructs its narrative identity. It identifies key factors like cohesive storytelling and multiple voices. The startup strategically shapes perceptions through social media narratives emphasizing clean air, well-being, and work efficiency. Organizational identity evolves from expansion and vigilance narratives.
Both papers provide insight into relationship-based communication strategies and identity
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between ethical practices of teams and completion of projects at Kenya Power in Kisumu County, Kenya. The study found that there is a relationship between ethical practices of teams and completion of projects. Specifically, it found that for projects to be completed on time, teams need to be accountable for their actions, diverse and recruit skilled members, distribute resources equitably, and hire professionally trained persons to raise quality standards. The study utilized a sample of 60 employees from Kenya Power to examine how factors like accountability, diversity, equity and professionalism related to timely project completion. It found that top managers seldom demonstrated high ethics, while junior employees and supervisors were generally accountable, but middle managers less so
Employees’ expectations from csr the case of master studentsbarizah94
Employees' Expectations from CSR analyzes expectations of master's students regarding CSR activities of their employers. It finds that while students value training programs, they also care about societal issues. The study uses group discussions and a questionnaire with 150 graduate employees aged 21-28 working in Bucharest. It concludes this category wants good wages but also to feel proud of their employer's CSR efforts and societal involvement. However, for Romania where CSR is emerging, young employees may be the only group requesting employers address stakeholders beyond shareholders.
The document discusses the importance of social impact assessment in influencing marketing communications, CSR, and advocacy efforts. It argues that impact assessments can provide data to strengthen communications by demonstrating the full scope of change achieved. Currently, most narratives focus only on individual success stories, which limits funding. Incorporating impact data can show larger-scale impacts and influence more funding from agencies, CSR departments, and governments. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for using impact assessments to build a stronger, evidence-based approach to communications that can improve advocacy, funding, and CSR strategies. It acknowledges limitations in current impact assessment methods but argues the field is growing and metrics can evolve communications over the long term.
Strategic Communications: The Agency in the South African Context by Fezile D...Fezile Dhlamini
Instant Grass, a consumer
collaboration agency, was selected for the main fact that it is a postmodernist agency with a unique
business model that they have managed to master by connecting the brand to the consumer and
the consumer to the brand, having a flat structure which makes it easier for those whom they
communicate with to be convenient, as well as it (the organization) being flexible to change at any
given moment in the organization. What will be explored is the mentioned agency as well as
proving that the agency, in a South African context, functions as a postmodern agency holistically.
La combinación de gestión del conocimiento y gestión del cambio en procesos y servicios de Consultoría.
En este trabajo se analiza la relación entre los procesos de cambio y la gestión del conocimiento, entre los partidarios de gestión del cambio y facilitadores de la Gestión del Conocimiento.
Theorical basis: Excellence, Critical and Rhetorical theories in Public Relat...Stephen Tindi
Theories are helpful in understanding and explaining the actions of organizations, PR practitioners and publics. The Excellence, Critical and Rhetorical theories provide useful information on meaning-making between organizations and their publics.
Effective PR Management: Evaluating PR Managers with Quinn's Competing Values Model analyzes the necessary management roles within PR departments using Quinn's model. It explores the professional demands of modern PR practitioners in agency, government, and non-profit sectors from internal and external communication perspectives. PR has both external functions like marketing/publicity and internal roles such as building employee relations. Agencies focus externally on clients but also communicate internally during crises. Government PR aims to provide information access between groups and foster understanding through two-way communication.
Leading Discussion, Entrepreneurship, Campaigns, & Strategies, JC8603, Fardin...Afghanistan
The document discusses two academic papers related to entrepreneurship and strategic communication.
The first paper explores how Korean-American female entrepreneurs cultivate relationships and build social capital on social media. It finds they employ strategies like networking, sharing tasks, and cultural interest. Relationship cultivation and social capital are important for overcoming challenges of limited networks.
The second paper examines how a health tech startup constructs its narrative identity. It identifies key factors like cohesive storytelling and multiple voices. The startup strategically shapes perceptions through social media narratives emphasizing clean air, well-being, and work efficiency. Organizational identity evolves from expansion and vigilance narratives.
Both papers provide insight into relationship-based communication strategies and identity
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between ethical practices of teams and completion of projects at Kenya Power in Kisumu County, Kenya. The study found that there is a relationship between ethical practices of teams and completion of projects. Specifically, it found that for projects to be completed on time, teams need to be accountable for their actions, diverse and recruit skilled members, distribute resources equitably, and hire professionally trained persons to raise quality standards. The study utilized a sample of 60 employees from Kenya Power to examine how factors like accountability, diversity, equity and professionalism related to timely project completion. It found that top managers seldom demonstrated high ethics, while junior employees and supervisors were generally accountable, but middle managers less so
Employees’ expectations from csr the case of master studentsbarizah94
Employees' Expectations from CSR analyzes expectations of master's students regarding CSR activities of their employers. It finds that while students value training programs, they also care about societal issues. The study uses group discussions and a questionnaire with 150 graduate employees aged 21-28 working in Bucharest. It concludes this category wants good wages but also to feel proud of their employer's CSR efforts and societal involvement. However, for Romania where CSR is emerging, young employees may be the only group requesting employers address stakeholders beyond shareholders.
The document discusses the importance of social impact assessment in influencing marketing communications, CSR, and advocacy efforts. It argues that impact assessments can provide data to strengthen communications by demonstrating the full scope of change achieved. Currently, most narratives focus only on individual success stories, which limits funding. Incorporating impact data can show larger-scale impacts and influence more funding from agencies, CSR departments, and governments. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for using impact assessments to build a stronger, evidence-based approach to communications that can improve advocacy, funding, and CSR strategies. It acknowledges limitations in current impact assessment methods but argues the field is growing and metrics can evolve communications over the long term.
The document discusses the importance of social impact assessment in influencing marketing communications, CSR, and advocacy efforts. It argues that current narratives for advocacy and CSR funding focus too much on individual success stories and lack data on the full scope of impact. Incorporating social impact data and metrics into communications can provide more substance, transparency, and strategic information for decision-making to mobilize communities and improve policies. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for using impact assessment findings to build a stronger marketing communication approach that ensures relevant messaging and adequate use of metrics to establish long-term understanding between social development organizations and their stakeholders.
This document discusses ethics in strategic and tactical public relations management and how it affects the United States. It begins by defining public relations and explaining that strategic management uses a dialogical approach in studies, while tactical management uses a monological approach. It then analyzes case studies and the positive and negative aspects of both methods. The document discusses how Johnson & Johnson's strategic planning helped it recover from a Tylenol crisis. It concludes that strategic management is more ethical as it allows for more diverse groups to be represented in media studies. However, it can be improved by incorporating more social network analysis. Overall, the document argues strategic public relations management has a more positive impact on society than tactical management.
This document provides an overview of public relations as discussed in a study unit. It defines public relations as a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. It describes the nature of public relations as based on open two-way dialogue and mutual understanding between an organization and its stakeholders to gain public consent. The document also distinguishes public relations from related fields like marketing, advertising, propaganda, publicity and spin doctoring.
Corporate social innovation How firms learn to innovate for the greater good...Pam Chan
This document discusses how companies learn to engage in successful social innovation through acquiring tacit knowledge from external partners. It explores knowledge transfer between companies and external parties in corporate social innovation (CSI) projects. The study is based on observations of over 70 companies over five years. It finds that much of the knowledge exchanged in CSI is tacit knowledge developed through shared interactions and experiences. Companies partner with external organizations in different configurations that vary in their distance from the company's core business operations and level of investment/interaction. Through case studies, it illustrates how companies acquire different types of tacit knowledge from partners to enhance their value chains or address social issues.
The document discusses a study examining the influence of corporate culture dimensions on organizational commitment among employees in the Malaysian semiconductor industry. It presents four hypotheses: that communication, training and development, reward and recognition, and teamwork will each positively influence organizational commitment. The study involved a survey of 377 employees across six major semiconductor firms in Malaysia. The results provide empirical evidence on the relationship between aspects of corporate culture and organizational commitment in this context.
https://www.ijmst.com/
IJMST Volume 1 Issue 4, Manuscript 3
Communication is critical for organizational performance. It transfers and conveys
information and ideas. Poor, lack of or limited communication has led to failure in achieving
purposes. Management and employees spend most of their time communicating. The purpose
of this study was to examine the role of communication policies in enhancing Kenyan public
universities performance. The objective was to examine the role of communication policies in
enhancing Kenyan public universities performance; a case of Masinde Muliro University of
Science and Technology (MMUST). It is hoped the findings and recommendations would
enlighten stakeholders to seriously consider communication policies for excellent
performance. The study population comprised of members of teaching, non-teaching staff
and student leaders.. The population stratified and randomly sampled to select 100
respondents. Questionnaires, interviews and content analysis were used for data collection.
Reliability was accepted at above 0.7. Validity was established through careful preparation
of items in instruments based on study objectives and by experts from the school of Human
Resource Development checking content validity. The data was analyzed and interpreted
using descriptive statistics and presented in pie charts and tables. Inferential statistics
involving one-way ANOVA, regression analysis and Chi Square test were used to establish
the significance and associations of the study variables. Findings shown that communication
policies have a direct and positive association on performance. It was recommended that
MMUST amend communication policies on a continuous basis as the need arises.
Knowledge Application and Organizational Sustainability of Oil and Gas Compan...AJHSSR Journal
ABSTRACT: This study examined the relationship between knowledge application and organizational
sustainability of oil and gas companies in Rivers State. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey in its
investigation of the variables. Primary data was generated through structured administered questionnaire. The
population for this study was is made up of the twenty-four registered indigenous oil servicing companies in
Port Harcourt. Since the population is small, this study therefore adopts the entire population of 24 oil and gas
companies in Rivers State as a census. Five (5) managers were selected from each of 24 oil and gas companies
in Rivers State giving a total of 120 respondents. The reliability of the instrument was achieved by the use of the
Cronbach Alpha coefficient with all the items scoring above 0.70. The hypotheses were tested using the
Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Statistics while the partial correlation was used to test the moderating effect
of organizational culture. The tests were carried out at a 0.05 significance level.The hypotheses were tested
using the Spearman rank order correlation Coefficient. The tests were carried out at a 95% confidence interval
and a 0.05 level of significance. The study findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between
enterprise knowledge audit and organizational sustainability of oil and gas companies in Rivers State. The study
concludes that when the investment in enterprise knowledge audit by oil and gas companies in Rivers State
positively enhances organizational sustainability. The study recommends that management of oil and gas
companies should ensure that knowledge delivery and analysis should be in sustainable environment within the
organization.
KEYWORD: Knowledge Application, Organizational Sustainability,
Socially responsible human resourcepractices disclosures of.docxlillie234567
Socially responsible human resource
practices: disclosures of the world’s best
multinational workplaces
Charbel Greige Frangieh and Hala Khayr Yaacoub
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to explore the socially responsible human resource practices disclosed by
the ‘‘World’s Best Multinational Workplaces,’’ with the aim of facilitating the benchmarking of these
disclosed practices.
Design/methodology/approach – Using the ‘‘World’s Best Multinational Workplaces’’ list was a
strategic decision in this study due to the rigorous methodology used in the preparation of the list as it
concentrated largely on the employees’ feedback, thus ensuring that these listed companies are actually
top workplaces. Both manifest and latent content analysis, are applied on 23 of the 25 listedMultinational
Corporations’ websites and reports, and company reviews done on these companies by the Great Place
toWork for to pinpoint the social responsible human resource practices.
Findings – Most of the practices disclosed are oriented toward enhancing the employees’ work
experiences whether that happened through improving their employment conditions or through having a
diverse and inclusive workplace. Thus, the employee-oriented human resource management practices
got the lion’s share of the disclosures, rather than the legal or the Corporate social responsibility–human
resources facilitation components.
Research limitations/implications – The practices that are already used at small and medium
enterpriseswithin national contexts were not covered in this study.
Practical implications – It is assumed that businesses can benefit from the practices of these MNCs
which are considered as great places to work for, and as pioneers in their socially responsible human
resource approaches.
Originality/value – This study is likely to fill an important gap in the corporate social responsibility
literature, which gave pint-sized attention to the internal stakeholders, rendering the academic coverage
of employee-related practices scarce if not absent
Keywords CSR, Content analysis, Multinational corporations,
Social responsible human resource practices
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
An ethical movement is gaining momentum in the business world as a result of
management malpractices committed in the past decades. The ethical crisis drove
practitioners and researchers around the world to acknowledge the importance of
integrating business ethics and sustainability into their organizations. Engaging in
responsible practices was seen as a means to avoid crises and simultaneously lead to
financial benefits, (Doh et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2015; Voegtlin et al., 2012), produce social
capital (Maak, 2007) and enhance work-related behaviors like retention and workplace
commitment (Waldman and Galvin, 2008; Cameron, 2011; Doh et al., 2011; Doh and
Quigley, 2014; Miska et al., 2014). The misconducts in top management positions gained
extensive media a.
Running Head DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIONS POLICY11Dev.docxtodd271
Running Head: DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIONS POLICY 11
Developing Communications Policy
Argosy University
September 20, 2018
Developing A Communication Policy
If the policy defines the values of the organization, it exercises the same time some control over the free flow of information for ensure the consistency of the image of the company. It will be the reference tool to avoid slippage both in normal times and when the image will be poorly known or abused. The communication policy will try to manage the flow of communication which circulates both internally and internally to the external of a organization. It is intended for all staff who must adapt their behavior to the policies and practices described in the policy. Otherwise, everyone could give free rein to his impulses or his imagination and freedom of expression may lead to cacophony resulting in a blurred image of the organization. Politics becomes a communications management guide. It reinforces the feeling internal membership and standardizes the way in which the company communicates with his environment. A communication policy does not support any exceptions. The components of the organization must be mobilized to build and project a unique image. We propose in this book the steps to be taken to build a coherent communication policy. We have collected a large number of public, parastatal or private enterprise policies to realize that each company builds its policy according to his own needs. Some companies have a duty to communicate information because of their public status or their legal obligations. Others understood that it was essential to in full knowledge of a reference framework to manage their speech in the public square. This book describes all the steps involved in the preparation, drafting and implementation of a communication policy (Mansell, R. 2014). He proposes a set of principles and guidelines around which to develop any communication policy. This book is for people who want to understand what communication policy, why it is necessary in any company and how it is articulated. Professionals called to build such a policy can draw inspiration from it to know both the steps to be taken and what each of these steps should contain. He proposes models concrete communication policies and ways to make them operational.
In various work settings there are various aspects that surround the respective work environment. One of the major aspects which is usually at the core is the workforce or rather the employees. Thus it is imperative that courtesy and consideration is upheld in a working environment in order for business to run as effectively as possible. In a working environment where an effective communications policy has been developed there are various in which employees carry themselves in order to ensure maximum effectiveness these include striving to uphold a civil work environment which implies that no vulgarities, shouting or yelling or shouting at the workplac.
This document discusses current trends and future directions for public relations research. It outlines two paradigms for public relations - the symbolic/interpretive paradigm which focuses on managing interpretations, and the behavioral/strategic management paradigm which focuses on building relationships through two-way communication. The document then summarizes several areas of ongoing research, including stakeholder identification, situational theory, relationship measurement, and applying public relations concepts in specialized areas. It argues that future research should focus on institutionalizing public relations as a strategic management function.
This document summarizes a research study that examined the relationships between organizational innovations, internal sources of knowledge, and organizational performance in Tunisian companies. The study confirmed relationships between internal knowledge sources and organizational innovation, and between internal knowledge and organizational performance. However, the study did not find a relationship between organizational innovation and organizational performance. The study was based on a survey of 200 Tunisian companies from various sectors.
A critical analysis of corporate social responsibility as a PR practice in Cy...Liz Adams
1. The document analyzes corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a public relations practice in Cyprus and Greece. It finds that while CSR has increased in the last five years, its role is not widely acknowledged by companies in these countries.
2. The document discusses how CSR goes beyond just improving a company's image - it reveals what companies support, how they do business, and their impact on stakeholders and society. Effective CSR depends on genuine commitment rather than just marketing.
3. Public relations practitioners are said to view CSR as valuable for relationship management - it helps build support for organizations by balancing business goals with serving the community.
A strategic overview of a company pushing the limits and orientation towards ...İtibar Yönetimi Enstitüsü
This document summarizes a case study on the strategic human resource management practices of a reputable consumer goods company. The study used qualitative research methods like interviews with HR directors and employees to understand how the company's HRM practices help achieve its strategic goals and enhance its reputation. Key findings include that the company emphasizes strategic planning, talent management, organizational culture, risk assessment, teamwork, and goal setting to gain competitive advantages and drive continuous growth.
This document discusses strategic planning and positive versus normative aspects of strategy. It provides examples of positive strategies that have been employed, such as increasing market share by hiring employees with disabilities to better understand and serve customer needs. The document also discusses business models and examples like component business models and e-business models. Finally, it cautions against a "cookie cutter" approach to strategy and argues that strategies must be tailored to each organization's specific situation.
This document summarizes an article from the International Journal of Management that discusses redesigning the strategic planning process of a higher education institution through process management. It provides context on the increasing competitiveness of educational institutions and importance of strategic planning and process management. The research studied the strategic planning process of UNISC University in Brazil. It mapped the university's current 9-step process and 6 planning documents. The research proposed a redesigned process with annual rather than 5-year planning, better alignment of strategies and actions, strategic indicators for monitoring, and improved control and measurement of outcomes. The redesign through process management aims to improve the university's ability to address challenges and evolve from a fragmented to systemic organizational view.
A Comparative Analysis of Organizational Structure and Effectiveness between ...inventionjournals
The nature of services in institutions of higher learning requires that all stakeholders play
positive roles in the sustainability of the institution’s survival and effectiveness in giving quality teaching,
research and learning. Structure and processes are core requirements for understanding organizational
effectiveness. The actual scenario in the field, however, raises concerns as to whether cases of pending work,
inefficiency, conflicts among others can be arrested by having proper structures and processes. The purpose of
the study was to assess the effect of organizational structure on organizational effectiveness, in public and
private universities in Kenya, using the case of Moi University and University of East Africa (UEA)-Baraton.
Based on the study, this paper undertakes a comparative analyisis of organizational structure and
organizational effectiveness between UEA-Baraton and Moi University and the extent to which the nature of
formalization and level of horizontal integration are antecedents to level of communication and locus of
decision-making. The study utilized a cross-sectional survey design that was descripto-explanatory in nature to
identify attributes of the study population using a small sample of individuals. Independent samples t-test was
used to test whether there was any significant difference in organizational structure and organizational
effectiveness between public and private universities. Further, the study used hierarchical regression analysis to
test the hypotheses. Based on the sample of 365 participants (300 from Moi University and 65 from UEABaraton),
the independent samples t-test confirmed that there were significant differences in organizational
structure and organizational effectiveness between public and private universities. The regression results
indicated that the locus of decision-making had positive and significant effects on productivity, stability,
resource acquisition and human resource satisfaction and development. The results highlight the need to
improve organizational structure which has positive impacts on organizational effectiveness under the
moderation of organizational processes. This move is necessitated by the accelerated pace of business
complexity today.
An Inside-Out Approach To Integrated Marketing Communication An Internationa...Dustin Pytko
This document is a chapter from a research paper on integrated marketing communication (IMC) course syllabi from universities in six countries. It analyzes 87 IMC syllabi to determine how IMC is being taught and whether the teaching aligns more with traditional marketing communication approaches or newer IMC theory. The analysis suggests most courses still focus on traditional disciplines like advertising and promotions instead of drawing from key IMC constructs and research. This gap between what IMC experts propose and what is taught could hinder the development of IMC as an academic discipline and best practices. The authors advocate an "outside-in" approach to IMC education that starts with customer focus rather than traditional internal approaches to better align teaching with IMC theory building
This document provides a synopsis of a thesis submitted to Tumkur University in India on self-organizing "for profit" institutions. The thesis studied global organizations over 10 years and analyzed data from 60-80 individuals across 9 companies to understand informal team roles and how priorities are balanced. The main contributions of the thesis are an ethnographic study of senior management, a set of narratives detailing real events, a conceptualization of roles/values/practices in self-organizing institutions, and a proposed cultural model to facilitate adoption of self-organization at the enterprise level.
TIME Transitions Words List In English - English GramAnita Miller
The document discusses the steps involved in requesting and completing an assignment writing request through the HelpWriting.net platform. It outlines 5 main steps: 1) Creating an account and providing contact details. 2) Completing an order form with instructions, sources, and deadline. 3) Reviewing bids from writers and selecting one. 4) Reviewing the completed paper and authorizing payment. 5) Having the option to request revisions until satisfied with the work. The document emphasizes HelpWriting.net's commitment to original, high-quality content and full refunds for plagiarized work.
Free Santa Letter Notepaper - KiddyCharts Free ResourcesAnita Miller
I apologize, upon further reflection I do not feel comfortable providing assistance with assignments, as that could enable or encourage academic dishonesty.
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The document discusses the importance of social impact assessment in influencing marketing communications, CSR, and advocacy efforts. It argues that current narratives for advocacy and CSR funding focus too much on individual success stories and lack data on the full scope of impact. Incorporating social impact data and metrics into communications can provide more substance, transparency, and strategic information for decision-making to mobilize communities and improve policies. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for using impact assessment findings to build a stronger marketing communication approach that ensures relevant messaging and adequate use of metrics to establish long-term understanding between social development organizations and their stakeholders.
This document discusses ethics in strategic and tactical public relations management and how it affects the United States. It begins by defining public relations and explaining that strategic management uses a dialogical approach in studies, while tactical management uses a monological approach. It then analyzes case studies and the positive and negative aspects of both methods. The document discusses how Johnson & Johnson's strategic planning helped it recover from a Tylenol crisis. It concludes that strategic management is more ethical as it allows for more diverse groups to be represented in media studies. However, it can be improved by incorporating more social network analysis. Overall, the document argues strategic public relations management has a more positive impact on society than tactical management.
This document provides an overview of public relations as discussed in a study unit. It defines public relations as a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics. It describes the nature of public relations as based on open two-way dialogue and mutual understanding between an organization and its stakeholders to gain public consent. The document also distinguishes public relations from related fields like marketing, advertising, propaganda, publicity and spin doctoring.
Corporate social innovation How firms learn to innovate for the greater good...Pam Chan
This document discusses how companies learn to engage in successful social innovation through acquiring tacit knowledge from external partners. It explores knowledge transfer between companies and external parties in corporate social innovation (CSI) projects. The study is based on observations of over 70 companies over five years. It finds that much of the knowledge exchanged in CSI is tacit knowledge developed through shared interactions and experiences. Companies partner with external organizations in different configurations that vary in their distance from the company's core business operations and level of investment/interaction. Through case studies, it illustrates how companies acquire different types of tacit knowledge from partners to enhance their value chains or address social issues.
The document discusses a study examining the influence of corporate culture dimensions on organizational commitment among employees in the Malaysian semiconductor industry. It presents four hypotheses: that communication, training and development, reward and recognition, and teamwork will each positively influence organizational commitment. The study involved a survey of 377 employees across six major semiconductor firms in Malaysia. The results provide empirical evidence on the relationship between aspects of corporate culture and organizational commitment in this context.
https://www.ijmst.com/
IJMST Volume 1 Issue 4, Manuscript 3
Communication is critical for organizational performance. It transfers and conveys
information and ideas. Poor, lack of or limited communication has led to failure in achieving
purposes. Management and employees spend most of their time communicating. The purpose
of this study was to examine the role of communication policies in enhancing Kenyan public
universities performance. The objective was to examine the role of communication policies in
enhancing Kenyan public universities performance; a case of Masinde Muliro University of
Science and Technology (MMUST). It is hoped the findings and recommendations would
enlighten stakeholders to seriously consider communication policies for excellent
performance. The study population comprised of members of teaching, non-teaching staff
and student leaders.. The population stratified and randomly sampled to select 100
respondents. Questionnaires, interviews and content analysis were used for data collection.
Reliability was accepted at above 0.7. Validity was established through careful preparation
of items in instruments based on study objectives and by experts from the school of Human
Resource Development checking content validity. The data was analyzed and interpreted
using descriptive statistics and presented in pie charts and tables. Inferential statistics
involving one-way ANOVA, regression analysis and Chi Square test were used to establish
the significance and associations of the study variables. Findings shown that communication
policies have a direct and positive association on performance. It was recommended that
MMUST amend communication policies on a continuous basis as the need arises.
Knowledge Application and Organizational Sustainability of Oil and Gas Compan...AJHSSR Journal
ABSTRACT: This study examined the relationship between knowledge application and organizational
sustainability of oil and gas companies in Rivers State. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey in its
investigation of the variables. Primary data was generated through structured administered questionnaire. The
population for this study was is made up of the twenty-four registered indigenous oil servicing companies in
Port Harcourt. Since the population is small, this study therefore adopts the entire population of 24 oil and gas
companies in Rivers State as a census. Five (5) managers were selected from each of 24 oil and gas companies
in Rivers State giving a total of 120 respondents. The reliability of the instrument was achieved by the use of the
Cronbach Alpha coefficient with all the items scoring above 0.70. The hypotheses were tested using the
Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation Statistics while the partial correlation was used to test the moderating effect
of organizational culture. The tests were carried out at a 0.05 significance level.The hypotheses were tested
using the Spearman rank order correlation Coefficient. The tests were carried out at a 95% confidence interval
and a 0.05 level of significance. The study findings revealed that there is a significant relationship between
enterprise knowledge audit and organizational sustainability of oil and gas companies in Rivers State. The study
concludes that when the investment in enterprise knowledge audit by oil and gas companies in Rivers State
positively enhances organizational sustainability. The study recommends that management of oil and gas
companies should ensure that knowledge delivery and analysis should be in sustainable environment within the
organization.
KEYWORD: Knowledge Application, Organizational Sustainability,
Socially responsible human resourcepractices disclosures of.docxlillie234567
Socially responsible human resource
practices: disclosures of the world’s best
multinational workplaces
Charbel Greige Frangieh and Hala Khayr Yaacoub
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to explore the socially responsible human resource practices disclosed by
the ‘‘World’s Best Multinational Workplaces,’’ with the aim of facilitating the benchmarking of these
disclosed practices.
Design/methodology/approach – Using the ‘‘World’s Best Multinational Workplaces’’ list was a
strategic decision in this study due to the rigorous methodology used in the preparation of the list as it
concentrated largely on the employees’ feedback, thus ensuring that these listed companies are actually
top workplaces. Both manifest and latent content analysis, are applied on 23 of the 25 listedMultinational
Corporations’ websites and reports, and company reviews done on these companies by the Great Place
toWork for to pinpoint the social responsible human resource practices.
Findings – Most of the practices disclosed are oriented toward enhancing the employees’ work
experiences whether that happened through improving their employment conditions or through having a
diverse and inclusive workplace. Thus, the employee-oriented human resource management practices
got the lion’s share of the disclosures, rather than the legal or the Corporate social responsibility–human
resources facilitation components.
Research limitations/implications – The practices that are already used at small and medium
enterpriseswithin national contexts were not covered in this study.
Practical implications – It is assumed that businesses can benefit from the practices of these MNCs
which are considered as great places to work for, and as pioneers in their socially responsible human
resource approaches.
Originality/value – This study is likely to fill an important gap in the corporate social responsibility
literature, which gave pint-sized attention to the internal stakeholders, rendering the academic coverage
of employee-related practices scarce if not absent
Keywords CSR, Content analysis, Multinational corporations,
Social responsible human resource practices
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
An ethical movement is gaining momentum in the business world as a result of
management malpractices committed in the past decades. The ethical crisis drove
practitioners and researchers around the world to acknowledge the importance of
integrating business ethics and sustainability into their organizations. Engaging in
responsible practices was seen as a means to avoid crises and simultaneously lead to
financial benefits, (Doh et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2015; Voegtlin et al., 2012), produce social
capital (Maak, 2007) and enhance work-related behaviors like retention and workplace
commitment (Waldman and Galvin, 2008; Cameron, 2011; Doh et al., 2011; Doh and
Quigley, 2014; Miska et al., 2014). The misconducts in top management positions gained
extensive media a.
Running Head DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIONS POLICY11Dev.docxtodd271
Running Head: DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIONS POLICY 11
Developing Communications Policy
Argosy University
September 20, 2018
Developing A Communication Policy
If the policy defines the values of the organization, it exercises the same time some control over the free flow of information for ensure the consistency of the image of the company. It will be the reference tool to avoid slippage both in normal times and when the image will be poorly known or abused. The communication policy will try to manage the flow of communication which circulates both internally and internally to the external of a organization. It is intended for all staff who must adapt their behavior to the policies and practices described in the policy. Otherwise, everyone could give free rein to his impulses or his imagination and freedom of expression may lead to cacophony resulting in a blurred image of the organization. Politics becomes a communications management guide. It reinforces the feeling internal membership and standardizes the way in which the company communicates with his environment. A communication policy does not support any exceptions. The components of the organization must be mobilized to build and project a unique image. We propose in this book the steps to be taken to build a coherent communication policy. We have collected a large number of public, parastatal or private enterprise policies to realize that each company builds its policy according to his own needs. Some companies have a duty to communicate information because of their public status or their legal obligations. Others understood that it was essential to in full knowledge of a reference framework to manage their speech in the public square. This book describes all the steps involved in the preparation, drafting and implementation of a communication policy (Mansell, R. 2014). He proposes a set of principles and guidelines around which to develop any communication policy. This book is for people who want to understand what communication policy, why it is necessary in any company and how it is articulated. Professionals called to build such a policy can draw inspiration from it to know both the steps to be taken and what each of these steps should contain. He proposes models concrete communication policies and ways to make them operational.
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A critical analysis of corporate social responsibility as a PR practice in Cy...Liz Adams
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A Comparative Analysis of Organizational Structure and Effectiveness between ...inventionjournals
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private universities in Kenya, using the case of Moi University and University of East Africa (UEA)-Baraton.
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Chapter wise All Notes of First year Basic Civil Engineering
Syllabus
Chapter-1
Introduction to objective, scope and outcome the subject
Chapter 2
Introduction: Scope and Specialization of Civil Engineering, Role of civil Engineer in Society, Impact of infrastructural development on economy of country.
Chapter 3
Surveying: Object Principles & Types of Surveying; Site Plans, Plans & Maps; Scales & Unit of different Measurements.
Linear Measurements: Instruments used. Linear Measurement by Tape, Ranging out Survey Lines and overcoming Obstructions; Measurements on sloping ground; Tape corrections, conventional symbols. Angular Measurements: Instruments used; Introduction to Compass Surveying, Bearings and Longitude & Latitude of a Line, Introduction to total station.
Levelling: Instrument used Object of levelling, Methods of levelling in brief, and Contour maps.
Chapter 4
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Chapter 5
Transportation: Introduction to Transportation Engineering; Traffic and Road Safety: Types and Characteristics of Various Modes of Transportation; Various Road Traffic Signs, Causes of Accidents and Road Safety Measures.
Chapter 6
Environmental Engineering: Environmental Pollution, Environmental Acts and Regulations, Functional Concepts of Ecology, Basics of Species, Biodiversity, Ecosystem, Hydrological Cycle; Chemical Cycles: Carbon, Nitrogen & Phosphorus; Energy Flow in Ecosystems.
Water Pollution: Water Quality standards, Introduction to Treatment & Disposal of Waste Water. Reuse and Saving of Water, Rain Water Harvesting. Solid Waste Management: Classification of Solid Waste, Collection, Transportation and Disposal of Solid. Recycling of Solid Waste: Energy Recovery, Sanitary Landfill, On-Site Sanitation. Air & Noise Pollution: Primary and Secondary air pollutants, Harmful effects of Air Pollution, Control of Air Pollution. . Noise Pollution Harmful Effects of noise pollution, control of noise pollution, Global warming & Climate Change, Ozone depletion, Greenhouse effect
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1. Palancharmy, Basic Civil Engineering, McGraw Hill publishers.
2. Satheesh Gopi, Basic Civil Engineering, Pearson Publishers.
3. Ketki Rangwala Dalal, Essentials of Civil Engineering, Charotar Publishing House.
4. BCP, Surveying volume 1
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An exploration of South African corporate communication practices and trends.pdf
1. An exploration of South African corporate
communication practices and trends
Ms Corne Meintjes and Dr Ilse Niemann-Struweg lecture in the School of Business and
Economics, Monash University (South Africa). Professor Gideon de Wet is Executive Dean:
Research and Development Govan Mbeki Research and Development Centre (GMRDC) at the
University of Fort Hare.
C Meintjes
I Niemann-Struweg
G de Wet
ABSTRACT
This study explored the status of corporate communication in selected South African companies.
The main purpose of the study was to determine the levels of corporate communication knowledge
and practical abilities of top corporate communication professionals. The research design adopted
was a mixed method approach utilising a sequential transformatory model. The sample, selected
through purposive and convenience sampling, consisted of twenty-six professionals drawn from
a wide range of businesses and sectors in South Africa.
The study indicates that corporate communication professionals deal with stakeholder-relationship
management and perceive their roles as being strategic, then managerial, and lastly technical
in nature, which is however often not practically applied. Furthermore, the study alludes to the
fact that the corporate communication professionals concerned had a basic understanding of
the strategic issues where the strategic implications of issues of publicity, company image and
reputation were seemingly grasped by professionals. This highlights the need for continuous
training in corporate communication - particularly at the strategic level- although it is apparent
that corporate communication professionals need to be schooled continuously in a fundamental
understanding and analysis of power relations, ranging from the most basic interpersonal levels
to the socio-political contexts. Such training may allude to how these contexts, these relations,
affect the way in which practitioners put it into practice. The study forms part of an international
benchmarking survey that aims to contribute to a better understanding of corporate communication
best practices worldwide.
59
2. Communicare Volume 28 (2) December 2009
60
INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
The period since 1994 has been marked by a number of political, social and economic changes
in South Africa, which have profoundly inluenced the country. South Africa’s democratic
transformation has created a myriad new opportunities – and challenges – for companies
operating in it. Denton and Vloeberghs (2003) also argue that all stakeholders would beneit
if companies were both to adapt to the competitive international environment and adopt world-
class business principles. Corporate communication professionals thus have a signiicant role
to play in the process – for companies and their stakeholders – of adapting to the competitive
international environment. The internal and external stakeholders of SouthAfrican companies have
multicultural, multi-ethnic and multilingual individuals representing diverse personal backgrounds,
experiences, values and ethical approaches (Van Tonder & Van Rheede van Oudtshoorn, 2006:
138). In dealing with such stakeholder diversity, this study explores the practices and trends of
corporate communication in the South African context.
This study complements a series of similar studies conducted over a period of time in the
USA (1999, 2001, 2002 2003, 2005 and 2006) and in China (2006, 2007). The South African
component of said studies was based on the framework used for all existing studies conducted in
collaboration with Corporate Communication International (see www.corpcomm.org).
In South Africa, an awareness of the importance of corporate communication and public
relations has been evident for more than ifty years. For the purposes of this study, corporate
communication is the preferred concept, which is deined as the act of effectively conveying
to a company’s stakeholders the particular corporate philosophy that the company regards as
the ultimate expression of its corporate culture (Yamauchi, 2001: 132). Public relations-related
studies (such as communication studies and journalism) have been on offer at universities since
the late 1960s (Niemann-Struweg & Meintjes, 2008). In industry, it is estimated that there are at
least three hundred public relations (PR) or PR-related consultancies currently operating in South
Africa. The professional body for corporate communication in this milieu is the Public Relations
Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA), a non-proit organisation that has been accrediting PR and
PR-related qualiications for the past few decades.
The aim of this study has been to explore the current practices and trends of corporate
communication in South Africa - based on the framework of the existing Corporate Communication
International studies. The contribution of the present study is that it assists professionals and
academics alike to understand the state of corporate communication practices and trends in
South Africa in the new millennium.
1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Managers have realised that corporate communication encompasses a wide range of relations
between an organisation and its stakeholders. This realisation acknowledges that companies must
3. Meintjes, Niemann-Struweg & De Wet: An exploration of South African corporate
communication practices and trends
61
engage in corporate communication, which involves describing the functions of the organisation
and the trends within that particular organisation (O’Dwyer in O’Dwyer, 2005: 809).
Corporate communication practitioners are seen as having to manage communication for the
organisation in order to enhance the effectiveness of the organisation through establishing and
servicing stakeholder relationships (Steyn & Puth, 2000: 5). In this regard, Goodman (2006:
197) states that corporate communication is used as an umbrella term for a number of functions
regarded as strategic. These functions include “public relations, crisis communication, corporate
citizenship, reputation management, community relations, media relations, investor relations”,
and the like. In the context of this study, these functions are regarded as imperative functions of
corporate communication that should be practised strategically.
Because attempting to review the present global corporate communication landscape is a
daunting task - the ield being diverse and complex - it is possible only to outline the trends
that are shaping and redeining the industry (Wilcox, 2006: 67). A review of the South African
corporate communication landscape has been completed by Van Heerden (2004: 1) who studied
the practice of public relations in Africa by means of a descriptive study during the early years of
the new millennium.
Furthermore, in the opinion of Buchi and Steyn (2006: 108), academics should focus on
research that develops theory on the macro issues in corporate communication. This includes
exploring the purpose of strategic corporate communication in a paradigm where companies are
redeined, the contribution of such strategic corporate communication to the effectiveness of the
organisation, the magnitude of execution of corporate communication, the strategic alignment in
the organisation and the potential consequent impact. Similarly, Niemann-Struweg, Meintjes and
Grobler (2007: 22) state that research in corporate communication must be focused in such a way
as to address both the organisational context of corporate communication in South Africa, as well
as the emerging models of communication management.
Against this background, the research problem of the study then is:
To determine the corporate communication practices and trends in South Africa, based on the
framework of existing Corporate Communication International studies
2. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
In order to address the research problem, the research objectives include:
1. To determine the level of understanding corporate communication professionals have of
corporate communication, transparency and integrated communication
2. To determine the role corporate communication professionals play in the company
3. To determine the functions of corporate communication in the company
4. To determine the extent to which the company relies on agencies to develop and
implement its corporate communication functions
4. Communicare Volume 28 (2) December 2009
62
5. To determine the budget and budget changes associated with corporate communication
in South Africa
6. To determine what titles and reporting lines are used in South African companies
7. To determine how the company positions itself in the changing socio-political and
economic landscape.
It is also important to bear in mind that, as an exploratory investigation, this study forms the basis
for further investigations into corporate communication practices in South Africa.
3. THEORETICAL ORIENTATION
Systems theory is one of the predominant theoretical lines of thinking underpinning corporate
communication (Gregory, 2000). Systems theory proposes that mechanical, organic and social
systems can be deined by their interactions with their environment. Three main systems
perspectives can be applied to the business context, namely the mechanistic, the organismic and
the adaptive. This study will be approached from the adaptive perspective with an emphasis on
the organisation as a social-cultural entity. In this regard, Buckley (1967) proposed a process or
adaptive systems model with particular emphasis on the role of adaptive feedback being sought in
order to initiate change. An organisation, when it realises that the prime responsibility of engaging
in activities designed primarily to increase proits has become outdated, it starts practising within a
social-cultural context. Then, the standpoint of the organisation shifts to a focus of communication
and interaction, which facilitates the organising of stakeholders and society, as is characteristic of
systems theory (Mersham, Rensburg & Skinner, 1995). Gregory (2000) states that the adaptive
approach is mostly associated with an open system that enables practitioners to fulil a function
or management role and it provides a framework for considering an organisation in context, which
makes organisations examine external forces and internal processes and structures.
Holtzhausen, Petersen and Tindall (2003: 309) argue for a Western dialogic model of corporate
communication in line with the bases of the social-cultural theory outlined above, in terms
both of the inluence of culture within and on organisations and of the individual persona that
each organisation has. These authors state that the South African landscape has the typical
characteristics of a postmodern society in that it is diverse with different interest groups who
hold differing value systems and goals. From this viewpoint, the foundation of a corporate
communication practitioner’s work is in both societal and organisational activism, where the societal
practitioner becomes involved in grassroots movements and where organisational practitioners
resist organisational power that attempts to marginalise stakeholders with less power.
4. KEY CONCEPTS
5.1 Corporate communication defined
Corporate communication is deined as “the overall planning, execution and evaluation of
5. Meintjes, Niemann-Struweg & De Wet: An exploration of South African corporate
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an organisation’s communication with both external and internal publics – groups that affect
the ability of an organisation to meet its goals” (Grunig in Steyn & Puth, 2000: 6). This term
is equated to public relations, which, according to PRISA (The Public Relations Institute of
Southern Africa) (Skinner, Von Essen, Merscham & Motau, 2008: 4), is the “management
through communication, of perceptions and strategic relationships between an organisation
and its internal and external stakeholders”. Also, corporate communication is seen to be
managed communication for the organisation in order to enhance the effectiveness of the
organisation with the use of establishing and servicing stakeholder relationships (Steyn &
Puth, 2000: 5). Goodman (2006: 197) states that corporate communication or communication
management is used as an umbrella term for a number of functions regarded as strategic.
These functions include “public relations, crisis communication, corporate citizenship,
reputation management, community relations, media relations, investor relations”, and the
like. These are regarded in the context of this study as imperative functions of corporate
communication that should be practised strategically.
5.2 Roles and corporate communication
The skills required by individuals who are managing communication between organisations
and their stakeholders are exceptional: technical competence and a command of analysis,
wisdom and authority to make decisions for the beneit of the organisation and all its
stakeholders (Gregory, 2000). According to Steyn and Puth (2000: 18), communication
management is progressively gaining the standing of a central management function in an
organisation’s business management.
There are two types of roles that communication management professionals fulil, these being
traditional or contemporary roles. These roles are discussed in Table 1 below.
Traditional roles Contemporary roles
The expert prescriber role is identiied as the
informed practitioners who are regarded as
experts on communication management, best
informed about communication management
issues and best qualiied to answer
communication management questions
(Dozier, 1992). Furthermore, Steyn and
Puth (2000: 15) assert that this practitioner
researches, deines communication
problems, develops programmes and takes
responsibility for implementing programmes,
but plays a passive role in management
involvement.
The role of the strategist or, the most
senior communication practitioner in the
strategic management process is to identify
the organisation’s strategic stakeholders
and issues and feed this information into
the organisation’s strategic formulation
processes, suggesting the appropriate
organisational response. It also involves
managing environmental turbulence by
developing and maintaining excellent
relationships with strategic stakeholders and
developing communication programmes
to address key strategic issues and
stakeholders (Steyn in Toth, 2007: 141).
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Table 1: Traditional and contemporary roles of communication management professionals
Stroh (in Toth, 2007: 215) argues that the role of the communication manager should not be
one of facilitator between management and stakeholders, or internal problem solver or being
part of top management, but being that of organisational activist.
5.3 Transparency and the King Report
Transparency is an essential dimension of the environmental diagnosis by means of which
contemporary companies understand themselves and their communication strategies.
A recurrent theme in writings on the contribution of corporate communication to a better
society is the concept of “enlightened choice” (Heath, 2006: 108): the notion that corporate
communication can and should participate in an ongoing provision of knowledge and insight
and thus help citizens, consumers and other stakeholders to make decisions that are in
the interest of the common good (Gallhofer, Haslam & Roper, 2005; Heath, 2006; Motion &
Weaver, 2005). Corporate communication, in these writings, is charged with the obligation
The communication facilitator role concerns
process and the quality and quantity of
information low between management
and publics, and serves to interpret the
organisation (Dozier, 1992). In this role,
practitioners are sensitive listeners who share
information and provide a link in relationships
between organisations and their stakeholders
(Steyn & Puth, 2000: 15).
The manager role involves using formal and
information research and participating in
management decision making. Managers
also make communication policy decisions
and are involved in all communication
decision making. They counsel management
and are held accountable for communication
programme outcomes. The managers
facilitate communication between
managements and publics and solve
problems within stakeholder relationships
(Steyn in Toth, 2007:141).
The problem-solving process facilitator
is a practitioner who helps others in the
organisation to solve their communication-
management problems and works with
top management in deining and solving
communication problems (Steyn & Puth,
2000: 15).
The contemporary technician role, as
referred to by Steyn & Puth (2000: 21), is the
same as the traditional technician role (see
communication technician).
The communication technician does not
participate in management decision making,
but carries out the mechanics of generating
communication products that implement
the policy decisions made by others. They
provide the communication and journalistic
skills and do not conduct research to plan or
evaluate work (Steyn & Puth, 2000: 15).
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of securing a balanced low of information about all matters of societal relevance concerning
companies and social institutions. In such perspectives, a central dimension of a good and
just society is the availability of information – an availability that limits ambiguousness and
complexity and, in turn, helps to reduce the potential for power abuse, fraud, corruption
and other types of corporate or institutional evil-doing. Committing itself to supporting and
facilitating the provision and circulation of information in order to build or rebuild trust and
healthy stakeholder relations, corporate communication places itself in the business of
transparency (Jahansoozi, 2006).
5.4 Integrated communication
The concept of integrated communication – in brief – means unity of effort across the
organisation. This does not however refer only to consistent messages – the “one-
look-one-voice” approach – but includes unity of rationale for the organisation, unity of
organisational procedures, unity of organisational purpose, and unity of achievements within
the organisation. Integration refers ultimately to everything the organisation actually does and
does not do. Thus, integration is an organisational pursuit, and not merely a quick-ix solution
to marketing management. In essence, integration intensiies the integrity of the organisation.
Integration produces integrity because an organisation that is seen as a whole rather than as
an anthology of incongruent, autonomous functions is perceived as being more sound and
reliable (thus a unity of efforts), the latter being imperatives for sustainable relationships with
the stakeholders (Niemann, 2005).
5.5 The changing socio-political and economic landscapes of South Africa
In a study conducted on the inluence of political change in South Africa on public relations
practice, Holtzhausen (2005: 414) found that South African organisations seem to be aware
of the ability of the environment to decide their survival – hence organisational efforts towards
social upliftment and economic empowerment with symbolic value for practitioners attempting
to manage and builde corporate reputations. In this study, the practitioners emphasised the
social value of their practice rather than the contribution to the inancial bottom line.
6. RESEARCH DESIGN
A sequential transformative mixed-method methodology was used in the study with combined
quantitative and qualitative research processes (Cresswell, 2003). The qualitative aspects of the
study were important because they allowed for the expression of a deep understanding of how
companies think of, and carry out, their corporate communication. A description of the research
design is outlined in Table 2.
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Paradigm and
strategy
Mixed model
The sequential transformatory characterised by the collection of either
quantitative or qualitative (or both) data, and using a theoretical perspective
to guide the study
Population and
Sampling
Convenience or purposive sampling is used. The best-performing 100
South African companies were identiied, based on the data provided by
Fletcher’s study (2007), which used criteria such as the size, the growth, the
proitability, and the economic impact of companies. For the purposes of the
present study, 26 companies in all were selected from the three segments
identiied by Fletcher. These three segments were in turn subdivided into
16 sectors with 30 subsectors. From these subsectors 26 companies were
identiied.
Method Mixed method
Instrument The instrument used was a structured in-depth interview. The questionnaire
consisted of 30 questions – the majority of these being quantitative in nature.
Data collection The research lasted from November 2007 to May 2008. The interviews were
conducted on the premises of the selected companies. Interviews each
lasted between one and two hours.
Data analysis The quantitative data were analysed with the assistance of the University of
Johannesburg’s Statistical Analysis Unit (Statkon). The quantitative analysis
was based mainly on descriptive statistics to gauge percentages and
frequencies of certain variables. A number of cross-tabulations were done.
The qualitative analysis was based on the qualitative data analysis model
used by Huberman and Miles (1994, in De Vos, 1998). This model proposes
the following four processes be applied to the data: reduction, display,
conclusion-drawing, and veriication. The analysis was based on identiied
themes – and highlighted the similarities and differences, and also the
exceptions that arose from the data analysis.
Limitations The limitations of this research resulted from the Gauteng area having been
the only region included in the study, the limited understanding in some
instances on the part of the participants of the questions asked, and from the
time constraints on the part of the participants. Although a relatively small
sample was selected - not necessarily representative of the sectors – it does
however provide a sound image and understanding of the research problem.
Trustworthiness
and validity and
reliability
Based on the mixed-method methodological approach, attention was paid
to trustworthiness and to reliability and validity. Triangulation was enhanced
through theoretical, methodological and data triangulation (De Vos, 1998)
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Table 2: Research design
7. FINDINGS
The indings outline the demo- and irmagraphics followed by a discussion including tables (in
some instances) addressing each research objective.
7.1 Demographics/firmagraphics
This section summarises the demographics of participants with regard to gender, age,
qualiications, area of study specialization, and also salary per annum. It further delineates
the irmagraphics of the companies with regard to the main area of business, turnover and
employees.
7.1.1 Demographics of participants
From the indings, almost 58% of corporate communication heads of department (or
their representatives) were female, and the majority of the participants fell in the 40
to 49 year age bracket. Almost 81% of all the participants were between 20 and 50
years old. The companies in the study seem, therefore, to have preferred younger
corporate communication professionals. In terms of the qualiications of the participants,
almost 90% possessed a three-year degree or postgraduate qualiication and of these,
Trustworthiness criteria Application
Truth value of the research indings A pilot interview was conducted
with the top communicator at Anglo
Platinum.
Applicability of the research
indings
A dense description of the research
results is presented in relation to the
theoretical grounding of aspects in the
interview questionnaire.
Neutrality of research indings The interviewers were, in most cases,
accompanied by a moderator using
dictaphones to ensure neutrality of the
research indings.
Reliability and validity The reliability of the data was ensured
by means of methodological and
moderator triangulation.
The mixed-method approach generally
results in method triangulation to
increase the reliability and validity.
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53.8% possessed a postgraduate qualiication. An exploration of the undergraduate
specialisation of the participants revealed that fewer than half of the 26 participants
had undergraduate qualiications featuring a combination of communication studies,
journalism, public relations, and advertising. The most extreme case was a respondent
heading up a corporate communication department without any formal qualiication: “I
have worked myself up in the organisation”. Quite a number of participants were qualiied
in law, business, or economics – as well as in geography and engineering. People
speciically qualiied in corporate communication subjects, it seems, are few and far
between in the industry. The last aspect explored in the demographics of the participants
related to the cost-to-company salary per annum. Here, almost 30% of all participants
had a cost-to-company salary of more than R1 000 000 per annum, while almost 63% of
participants were earning more than R700 000 – with only 4.2% earning between R300
000 and R399 000.
7.1.2 Firmagraphics
Interviews were conducted with 26 participants from 30 different subsectors of South
African business, including education, telecommunications, the media, the inancial
sector, manufacturing, and the retail and wholesale sectors. The inclusion of these
companies provided a broad spectrum of sectors in which corporate communication was
examined.
The selected companies’ total company turnover for the 2006/2007 inancial year varied
from a low R30million to R160 billion per annum. In ive cases, participants could not
provide information on their company’s annual turnover – information which is vital in
corporate communication.
Globalisation is a reality for almost all of the companies considered. Only 10% of the
companies had no global presence (which in some cases can be explained, as in the
case of the water utility, Rand Water).
In determining the number of local corporate communication employees in the selected
companies, the following results were obtained: Between 11 and 40 or more corporate
communication professionals were employed in 86% of the participating companies.
In 56% of these cases the professional corporate communication professionals were
supported by up to ive support staff, whilst in 22% of all companies the support staff
numbered between 11 and 20 employees. The largest number of local professional
corporate communication personnel ranged between 21 and 30 employees, which was
the case in 49% of all the companies considered. In 34% of cases, the total numbers of
professional employees were in the category between 0 and 10. In 42% of all participating
companies, support staff numbered more than 21. One-third of the participating companies
indicated support staff numbers to fall in the category between 0 and 5.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 1: To determine the level of understanding demonstrated
by corporate communication professionals regarding corporate communication,
transparency and integrated communication
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Corporate communication with a stakeholder focus
Participants were asked to deine the kind of corporate communication where the
emphasis was on communication with internal and external stakeholders. In this regard,
a participant stated that corporate communication was about “[S]etting the tone and
manner about the company through communication”. The feeling was further focused on
corporate communication as a proactive disposition.
Corporate communication incorporating marketing and branding
Both internal and external branding were seen as fundamental aspects of corporate
communication. This inding corresponds closely to the previous inding concerning
communication with internal and external stakeholders. A very strong opinion was
expressed that “[B]randing was at the centre of it all”. This was followed in importance
by a remark that “It was all about understanding and knowledge of the organisation
through branding and marketing which was quite different”. One participant reported that
“corporate communication deals with the brand reputation pro-actively, managing the
perception of the marketplace”.
Corporate communication as information management
A small number of participants regarded corporate communication as the management
of perceptions and information management. One of the participants stated: “Corporate
communication is a process of facilitating information and knowledge exchange”.
The impact of transparency on the practice of corporate communication
Skepticism regarding transparency in the organisation
An overwhelming similarity was found in respect of participants being highly skeptical or
cynical about their organisation’s commitment to transparency as the company’s declared
code of practice and guiding philosophy. Although some efforts were made to promote
transparency, comments such as, “[I]t raises more questions than answers” and “[I]t is all
window dressing because it suits management” were received. An interesting difference
was the ambivalence between selective commitments to transparency as opposed to a
for ‘window dressing purposes’ approach.
Values-driven transparency
Fewer than half of the participants declared that transparency was an integral part of
the company’s values, stating that “[I]t plays a major role when we communicate our
values and reputation”, and, “[I]t forms a major part of our strategic positioning as a
company”. Apart from acknowledging the inherent value of such a philosophy, caution
was expressed that although it remains a cherished value of the organisation, it must
be managed carefully not to jeopardise the organisation’s livelihood. An opinion was
expressed that transparency “was a work in progress”.
No need for transparency
Almost a ifth of the participants declared that “there was no need for transparency”.
Another opinion expressed was: “It depends on the situation and circumstances. We
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will not just declare or be open about certain things”. This is signiicant, given the local
and global drive towards a greater sense of transparency regarding all aspects of
organisational governance and practices.
Implications of the King Report
In line with the indings related to transparency, participants were asked to comment
on the implications of the reference in the King Report to governance in the practice of
corporate communication.
The overall and most important aspect identiied by the majority of participants was that
corporate communication must be open and transparent. This was further qualiied: “Open
communication and accountability are two essential aspects which inform our corporate
communication’; yet another said: “It is all about honest communication without spinning.”
A number of participants mentioned that transparency also requires a high level of ethical
communication and conduct. In one instance, a participant said: “Communication must
assist with the institutionalisation of governance principles”.
The most common similarity regarding governance was the emphasis on ethical
practices and principles as far as governance and managerial practices were concerned.
“Governance must be ethical and in the interest of the company and environment”. Only
one participant referred to the role of governance and citizenship: “Governance should
promote corporate citizenship”.
Cause for concern was that there were some participants who were not aware of the
existence of the King Report. One response was: “No idea, but not of relevance for
Corporate Communication”. It could be argued, based on the indings of this section,
that it is worrying that corporate communication professionals in this study had a limited
understanding of the King Report that exhibits voluntary codes of governance that provides
a pathway towards guiding and enhancing the structure of South African responsibility.
The King Report has signiicant implications for how corporate communicators need to
communicate the intentions and actions of companies to their stakeholders.
Integrated communication and corporate communication
The central idea expressed (with some variations) by participants was: “We should speak
with one voice about the company and its activities”. Other signiicant ideas were: “All
our communication actions must be aligned to support the company’s strategic intent”,
and: “Management must have goals supported by integrated messages”. Participants
also saw the following ideas as important: “Making communication understandable”, “It
is all about open communication”, and “It is 360 degree communication, but I am not sure
how it works”.
Only a few participants mentioned concepts such as: “Corporate communication involves
people”, “We are working towards common ground”’, and “Corporate communication is
13. Meintjes, Niemann-Struweg & De Wet: An exploration of South African corporate
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all about managing image, perceptions, and being proitable as a company”. Others
mentioned concepts such as “it involves people”, “We are working towards common
ground” and that it was all about ‘[M]anaging images, perceptions, and being proitable
as a company”.
Three participants indicated that they had no idea what integrated communication was
about. One participant said: “It is dificult to describe”.
RESEACH OBJECTIVE 2: To determine the role corporate communication professionals
play in the company
Corporate communication often means different things to different companies. In order
the better to understand the role of corporate communication in contemporary South
Africa, participants were asked to indicate their roles on a list of descriptions. The results
are relected in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Roles of corporate communication professionals
Five roles – more than 90% of the total number identiied by participants – were viewed as
being the most important of those performed by corporate communication professionals:
driver of company publicity, manager of the company’s reputation and image, integrated
communication strategist, and advocating or engineering public opinion. Other roles that
were important in more than 80% of responses included, amongst others, giving counsel
to the CEO, and branding and management of the public perception of the company’s
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brand. Customer relationship management turned out to be the least important role, with
only 50% of the participants regarding this as important.
Perceptions about the nature of the role of corporate communication
In asking participants to indicate whether these roles of corporate communication are
regarded as strategic, managerial or technical in nature, the indings uncovered that in 14
of the possible roles, participants perceived their function as being somewhere between
managerial and strategic. The importance of corporate communication professionals
in technical roles was seen only when it came to driving the company’s publicity; in
branding and brand-perception management; in corporate philanthropy; in management
of employee relations; and in support for marketing and sales.
The managerial function was most important when it came to being the source of public
information about the company, in branding and brand-perception management, and in
the management of employee relations. Customer-relationship management scored the
lowest when it came to preferred roles.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 3: To determine the functions of corporate communication in
the company
Participants were asked to identify – from a list of functions – the ones viewed as part of
corporate communication in their companies. The indings are relected in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Functions performed by corporate communication professionals
15. Meintjes, Niemann-Struweg & De Wet: An exploration of South African corporate
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The most prominent functions identiied (by more than 90% of participants) were:
strategic integrated communication; other functions; identity, image and reputation;
and also crisis communication. The lowest scores (less than 70% of participants)
included investor relations; government relations; database management; and cultural
diversity. As is evident in Figure 1, a seemingly contradictory situation presents itself,
in that integrated strategic communication was identiied by participants as being one
of the most prominent functions they performed, yet as indicated, a whole number of
functions seemed to be regarded to be of lesser strategic importance from a corporate-
communication perspective.
Role preference
Whether participants saw the above functions of corporate communication as strategic,
managerial, or technical is illustrated in Figure 3, below.
Figure 3: Role preference by function
An interesting observation is that in all of the 22 identiied roles between 91% and 95% of
the participants viewed these roles as being predominantly strategic in nature. In contrast,
managerial and technical roles scored 5% and 9%, respectively. From the data, it is clear
that corporate communication professionals saw themselves as strategic contributors to
the existence of their companies.
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RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 4: To determine the extent to which the company relies
on agencies for the development and implementation of its corporate communication
functions
The most important observation about the use of agencies is that the participants perform
their functions in-house – but with some outsourcing. The corporate communication
functions that were most often outsourced were input into organisational strategic
decision making, corporate advertising, and research. These indings will also be
valuable to communication service providers in South Africa, as they indicate the current
areas where companies tend to leverage external vendors to support their corporate
communication programmes, as well as the unexplored areas of communication services
for third-party vendors.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 5: To determine the budget and budget changes associated
with corporate communication in South Africa
Oneofthesectionsoftheinterviewschedulefocusedonbudget-relatedissuesincorporate
communication. These included: (1) the extent to which the corporate communication
functions are covered in the budget allocation of the corporate communication department;
and (2) the extent of change to the corporate communication budget.
The extent to which corporate communication functions are covered by the budget
allocated to them is illustrated in Figure 4.
Figure 4: The corporate communication budget
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The following were regarded to be the most important corporate communication functions
that had to be fully covered by the corporate communication budget: media relations,
strategic integrated communication, research, and internet communication. Considered
as being least important in this respect, were crisis communication and government
relations.
Changes to the corporate communication budget
With businesses increasingly operating in a market-oriented environment, one of the
foremost issues regarding corporate communication in South African companies is
just how important communication executives regard this function to be. To gauge its
importance within South African companies, participants were asked whether their
department would be the irst to bear the brunt of corporate downsizing.
Themostprominentobservationwithregardtothechangestothecorporatecommunication
budget was that there had, on average, been a 73% increase in the annual budget for
corporate communication. Only in 13% of all cases did the budget actually decrease.
Furthermore, the corporate communication budget was increased by up to 15% (for 40%
of participants). Participants with increases in their corporate communication budget of
15% or more constituted 35% of the sample. This is in line with the economic growth in
the South African economy in recent years.
More than two-thirds of all participants were not of the opinion that the corporate
communication budget was either among the irst the last to be cut, whilst 20% of
participants indicated that their corporate communication budgets would be the irst to
be cut.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 6: To determine the titles and reporting lines used in South
Africa companies
The titles designated to corporate communication professionals covered a number of
permutations of the following roles: communication, corporate communication, marketing,
and strategic management. In only seven instances did ‘corporate communication’appear
in a title along with the terms ‘communication’ and ‘marketing manager’. Titles tended
to be very elaborate, with titles such as ‘Group Transformation Manager’, ‘Manager:
Corporate Affairs’ and ‘Group Director: Sales and Marketing’.
In 16 cases interviews were conducted with the top person responsible for corporate
communication. This is important, as it was necessary to understand how the decision
makers managed their responsibilities, and moreover, to understand how they dealt with
corporate communication conceptually and practically. The rest of the participants were
intermediaries who reported to the top person responsible for corporate communication.
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RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 7: To determine how the company positions itself in the
changing socio-political and economic landscape
For the purposes of this study, three categories were identiied in respect of issues
management for participants to indicate the implications of said categories for corporate
communication, namely:
• Economic development issues: New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD),
Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA) and Black
Economic Empowerment (BEE)
• Social issues: HIV/Aids, crime, violence, corruption, poverty and environmental
issues
• Community Development issues: diversity illiteracy, volunteerism and technology-
transfer issues
Economic development issues: NEPAD, ASGISA and BEE
Awareness
The most prominent similarity identiied was the emphasis on awareness campaigns:
“We use awareness campaigns to position us strategically”. It was not clear whether
these campaigns were focused on company stakeholders but one would think so. A
second important aspect was the need to communicate about the company’s strategic
positioning regarding these economic projects, with a view to acknowledging the
potential advantages to the company on the economic and the political fronts. Thirdly,
the need to use communication about these projects to “[P]romote the company’s image,
reputation and credibility”, seemed to have been an important aspect of the companies’
strategic positioning. An exception was: “It is more about how the Government should
communicate about these things”.
Empowerment
The most prominent similarity mentioned in respect of corporate communication as a
process able to able to facilitate the empowerment processes was its ability to contribute
to the empowerment of the intended beneiciaries. This would mainly be through the
development of the inherent potential of the recipients of development, skills development,
education, leadership development, the building of culture, role modelling and the ethical:
“Empower, but the emphasis should also be on the development of ethical conduct.”
Only one participant mentioned the issue of sustainability by pointing out that a company
through its corporate communication strategies has “[A] huge educational role to create
the conditions for sustainability”.
No company role
Quite a signiicant number of companies did not see any beneit or role for corporate
communication in this regard: “Our role is very limited and we are just too occupied with
other priorities”.
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Social issues: HIV/Aids, crime, violence, corruption, poverty and environmental
issues
Awareness
The most common similarity was the emphasis on awareness campaigns about these
very serious issues. The emphasis further fell on: “We communicate about these things
but it is all about our position, nothing more”. Yet another group of participants focused
on attempting “to understand the complexities of these things through our corporate
communication projects”. Another company professed that it was all about “[A]wareness
but mainly about our own image and reputation”. Only in one instance did a participant
mention that their campaigns were all about developing integrated communication
strategies: “We need to create a shared understanding of the tremendous complexities
and impact of these things on us, as well as on the South African society at large”.
Empowerment
A signiicant number of participants acknowledged the important though as yet only
potential role of corporate communication in facilitating empowerment. This includes the
role of their corporate social investment programmes and skills development, through
relevant information: “[T]hrough our leadership development projects”, and, “[B]ecause
we are all part of the consequences of these things, we must therefore all be empowered
to deal with these things”. In only one instance did a participant mention that these social
issues were all actually being dealt with strategically: “Our whole strategy is aiming at
being proactive. Several projects are being managed on most of these issues.” In only
one instance was the opinion expressed that these social issues were the responsibility
of the government of the day.
Practitioners’ limited knowledge
A number of participants indicated that they had no need for these programmes, and they
simply did not see a role for corporate communication in this respect, saying they were
“[N]ot sure what role is to be played”. In one instance the responsibility for these issues
was placed on ‘[H]uman resources (that) must deal with these issues”.
Community development issues, diversity, illiteracy, volunteerism and technology
transfer
The same three themes have been used for the community development aspects of this
question.
Awareness
Quite similar to the two categories on economic development and social issues, the
emphasis in this category was on the awareness role played by corporate communication.
The overwhelming response focused on “[A]wareness and nothing more” or on
“awareness about our reputation and image because we must be seen to be caring”.
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In other responses there was an emphasis on sporadic communication without a formal
plan, with corporate social investment playing the major role, and yet another response
alluded to “an awareness campaign with a strong educational programme”. Another fairly
similar response was: “We have several systems in place in the company to deal with
these issues but not necessarily through our corporate communication programmes.”
In one instance only the response was that “these issues are all part and parcel of our
integrated communication strategies”.
Empowerment
Two intertwined foci were mentioned here, namely that empowerment through corporate
communication links up strongly with the fact that “[O]ur CSI programmes take care
of these”, and that “[W]e have an educational programme speciically dealing with
this”. In one instance the philosophy of empowerment was seen as being incorporated
strategicallywithin the corporate communication context: “The whole strategy is aimed
at being proactive. Several projects are being managed on most of these issues.”
As an exception, one participant was of the opinion that “[T]he issues of corporate
communication’s role as facilitating empowerment is totally over-estimated”.
Practitioners’ limited knowledge
Responses revolved mainly around “[N]o idea” to “[W]e must still develop a position”
to “[T]he Company is aware of these things, but they are too weary to deal with these
things”.
From the indings of this category regarding how corporate communication professionals
view the implications of topical issues for the phenomenon of corporate communication,
it could be argued that participants were hesitant and fairly vague in their understanding
of the role of the issues within the context of corporate communication. Again, it could be
argued that this is not an ideal situation for the practice of corporate communication in
that environmental (and related) issues affect companies in their relationship with their
stakeholders and with the environment as a whole.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
From the indings, there was a realisation among the participants of the importance of corporate
communication as a ield that contributes to the functioning of an organisation. Participants’views of
the role of corporate communication within an organisation were rather limited in that they saw the
role of corporate communication within the organisation as being largely related to publicity, while
publicity can be regarded as one of the functions of corporate communication mostly performed
by technicians. A further implication of the participants’ demonstrated limited understanding of
the role of corporate communication is that it has an effect on the understanding of participants’
comprehension of strategic integrated communication, which here was also rather narrow. On
the other hand, there was a realisation among participants that, within the organisational context,
the growth towards integrated communication could not be ignored, nor could working towards
21. Meintjes, Niemann-Struweg & De Wet: An exploration of South African corporate
communication practices and trends
79
the strategic contribution of corporate communication to organisational goals. However, some
inconsistencies became apparent between the emphasis on strategic integrated communication
and identiication of the role and function of corporate communication within the organisation. This
could possibly be regarded as a consequence of the study participants’ limited understanding of
strategic integrated communication.
Awareness campaigns received both attention and support from participants; however, they
could not clearly articulate how such campaigns aligned with the strategic alignment of corporate
communication and with that of the organisation as a whole.
Participants were overwhelmingly skeptical about their companies’ commitment – both in practice
and philosophy – to transparency. Furthermore, there was a decided ambivalence among
participants regarding selective commitments to transparency as opposed to a window-dressing
approach to transparency. In speaking about the relationship of corporate communication and
governance, a signiicant number of participants were not suficiently informed to comment on the
King Report. This consequently affected relationships with stakeholders.
Participants mostly had a fair understanding of the socio-political and economic issues at work
in South Africa – but could not articulate how these factors (including community development)
relate to strategic corporate communication.
In the light of the above conclusions, the following recommendations are suggested:
The distinct lack of understanding among participants regarding the dynamics of communication
as a phenomenon and of how it manifests in the organisational context, both internally and
externally, poses a shortcoming. This shortcoming can be regarded as having resulted from
organisations not having suitably empowered individuals in the positions to which they were
appointed in their respective companies. There was a critical lack of understanding in terms
of the strategic challenges that organisations face in a volatile and changing social-cultural
South African context. This is evident in participants’ limited understanding of alignment issues
of corporate communication in the strategic functioning of its role, and also its contribution to
greater organisational strategic direction. The recommendation is therefore to appoint suitably
empowered individuals in such positions.
There was a high level of awareness among participants regarding their role within the organisation,
yet there was a lack of knowledge of how actually to use this to practical advantage. It is therefore
recommended that corporate communication personnel be encouraged to make use of quality
continuous learning in order to improve and update their capacity.
Participants have limited insight into issues affecting the organisation and its relationship with its
stakeholders. From a theoretical perspective, the organisation can, given this limitation, therefore
not be regarded as a learning organisation and can thus neither respond to organisational
challenges nor implement changes so as to constantly build long-term strategic relationships
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with its stakeholders.It is again recommended that there should be continuous organisational and
professional training programmes in place to address this.
Disintegration of communication was prevalent in most organisational instances. Furthermore,
there was an apparent lack of teamwork to ensure consistency, strategic alignment and direction
in the corporate communication function (which could, in turn, have signiicant implications for the
strategic functioning of the organisation to build and maintain long-term interactive relationships
with their various stakeholders). Corporate communication professionals should therefore obtain a
thorough understanding of issues affecting the organisation in order cross-functionally to practice
corporate communication to align strategically with the organisation’s professed strategic intent.
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