Communication management increases in importance, but how does it work? What is it that communication professionals do? This deck summarizes 5-year international research on this matter, as presented at the EACD-summit in Brussels, June 9 2023.

1. Foundation for
communication
research
WHAT ON DO COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONALS DO?
*
INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ON THE ANATOMY OF
COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT
Martien Schriemer Msc
dr mr Piet Hein Coebergh MBA
dr Wim Elving
Brussels, June 8 & 9
Foundation for
communication
research

2. Foundation for
communication
research
Who are we?

3. Foundation for
communication
research
Influencers
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
DESIGN
SOCIAL MEDIA
INVESTOR RELATIONS
JOURNALISM
PUBLIC RELATIONS
CORPORATE /
MARKETING COMMUNICATION
EVENTS
CORPORATE MEDIA
ADVERTISING

4. Foundation for
communication
research
Input Process Output
Analyzing work

5. Foundation for
communication
research
Input Process Output
The communication (management) process
• Education
(which?)
• Stakeholder
needs & wants
• Budget
• Time
• Vision
• Context
• Other?
• Grunig’s
excellence
model
• Communication
monitor,
• Several other
models (see
article),
• (business) KPI’s

6. Foundation for
communication
research
Input Process Output
Taking a look under the hood, at the engine
• Education
(which?)
• Stakeholder
needs & wants
• Budget
• Time
• Vision
• Context
• Other?
• Grunig’s
excellence
model
• Communication
monitor,
• Several other
models (see
article),
• (business) KPI’s

7. Foundation for
communication
research
Input Process Output
Anatomical approach
• Education
(which?)
• Stakeholder
needs & wants
• Budget
• Time
• Vision
• Context
• Other?
• Grunig’s
excellence
model
• Communication
monitor,
• Several other
models (see
article),
• (business) KPI’s

8. Foundation for
communication
research
Alternative routes to define professionals
Look at business cards and
memberships with “communication"
Look at relevant theory on
(purposeful) communication in:
Organizational Communication, Public Relations,
Corporate Communication, Integrated
Communications, Strategic Communication,
Communication Management.

9. Foundation for
communication
research
Input Process Output
Classic - since 1960
Berlo, D.K. (1960), The process of communication: An introduction to theory
and practice, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.
• Education
(which?)
• Stakeholder
needs & wants
• Budget
• Time
• Vision
• Context
• Other?
• Grunig’s
excellence
model
• Communication
monitor,
• Several other
models (see
article),
• (business) KPI’s

10. Foundation for
communication
research
Dance, F.E. (1967), Toward a theory of human communication. Human
communication theory: Original essays, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New
York.
Sure: communication is more than SMCR

11. Foundation for
communication
research
Dance, F.E. (1967), Toward a theory of human communication. Human
communication theory: Original essays, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New
York.
SMCR helps to measure and analyze

12. Foundation for
communication
research
Professionals manage SMCR for organizational purposes

13. Foundation for
communication
research
2018: Expert interviews, building questionnaire

14. Foundation for
communication
research
Since 2019: Building community & database
Results presented at:
• Logeion C-Day, Nieuwegein (Netherlands), 26-06-2019
• PR Conference in Bled (Slovenia), 05-07-2019
• Caribbean Communication Conference (online), 23-04-2021
• EUPRERA Pamplona (Spain), 08-10-2021
• Final year communication students conference Leiden-Gent (online) 22-12-2021
• EUPRERA Vienna (Austria), 21/23-09-2022
• EACD (Brussels), 09-06-2023

15. Foundation for
communication
research
Team of authors
https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4439663

16. Foundation for
communication
research
• 11 Universities
• 3 Trade organizations
• 9 Countries
• 9 Languages
• 3 Continents
• ≈ 3.000 respondents
And counting…
2019-2023:
Foundation for
communication
research
https://foundation-communicationresearch.org/international-team/

17. Foundation for
communication
research
Professionals make choices in SMCR

18. Foundation for
communication
research
𝐵 = ∏ 𝐹 𝑖 ⁄81 = 𝑆 ∙ 𝑀 ∙ 𝐶 ∙ 𝑅⁄81
Introducing: the Berlo-score
Formula:
Essence: the more choices a professional makes in S, M, C and/or R, the higher the Berlo-score
The more senior a communication professional is, the higher the Berlo-score.

19. Foundation for
communication
research
Findings
• Percentage of communication professionals in participating countries: around
1,5% of total workforce
• All respondents recognize SMCR-logic
• Berlo-score correlates with/ indicates/ explains seniority (position, education,
experience)
• More similarities than differences among participating countries

20. Foundation for
communication
research
Implications
• Better insight on what the profession is about and what is needed, e.g. in terms
of education and performance
• Companies can benchmark their quantity and quality of communication
professionals cross industry and cross country
• The Berlo-score can help assess the seniority and compensation of positions in
communication

21. Foundation for
communication
research
Where we are going
More interviews, more countries (Germany & UK coming up), same questionnaire, exploring (answers on):
The use of
internal and
external media
Experience
Education /
training
Accountability /
responsibility /
tasks
Seniority / the
Berlo-score
Expectations of
the future
Industries /
countries
Position / level
ideas?

22. Foundation for
communication
research
Join us!
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9127136/