Emerald | Journal of Communication Management

Communication Management in the Netherlands: Trends, Developments, and Benchmark with US Study

Wim Elving, Betteke van Ruler, Michael Goodman, Christina M. Genest — 2012-05-04 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - In this study we present data from Dutch communication professionals on the current trends and developments in the field of communication management in the Netherlands. With the use of data obtained in 1999, we are able to present trends and developments in the field and to compare these findings with studies conducted in the United States (US; author 3, 2008).Design/methodology/approach - A total of 556 communication managers working in different parts of the industry responded and completed an questionnaire. Respondents were mainly heads of the communication department and were selected by taking a random selection of 25% of all organizations with more than 50 employees in the administration of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce, completed with members of the Dutch professional society.Findings - Our main focus was on the size of the communication department and on the glass ceiling for female professionals and on encroachment. Findings show that the number of female professionals increased and balanced male professionals. Encroachment decreased compared with previous studies.Originality/value - Many studies are conducted at this moment to what the developments are within professional communication management or corporate communication. Our study is unique, since we have data from 1995 and 1999, so we can analyze developments over time. We also were able to compare the Dutch situation with the Benchmark studies of CCI in the US (Goodman, 2008)

Best Practices as an Assessment for Crisis Communication

Shari R. Veil, Rebekah A Husted — 2012-05-04 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - This study uses the now-classic case study of American Red Cross’s response to Hurricane Katrina to demonstrate the utility of the best practices in risk and crisis communication as an assessment tool.Design/methodology/approach - Qualitative case study methodology is used to provide a thick description of the case based on media analysis and internal and external evaluations. The best practices in risk and crisis communication are then used to assess Red Cross’s response efforts.Findings - This study provides contextual support for the best practices in risk and crisis communication and demonstrates their usefulness in post-crisis assessment. Lessons learned specific to the case outline the importance of 1) Maintaining flexibility in the crisis plan; 2) Developing a crisis communication protocol with partners; 3) Considering the affects of response procedures on the emotional and psychological health of crisis victims; and 4) Establishing connections with diverse populations and the communities in which the organization works.Practical implications - As an assessment tool in the post-crisis stage, the best practices provide an outline for organizations to question whether their planning was sufficient and their strategies and responses met the needs of their stakeholders.Originality/value - This study provides reason for continuing to develop, study, and apply best practices in risk and crisis communication across organizations and industries. By using the best practices as an assessment tool post-crisis, organizations can look at each specific practice through the lens of the crisis to stimulate organizational learning.

Understanding strategy in communication management

Juliana Raupp, Olaf Hoffjann — 2012-05-04 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to provide a new perspective on the relationship between communication management as a strategic process and corporate strategy. Design/methodology/approach - This paper compares approaches of the prescriptive and the descriptive branch of strategy research and highlights how these seemingly contradictory strategy concepts are interrelated. It integrates decision-making and interpretive perspectives on strategy in management and transfers those perspectives to strategy in communication management. Two areas of communication management, problem definition and the identification of stakeholders, serve as examples to illustrate the conceptual framework. Findings - A conceptual model of strategic decision making in communication management is developed. Strategy in communication management is understood as deliberately creating decision-making situations. Strategic decisions in communication management are part of both retrospective and prospective sensemaking processes in organizations. Research limitations/implications - Originality/value - This paper points to fruitful tensions between different strategy concepts and suggests ways how to resolute this tension partly. It offers further insights into the role of strategy in communication management by providing a comprehensive view on strategies of communication management from the perspectives of strategy content and strategy process research.

Kinship, culture and ethics in organisations: Exploring implications for internal communication.

Elspeth Tilley, Susan Fredricks, Andrea Hornett — 2012-05-04 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - This article reports the results of an international survey (USA and New Zealand) that tested relationship effects on ethical behaviour. The findings point to the impact of perceived social bonds on ethical decision-making. They also reinforce the cultural specificity of ethics. Both these findings confirm the importance of participatory, ground-up, discussion-based approaches to developing organisational ethical standards. The article discusses some implications of these findings for internal communicators involved with ethics programmes in organisations. Design/methodology/approach - The research used an established scenario-style survey to test respondents’ ethical decision-making behaviours under different circumstances. Findings - This article discusses two results that will impact on internal communication approaches to stimulating ethical attitudes and behaviours: the positive influence on people making ethics-related decisions of a perceived relationship with those affected by the decision, and cultural differences. Research limitations/implications - The research is limited by the functionalist, hypothetical, descriptive survey design which identifies responses but not motivations, and findings are limited to the specific scenarios described. The results show the importance of future research to elaborate connections between perceived relationships, ethics, and culture. Practical implications - The paper offers practitioners a research method, which they can use to stimulate personal and group reflection among staff about ethical decision-making and the different factors that can influence ethical choices. In confirming a connection between perceived relationships and choosing more ethical behaviour towards others, the findings may also reinforce the importance of internal relationship building as an important aspect of organisational investment in ethics-related outcomes such as fraud reduction and reputation management.Originality/value - The research provides evidence for some connections that have not previously been explored in the organisational context, between perceived relationships and ethical outcomes. It also confirms the cultural diversity of ethics, but shows that enhancing perceived relationships may help bridge cultural differences on ethical norms.

A Knowledge Management Approach to Understanding Ethical Knowledge in Public Relations

Seow Ting Lee — 2012-05-04 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - This study explicates the characteristics of ethical knowledge according to a knowledge management theoretical framework that conveys ethical knowledge as a form of tacit knowledge that is personal, subjective, intangible, and difficult to communicate to others. Design/methodology/approach - The study is based on a survey with 350 public relations practitioners in the U.S. Findings - The findings show that ethical knowledge in public relations, as a professional construct, is tacit only to the extent that it is a personal body of knowledge grounded in individual actions and experiences, but it is explicit in that it is tangible and could be communicated and shared in the workplace. Age, work experience and the number of ethics courses taken in an individual's public relations career are some of the significant determinants shaping the public relations practitioners' conceptualizations of ethical knowledge. Research limitations/implications - Practical implications - The study reinforces the importance of a holistic approach to ethics, where structured and formal training programs and codes of ethics are supported directly by a congruence between formal initiatives and public relations professionals’ personal values. Originality/value - By explicating the characteristics of ethical knowledge and its implications on knowledge transfer of ethics in public relations, and in understanding the determinants shaping public relations professionals’ conceptualization of ethical knowledge, this study offers an empirical contribution to an area of study that has received mostly normative and philosophical discussion.

The Integration of CSR into Corporate Communication in Large European Companies

Irene Pollach, Trine Susanne Johansen, Anne Ellerup Nielsen, Christa Thomsen — 2012-05-04 00:00:00.0

Abstract

Purpose - This paper sheds light on corporate practices regarding the integration of CSR into corporate communication in large European companies.Design/methodology/approach - An e-mail survey was conducted among large European companies in a total of 14 European countries. The questionnaire focuses on the organisation of corporate communication activities, the organisation of CSR activities, and the cooperation between the two.Findings - We find that CSR is managed most frequently by CSR departments, but also by communication departments to a small extent. Whichever organisation is chosen, the communication departments frequently engage in cooperation with the CSR departments. The more frequently the two cooperate, the more likely they are to have formalised their cooperation. We also conclude that the communication department is generally aligned to the strategic management of the organisation, whereas this is not always the case for the CSR department.Research limitations/implications - A limitation of the study is clearly the sample size, which could have been larger. However, corporate policies against survey participation pose an obstacle to large-scale surveys among companies in general.Originality/value - The question of whether and how companies integrate CSR and communication responsibilities is an under-researched area. This paper provides empirical evidence of how large companies manage the two functions in their organisations.