Joep Cornelissen - Corporate Communication

Corporate objectives and goals

(Precise) statement of aims or purpose

Issue management process

3 steps. Environmental scanning, issue identification and analysis, issue-specific response strategies

Impact

A corporate image provides a basis for being favored by stakeholders

Internal communication is most productive in the sense of eliciting employee commitment and organizational identifications if its

A two-way process of communication, rather than one-way flow of feedback and instructions

Remediation

Acceptance strategy, high level of responsibility. A tactic of announcing some form of compensation or help to victims

Repentance

Acceptance strategy, high level of responsibility. A tactic of asking for forgiveness: the organization apologizes for the crisis and asks stakeholders and the general public to forgive its misdeeds

Full apology

Acceptance strategy, high level of responsibility. A tactic of simply apologizing for the crisis and accepting the blame

Rectification

Accommodative strategy, high level of responsibility. A tactic of taking corrective action to prevent the recurrence of the crisis in the future

CSR for society

Act ethically, ensure responsible purchasing, enable access to electricity for all

Corporate image management

Adds an important symbolic dimension to corporate communication

Behaviour

All of the employees (ranging from managers and the receptionist to frontline staff such as salespeople and shop assistants), that leaves an impression on stakeholders

Environmental scanning

All organization exist in the context of a commercial, economic, political, technological, social and cultural world

Social networking sites

Allows users to present personal information create a profile of themselves and share this with others. Leads to creation of a small network/community of people exchanging instant messages with each other. It is a relatively rich medium

Stakeholders

Any individual may have more than one stakeholder role in relation to an organization. Employees are often also consumers in the marketplace for the products of the company that they work for themselves.

Content communities

Application through which users share media content (YouTube)

Problematic stakeholders

Are likely to oppose (face) or be hostile (aggressive) to the organization's course of action, but are relatively unimportant to the organization because they are not normally recognized

Antagonistic stakeholders

Are likely to oppose or be hostile to the organization's course of action and hold power or influence over the organization

Low priority stakeholders

Are likely to support the organization's course of action but are relatively unimportant in terms of their power or influence on the organization

Virtual game worlds

Are similar to social worlds with the restriction of their behaviour. People have to play a role in a game world

Voice, silence and employee participation

Are terms used to refer to the degree to which employees speak up, are listened to and participate in organizational decision-making

Transcendence

Association strategy, low level of responsibility. A tactic of associating the negatives and loss arising from a crisis with a desirable, higher order goal

Bolstering

Association strategy, low level of responsibility. A tactic of reminding stakeholders and the general public of existing positive aspects of the organization in order to offset the negatives the crisis brings to the organization

Bridging strategy

Being open to change, adapt activities, be transparent in reporting progress

Advantage content communities

Big reach which can be used for recruiting videos, keynote speeches, press announcements/speeches or brand adverts

Web 2.0

Blogs wiki and collaborative project

Low medium richness

Blogs, collaborative projects such as wikipedia

Advantage virtual social worlds

Can be used very broadly, for example for meetings, or marketing

intentional and unintentional

Controllability, purposeful by an actor or not. It shapes attributions of crisis responsibility

Blogs

Controlled web-based medium that enables an individual or group to publish information in a diary or journal style

Symbolism

Corporate logos and the company house style of an organization

Leadership and change communication in 8 steps

Create a sense of urgency, form a guiding coalition (partnership), create a vision, communicate the vision, empower others to act on the vision, create quick wins, build on the change, institutionalize the change

Web 1.0

Creating and publishing websites

self-presentation

Creating impression of themselves to possibly influence others or create a self image that is in line with their desired personal identity

Social presence theory

Defined as the acoustic, visual and physical contact enabled by the intimacy and immediacy of the medium. It can be expected to be lower for more digital and mediated forms of communication (telephone, email) than for direct interpersonal interactions

Downplay

Distance strategy, low level of responsibility. A tactic of convincing stakeholders or the general public that the situation is not that bad in itself or compared to other crisis

Excuse

Distance strategy, low level of responsibility. A tactic of denying intention or volition by scapegoating (blaming) other for the crisis

Advantages of investing in the development of a corporate image for the organization

Distinctiveness (unique), impact, stakeholders

Employees are now often connected to each other by ?

Electronic means rather than through close physical proximity

What is used by managers to communicate with employees and by employees themselves to stay informed of company news ?

Emails, the intranet, video-conferencing and podcasting

Volunteers5

Employee volunteers are the most important resource of a company; they can help build relationships with local communities

Life cycle of an issue

Enforcement - emergence - codification - debate

Advantage of blogs

Engage in direct and unfiltered conversation with the organization. Can create personal connection with users, facilitate positive attitudes towards the company and encourage positive word of mouth

Three types of stakes

Equity, economic/market, influences

Terrorism

External attack

Leadership strategy

Focus on effort of a group, focus on a common goal, can enable individuals to work together

Stakeholder management

Fragmented among various departments, focus on managing relationships, buffering, short-term business goals, personal implementation dependent on department's interests and personal style of manager

Original crisis type matrix

Fuax pas, terrorism, accidents, transgressions. Ranked within external/internal - unintentional/intentional

Web 2.0

General ideological and technological shift in the use of online technologies

Communication based drivers

Greater amounts of message clutter, increased message effectiveness through consistency and reinforcement of core messages, complementarity of media and media cost inflation, media multiplication requires control of communication channels

High involvement + high commitment

High social pressence

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

How companies manage their business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. It covers sustainability, social impact and ethics, and done correctly should be about core business - how companies make their money - not just add-on extras such as philanthropy (charity)

Endorsed

Identity structure, business and products brands are endorsed or badged with the parent company name. example: general motors, kellogg, nestle

Branded

Identity structure, individual business or product brands each carry their own name (and are seemingly unrelated to eachother) example: Ariel, Dove, Ola --> Protector & gamle; electrolux; unilever

Monolithic

Identity structure, it's a single all-embracing identity (products all carry the same corporate name) example: Sony, BMW, Virgin

Organizational drivers

Improved efficiency, increased accountability, provision of strategic direction and purpose though consolidation, organizational positioning

Issue management is

Increasingly important specialist area of activity within corporate communication. It starts with scanning and the environment, and identifying latent and emerging issues BEFORE they become salient in public debates and may potentially result in government legislation

Social identity

Individuals' knowledge that they belong to certain groups, together with the emotional and value significance of that group membership

Downward communications

Information flowing from the top of the organizational management hierarchy and telling people in the organization what is important (mission) and what is valued (policies)

Upward communication

Information from employees that is sent upwards towards managers within the organization

Risk collaborative projects

Information may not always be factually correct or thoughtfully checked

Stakeholder collaboration

Integrated management approach, focus on building relationships, bridging, long-term business goals, coherent approach driven by mission, values, and corporate strategies

Faux pas

Interpretation of organizational behaviour. Organization considers positive or neutral. Stakeholders view are negative

Communication practitioners

Involved in the development of these plans and are also responsible for working out the details of crisis communication

Second factor from Morrison and Milliken

Involves a set of managerial beliefs which suggest that managers know best about organizational matters. INFLUENCE ORGANIZATIONAL SILENCE

Closed communication climate

Involves a shared and wide spread feeling among employees that speaking up is of little use

Social media

Involving all kinds of online or digital technologies through which people create, share and exchange information and ideas

Partnership

It assumes an even higher level of commitment and community involvement. Here, companies engage in partnerships with community agencies, and may form alliances with other organizations

Challenges for the new media landscape

It is hard to keep up with all the developments and many corporate communication practitioners still need to familiarize and get comfortable with the ins and outs of these new technologies and work out how they work most effectively

Challenge social networking sites

It is personal yet the company is professional, find a balance

Stakeholder management

It leads to increase revenues and reductions in costs and risks as it increases transactions with stakeholders (more sales or investment)

Corporate information and communication systems (CICS)

It refers to the broadcasting of corporate decisions and developments to all employees across the organization. It is often the preserve of the communication department, which is charged with releasing information to employees through the intranet, emails an so-called 'town hall' meetings.

What is one significant feature of the stakeholder model

It suggests that organization needs to be considered 'legitimate' by both 'marker' and 'non-market' stakeholder groups. This notion of legitimacy stretches beyond financial accountability to include accountability for the firm's performance in social and environmental terms

Cooperative organizations

Jointly owned and democratically controlled by all those who work for the organization

Town hall meetings

Large employee meetings where senior managers announce and explain key corporate decisions or developments

Internal and external

Locus of control from attribution theory

Defensive

Main vehicle: Ad hoc (special). Approach to CSR

Transformational

Main vehicle: business models. Approach to CSR

Charitable

Main vehicle: charitable donations. Approach to CSR

Strategic

Main vehicle: management systems. Approach to CSR

Promotional

Main vehicle: public relations campaigns and events. Approach to CSR

Use of communication technologies within organizations, distinguish two central central areas of internal communication

Management communication, corporate information and communication systems (CICS)

First factor from Morrison and Milliken

Managers' fear of receiving negative feedback from employees. INFLUENCE ORGANIZATIONAL SILENCE

Power interest matrix

Minimal effort - keep informed - keep satisfied - key players

Social media and Web 2.0 tech offers

More interactive flow of communication between members and external stakeholders who can now also be corporate communication practitioners

Denial

Non-existence strategy, low level of responsibility. A simple statement denying that a crisis exists

Attack and intimidation

Non-existence strategy, low level of responsibility. A tactic of confronting the person or group who claims that a crisis exists: may include a threat to use 'force' against the accuser

Clarification

Non-existence strategy, low level of responsibility. An extension of the denial tactic with attempts to explain why there is no crisis

Challenge virtual social world

Not a very big audience. It may mimic real life but it is still not the same thing

Risk of blogs

Once an the organization enables employees to start a blog they have to take into account that they could write negatively

Building and maintaining the corporate reputations

One of the primary ways in which organizations manage relationships with stakeholders

Unionization of the workforce

One way in which the interests or workers are represented and communicated to senior managers

Transgression

Organization places stakeholders at risk

Corporate Social Responsibility

Organizations are 'legal entities with rights and duties, in effect, 'citizens' of states within which they operate'

Mission

Overriding purpose in line with the values or expectation of the stakeholders

Elements of community relations program

Philanthrophy, volunteering, partnership

Locas

Place where something happens or the central area of interest in something being

Instrumental reasons

Point to a connection between stakeholder management and corporate performance

Morrison and Milliken

Pointed to two factors that often systematically cause employees to feel that their opinions are not valued and that thereby discourage them from speaking up - INFLUENCE ORGANIZATIONAL SILENCE

Stakeholder salience model

Power - legitimacy - urgency = definitive stakeholder

CSR for users

Provide sustainable solutions, play a driving role in the electrical sector

Advantage social networking sites

Reach a lot of people, growing medium, provide stronger connections with stakeholders

Adequate information involves

Receiving useful and sufficient information about what is expected of employees in their work and regarding their contributions

CSR for environment

Reduce the Group's environment footprint, innovative for a circular economy

Management communication

Refers to communication between a manager and his or her subordinate employees

Buffering strategy

Remain silent, continue with existing behaviour, postpone decisions

CSR for employees

Respect human rights, guarantee healthy and safety at work, develop skills and promote diversity

Challenge virtual game worlds

Restricted in terms of potentional for corporate communication

Guidelines that companies with thigh stakeholder rates for their CSR follow

Set clear objectives, progressive objectives, involve stakeholders, report transparently, be accountable

Collaborative projcets

Simultaneous collaboration between individuals in an online setting. You can remove and change mainly text based content. (e.g., Wikipedia)

The new media lanscape

Social media and Web 2.0

Opportunities for the new media landscape

Social media is more interactive and inclusive in nature compared to traditional advertising and marketing channels. It can build reputational capital and brand equity. Present a more human image of itself

Opportunities for the new media landscape

Social media may foster or create a whole new range of stakeholder behaviors in support of the organization. Things can go viral

Medium medium richness

Social networking sites (Facebook), content communities (Youtube)

Market and environment based drivers

Stakeholder roles, demand of CSR and greater transparency, audience fragmentation

Normative perspective

Stakeholders are here persons or groups with legitimate interests in aspects of corporate activity, and they are identified by this interest, whether the corporation has any direct economic interest in them or not

Challenge/risk content communities

Stakeholders can share videos/media that put the organization in a bad light

3 points every communication strategy has

Strategy formation consists of a combination of planned and emergend processes

3 points every communication strategy has

Strategy involves a general direction and not simply plans or tactics

3 points every communication strategy has

Strategy is about the organization and its environment

Victimization

Suffering strategy, low level of responsibility. A tactic of portraying the organization as a victim of the crisis in order to win public sympathy

Framing accountability through legitimacy means

That an organization engage with stakeholders not just for instrumental reasons, but also for normative reasons.

Internal communication

The advent of new technologies (e.g., internal blogs and emails) has meant that messages to employees do not always remain 'inside' the organization. These new technologies have blurred the boundaries between 'internal' and 'external'

Opportunities for the new media landscape

The advent of social media presents a further step in the integration of marketing and public relations under the umbrella of corporate communication. Social media enables organization to engage more directly with customers, employees and other stakeholders

Philanthropy

The company's charitable donations, or philanthropy. (charity). There are cash or in-kind contributions to local community cause or charities

The World Economic Forum defines corporate citizenship as

The contribution a company makes to society though its core business activities, its social investment and philanthropy programs, and its engagement in public policy. The manner in which a company manages its economic, social and environmental relationships, as well as those with different stakeholders, in particular shareholders, employees, customers, business partners, governments and communities determines its impact

Corporate citizenship

The contribution of a company makes to society through its core business activities, its social investment and philanthropy (charity) programs, and its engagement in public policy

Important principle for crisis communication

The degree to which stakeholders and publics hold the organizations responsible or culpable (guilty) for a particular crisis. Based on the perception of organizational responsibility, practitioners can choose between different communication strategies, ranging from accommodative strategies to advocacy and defensive ones

Evaluation

The final stage of the issue management processes involves an evaluation of how the issue has developed and how stakeholder expectations and public opinions have changed

Communication climate

The internal environment of information exchange between managers and employees through an organization's formal and informal networks

Media richness theory

The more information/cues can be exchanged in real time between individuals, the richer the medium

Aligning identity, image and reputation. importance of alignment between

The organizational culture as experiences by employees

Organizational identification

The perception of oneness with or belongingness to an organization, where the individual defines him or herself in terms of the organization(s) of which he or she is a member. Plays a significant role in many organization due to employees being more cooperative

Reliable information involves

The perception that managers release information that is trustworthy and instrumental to the accomplishments of tasks

Corporate Citizenship

The portfolio of activities that organizations undertake to fulfill perceived duties as members of society. • Examples pro bono activities, corporate volunteerism, charitable contributions, support for community education and healthcare initiatives, and environmental programs

Accidents

Things happen

reputational buffer

This is created for stakeholder management, especially created for crisis or potentially damaging litigation (process)

Supporter stakeholders

Those who would support the organizations course of action and are important to the organization in terms of their power or influence

Issue identification and analysis

Through environmental scanning, communication practitioners will identify potential and emerging issues that they need to keep an eye on

Advocacy strategy

Try to change opinions through campaigning, persuade stakeholders organization's position is acceptable

Managers are not only aware of and constantly reflect on their communication style,

Use a range of tried and tested interactive strategies to inspire employees to commit the change and to make the change happen

Virtual social worlds

Users can adopt a certain persona and essentially live a virtual life similar to their own life

High medium richness

Virtual social worlds (second life), virtual game wolds (world of warcraft)

Organization with the strongest reputations are on average characterized by high levels of

Visibility, distinctiveness, authenticity, transparency, consistency

Vertical structures

Way in which tasks and activities are divided and arranged into departments, and located in the hierarchy of authority within an organization. It divides each organization primary tasks into smaller tasks and activities

Open communication climate

When information flows freely between individuals, groups and departments. In contrast employees feel free to express opinions, voice complaints, and offer suggestions to their superiors

Organization silence

When organization prevent employees from participating and that force them to withhold information about potential problems or issues

The web has evolved from being a platform where content is created and published by individuals or organizations to

Where content and applications are continuously generated and modified by all users in a participatory and collaborative fashion

Distinctiveness

a corporate image may help stakeholders find or recognize an organization

Market

a defined group whom a product is or may be in demand (and for whom an organization creates and maintains products and services)

Socio-economic theory

accountability extends to groups considered to be important for the continuity of the organization and the welfare of society

Management function corporate communication

all organization, of all sizes and operating in different sectors and societies, must find ways to successfully establish and nurture relationships with their stakeholders, upon which they are economically and socially dependent

Communication

all planned forms of it, including corporate advertising, events, sponsorship, publicity and promotions

Corporate Reputation

an individual's collective representation of past images of an organization (induced through either communication or past experiences) established over time

Corporate communication

an instrument of management by means of which all consciously used forms of internal and external communication are harmonized as effectively and efficiently as possible. Creating favorable basis for relationship with groups upon which the company is dependent

Stake

an interest or a share in an undertaking that can range from simply an interest at one extreme to a legal claim of ownership at the other extreme

Issue

an unsettled matter (which is ready for a decision) or a point of conflict between an organization and one or more publics

Stakeholder

any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization's objectives

Normative reasons

appeal to underlying concepts such as individual groups 'rights', 'social contracts', morality, and so on

CI-mix (corporate identity)

behaviour, communications, symbols

secondary stakeholders

community: consumers, regulators, government, media, local communities, pressure groups

primary stakeholders

contractual: customers, employees, distributors, suppliers, shareholders, lenders (banks)

Public Relations

corporate communication before 1970, it was used mainly to communicate with the press and as a tactical insturment

Aligning identity, image and reputation. importance of alignment between

corporate image or reputation in the minds of external stakeholders

Corporate Communication

corporation were standing to focus on the organization as whole

Vision

desired future state. The aspiration of the organization

Horizontal structures

ensures the tasks and activities, while spread out over departments, and combined into the basic functions. It allows for cross-functional team-work and flexibility and can take various forms including: multi-disciplinary task or project teams, standardized work processes, council meetings

Organizational performance

financial, sales, environment, hrm

Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

it describes a company's efforts to improve society in some way. these efforts can range from donating money to nonprofits to implementing environmentally-friendly policies in the workplace

Equity stakes

may exercise some level of control, influence, or participation

Reputations are established when...

organizations consistently communicate an authentic, unique and disitinctive corporate identity towards stakeholders

Public

people who mobilize themselves against the organization on the basis of some common issue or concern to them

Neo-classical theory

purpose of organization is to make profits in their accountability to themselves and shareholders

self-disclosure

release of personal information (thoughts, feelings, likes etc.)

Vision

senior management's aspirations for the organization. One of three elements to circle gap

Integration

the act of coordinating all communications so that the corporate identity is effectively and consistently communicated to internal and external groups

Issue-specific strategy

the basis for identifying an appropriate response. The repertoire of issue-response strategies involves the following four options: buffering,- bridging,- advocacy,- leadership,- strategy

Aligning identity, image and reputation. importance of alignment between

the corporate vision and articulated by senior managers

Authenticity

the degree to which an organization communicates values that are embedded in its culture

Transparency

the degree to which an organization is open and transparent about its behaviour

Visibility

the degree to which corporate themes are visible in all internal and external communication

Consistency (trustworthy)

the degree to which organizations communicate consistent messages through all internal and external communication channels

Distinctiveness

the degree to which the corporate identity are positioning of the organization is distinctive

Image

the image or impression that outside stakeholders - have the organization. One of three elements to circle gap

What does the stakeholder management model recognize

the mutual dependencies between organizations and various stakeholders groups, groups that are affected by the operations and performance

Culture

the organization's values as felt and shared by all employees of the organization. One of three elements to circle gap

corporate identity

the profile and values communicated by an organization

Corporate personality

the soul, persona, spirit, and culture of the organization manifested in some way

Communication

the tactics and media that are used to communicate with internal and external groups

Corporate identity

the tangible manifestation (real appearance) of a corporate personality

Strategies

the ways or means in which the corporate objectives are to be achieved and put into effect