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