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The purpose of this research is to study how communication executives perceive their internal and external legitimacy, how they reflect on recent developments in their work, and which future challenges they perceive as being important.

The approach takes the form of in‐depth interviews with communication executives.

Communication executives have a distinct strategic managerial role within their organizations. The executive role involves three different performances: the organizational leader; the communication leader; and the communication manager. Executives perceived high external legitimacy, whereas internal legitimacy varied between organizations, and status and formal position were both dynamic and subject to negotiation. The communication technology development, termed as a “revolution”, has considerably affected executives' work. Future communication challenges such as globalization and organizational change were discussed.

Recent changes have strengthened the roles of the communication executives. Internal status and legitimacy appear to be dependent on the attitudes of the other executives. These relationships and the emerging executive roles will be an important basis for study in future research.

Internal legitimacy was clearly an issue of negotiation, which is important for practitioners to consider. Acting out the educational role, working with communication support and the coaching of managers, and initiating and pursuing strategic organizational issues may be means by which communication executives are further able to enhance their internal legitimacy.

New insights with regard to the legitimacy, practice and self‐perceptions of communication executives are provided. This is the first study of Swedish communication executives, adding to the knowledge base derived from studies from The Netherlands, UK and USA.

The purpose of this paper is to examine what formal executive-level committees senior corporate communications executives are members of and what value they contribute.

The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 30 senior executives at four US companies who discussed corporate communications’ involvement in eight strategic issues.

The focus on the C-Suite is too narrow as strategic issues arise at the division level and in executive-level committees. Corporate communications is often in competition with marketing for influence and coveted seats in the board rooms. Corporate communications is most likely to be included in decision making when issues are perceived as falling within their domain, when the function has support from the CEO, when working in industries with frequent crises or those focussing on reputation management, and in companies that utilize integrated decision teams.

Corporate communicators need to enhance their research skills and educate other colleagues about their domain beyond media relations.

Study includes the perspectives of executives outside of corporate communications such as marketing, sales, human resources, investor relations, finance, and operations as well as division presidents.

This study explored how organizational leaders at different hierarchical levels may communicatively enhance employees' health and well-being. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, it proposed a model that connects health-oriented leadership communication at supervisory and executive levels with remote workers' self-care and stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data collected through a survey of 363 full-time United States (US) employees were analyzed to test the model.

Results showed health-oriented communication at the two leadership levels directly influenced employees' self-care, which in turn reduced their stress levels. Further, executive leaders' health-oriented leadership communication indirectly impacted remote workers' self-care through its positive association with supervisors' health-oriented leadership communication.

This study offers much-needed guidelines for executive leaders, supervisors and communication practitioners seeking to meet employees' growing expectations for a healthy work environment in today's post-pandemic era.

Although the literature has established organizational leadership as a vital determinant for a healthy workforce, few studies have explored leaders' health-specific communication to enhance employee health. This study is the first to conceptualize health-oriented leadership communication at dual hierarchical levels and uncover its influence on employees. The results suggested the importance of health-oriented leadership communication across hierarchical levels in building a healthy workplace.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions and expectations of chief executive officers (CEOs) and executive board members concerning: the relevance of public opinion and contribution of communication performance to organizational success, the communicative role of top executives and their interaction with professional communicators, the objectives and values of corporate communications, and the importance of various disciplines and instruments.

A quantitative survey was conducted among top executives of listed and private companies operating in the largest European country, Germany (n=602).

The study identifies a traditional mindset: top executives focus on primary stakeholders (customers, employees) instead of secondary stakeholders (politicians, activists), they value mass media higher than social media, and they rate speaking more important than listening. Moreover, communication professionals are not always the first choice when CEOs and board members reflect on the topics at hand. Advanced visions of strategic communication developed in academia and practice have not yet arrived in many boardrooms.

The sample is not representative for all CEOs in corporations and it is limited to one country.

While the performance of corporate communications depends heavily on the perceptions, beliefs, and expectations that top executives hold towards communication and its contribution to organizational goal, little is known about this. Most knowledge is based on qualitative interviews and small-scale samples. This study provides an overview of previous insights and takes a broader empirical approach.

Leadership assessment programs are intended to ensure that the organization retains or hires high-quality leadership. Among the many skills that must be included, executive communication is a cornerstone of effective leadership. However, there are many techniques to assessing executive communication that impose numerous advantages and disadvantages. The purpose of this study is to explore several techniques for evaluating executive communication skills in leadership assessment programs.

Building upon case studies from novel commanding officer selection efforts in the military, the current study outlines three possible areas of executive communication for leadership assessment programs: panel-based interviews, guided discussion and executive writing.

Although each technique offers some advantages, the best technique depends upon the context. Panel-based interviews can provide excellent depth in evaluating candidates, whereas executive writing focuses more upon crafting a deliberate and clear message without the ability to clarify or use nonverbal cues. Selecting an appropriate technique depends greatly upon the workload imposed on the leadership assessment team and the number of candidates available.

Leadership selection programs are often done piecemeal or based on local experience. By building upon novel efforts in military commanding officer selection, the goal is to promulgate effective executive communication techniques that will enhance leadership selection through more effective communication across all levels of leadership positions.

A central theme that has always separated C‐suite executives from communications practitioners – the ability to operate within the parameters of immutable data – is beginning to unravel as uncontrollable external forces challenge traditional business approaches. However, while communicators' skills are being recognized as essential to building and maintaining strong reputations and bottom lines, the importance of data‐driven accountability has by no means dissipated; on the contrary, it has only grown as resources dwindle in today's business climate. This paper's purpose is two‐fold: giving communications executives a roadmap for achieving data‐wielding parity in the C‐suite, and offering senior management teams a process through which they can leverage this function's strategic value to a much greater effect – all by applying techniques drawn from Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology.

The article introduces executives who are not LSS experts – who may even be wary of the concept – to “communications process improvement,” effective LSS methods that can be executed by non‐experts. It details a process for applying communications process improvement (CPI) to various business functions and activities in the context of LSS‐derived procedures.

The article examines the application of CPI to specific organizational activities, including marketing, communications planning and customer service. When applied as a step‐by‐step procedure mirroring that of LSS (where the steps are define, measure, analyze, improve, control), CPI generates constant, cross‐functional awareness of how things should happen, why they're not happening that way now, and how to make sure they are done properly on a continuously improving basis going forward.

Lean Six Sigma is an established business management strategy that seeks to identify and remove inefficiencies in manufacturing processes. While it is well known in this context, there is very little evidence that management teams are applying the same methodologies to more intangible functions within the other departments – specifically, corporate communications. This article offers executives a standard, step‐by‐step process for doing just that, which they can begin implementing today to transform their communications departments into customer‐facing, data‐driven, proactive cultures of excellence, based on accountability and focused on demonstrable results.

The purpose of the study is to provide insights on the COVID-19 pandemic communication from the lessons learned by health communication executives—how they perceived the COVID-19 pandemic and recommend preparing for communication management of future public health crises.

A number of top health communication executives in the United States, who worked in the healthcare industry for at least 25 years and held titles like director, president and chief strategist, were interviewed for their unique perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic. This study used the contingency theory of strategic conflict management for qualitative deductive analysis of the following segmentations of key factors that drove organizational communication management decision making during the pandemic: organization characteristics, relationship characteristics, general external climate, external publics and the issue under question.

Health communication executives heavily relied on their past health communication experiences, which led to nuanced understandings of the COVID-19 pandemic. Practically, the health communication executives urged future practitioners to constantly assess risks, hire and use diverse and representative decision-makers; set a communication protocol; and keep the communication in perspective. Theoretically, the contingency theory is furthered—there appears to be a theoretical linkage between the construct of general external climate and the construct of the external public.

The unique perspectives of top health communication executives, based in the United States, provided in-depth insights on the COVID-19 pandemic—its nuances, challenges and main influences (e.g. political, racial, etc.). These takeaways and recommendations can be adapted by other organizations and future health communicators in other parts of the world.

This chapter discusses the relevance of business knowledge and management education for the success of communication managers. Invitations into senior management circles or an enhanced cross-department employability are, amongst other factors, valued as indicators of success. From a sample of 751 answers of participants from German-speaking countries we find that business knowledge has not grown in importance during the last decade. To the contrary, the craftsmanship in communication matters has increased in value. Communication executives seem to profit from additional business education on a personal level, but this is no secure path to a better career.

With China's economic development over the last two decades, the spirit and practice of Chinese companies have been radically transformed from administrative functions in a centrally planned economy toward that of market‐oriented enterprises. As Chinese enterprises restructure, the communication function is also undergoing dramatic changes. Discussion of the CCI Corporate Communication Practices and Trends 2005 Study and the CCI Corporate Communication Practices and Trends: A China Benchmark 2006 allow some insight into the state of the art in China, and help us to infer how best to communicate with the Chinese for a successful business relationship.

The observations in this article are based on the CCI Corporate Communication Practices and Trends: A China Benchmark Study 2006, which was underwritten by Prudential Financial, Inc., and conducted in Beijing, China, in December 2005 and July 2006 through a partnership of the Corporate Communication Institute, Beijing Horizon Market Research Group, and Dr Jian “Jay” Wang of Purdue University.

Business communication and relationships are integral to success for Chinese companies and their executives. Five years into its membership of the World Trade Organization, China is the world's fastest growing economy. Its companies are developing global business cultures and corporate communication management functions as they make the transition from government control to market‐driven enterprises. This development is revealing when compared with the corporate communication best practices of multinational corporations in relationships with customers, the media, employees, the community and society, and the government, as well as communication in a crisis. Understanding these contemporary practices can lead to healthy business relationship in China. Like any new venture, communication for Chinese businesses is focused on branding, marketing, and identity building. Their executives are developing global practices for relations with employees, and they are developing media relations practices. Many companies are well on their way to creating socially responsible policies and practices for the environment, energy, and relationships with the community. They are rapidly taking on responsibility, once entirely that of the government, for communication in crises.

Based on the findings of the CCI Corporate Communication Practices and Trends: A China Benchmark Study 2006, the Corporate Communication Institute at Fairleigh Dickinson University will conduct a study of Chinese companies and foreign companies operating in China, using a much larger sample.

This discussion should provide some insight into the state of the art in China, and help us to infer how best to communicate with the Chinese for a successful business relationship.

This paper discusses the findings of a first‐of‐its‐kind study of corporate communication practices and trends among Chinese companies.

Development and expansion of the communication management function in organizations has recently been discussed in relation to the concept of institutionalization. Empirical evidence has illustrated that the role of communication executives and communication managers varies between organizations, and could also be subjected to change within an organization. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize institutionalization of communication management as a process. It aims to develop a theoretical framework that integrates important factors that influence and regulate this process.

A literature review resulted in a number of factors potentially influencing the institutionalization process. These factors were attributed to three main theoretical areas and four different levels of analysis, using institutional theory as a guiding framework. The theoretical areas and analysis levels, were proposed to be mutually interdependent, and were compiled in a theoretical framework, illustrated in a model.

The theoretical framework includes three main areas: organizational structure, social capital, and perceptions of the profession; and four levels of analysis: the societal, the organizational field, the organizational and the individual levels.

This paper contributes to the study of institutionalization of communication management in organizations by providing a theoretical framework, which can be used to further investigate the development of the communication function and the role of communication executives and communication managers in organizations. By conceptualizing institutionalization of communication management as a process, and exploring and defining the important elements that influence and regulate this process, an important theoretical contribution to the field is made.