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Article
Publication date: 30 September 2014

Beyond culture: Further dimensions of difference in corporate communication operating environments in South East Asia

Graeme William Domm

The purpose of this paper is to explore the practices and outlooks of public relations (PR) and corporate communication practitioners in six countries of South East Asia…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the practices and outlooks of public relations (PR) and corporate communication practitioners in six countries of South East Asia, through the eyes of practitioners themselves.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on the findings of a doctoral research project comprising an online questionnaire sent to 100 active PR and corporate communication practitioners in six countries of South East Asia, attracting 30 responses; and a subsequent series of 14 semi-structured, in-depth face-to-face interviews. While taking some account of a range of theories in formulating questions, the research is primarily inductive in nature, seeking to reveal self-perceptions of the working worlds, worldviews, values and concerns of practitioners themselves.

Findings

The project confirms, in the South East Asian context, hypotheses previously advanced by researchers including Sriramesh (2004), Sriramesh and Vercic (2001), Bardhan (2011) and others which assert that distinctive worldviews and local and regional cultures can be significant considerations in understanding the ways that communication strategies are developed and applied in different geographical locations. Going further, the research confirms that local practitioners see other environmental variables including differences in infrastructure, the composition of local languages and a range of other factors which go beyond “attitudes” and “values” as having important impacts as well, and therefore being worthy of more detailed attention by international communication planners and scholars.

Research limitations/implications

The research has implications for practitioners seeking to develop effective communication strategies in South East Asian environments. For scholars, the research has implications for better understanding of the significance of a range of environmental variables which may impact the effectiveness of professional practice in the region but which as yet may not be sufficiently recognised by existing theory and case studies. The project has a small sample size, with respondents drawn primarily from the membership of two English-speaking international professional associations. All research was also conducted in English. It may therefore not be fully representative of all practitioners across the region.

Practical implications

The findings draw attention to ways that communication strategies might be more successfully developed and applied in particular Association of South East Asian Nations countries, and how professional practice in this region can help to better inform the development of more inclusive, comprehensive and critical “international” PR theory, curriculum and pedagogy.

Social implications

The research has social implications in regard to promoting better understanding of the outlooks and influences upon a group of professional people who arguably enjoy disproportionate influence upon the communities and societies in which they operate, by virtue of the work they undertake to explain, persuade and build relationships on behalf of other influential parties.

Originality/value

This is the first research project providing extensive first-hand simultaneous insights into the working worlds and personal outlooks of a broad cross-section of corporate communication practitioners across a number of major countries of South East Asia, embracing a comprehensive range of discussion topics.

Details

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 19 no. 4
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-04-2014-0022
ISSN: 1356-3289

Keywords

  • Cross-cultural management
  • Globalization
  • Communication processes
  • Communication management
  • Corporate communications
  • Communications technologies

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Book part
Publication date: 26 August 2016

Public Relations: Economics vs. Communication Science – Effects of Education on the Practice in Austrian Non-Profit Organisations

Astrid Spatzier

Little is known about the effects of education on the practice of PR. This chapter aims at demonstrating the differences between economics-educated practitioners and…

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Abstract

Little is known about the effects of education on the practice of PR. This chapter aims at demonstrating the differences between economics-educated practitioners and communication-educated practitioners. Based on a quantitative survey among 790 practitioners working in non-profits in Austria, the research presented here sheds light on the influences of education on thinking and acting by practitioners in communication practice. Although public relations are not a protected profession, education has become an on-going topic in public relations literature and practice. Furthermore, education for public relations increasingly takes place in various environments. Courses available range from one-day seminars at community colleges to PR-specific studies. Furthermore, public relations are not only a topic in communications-related studies, but also in economics and humanities. The results highlight the differences in practice in relation to the education.

Details

The Management Game of Communication
Type: Book
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S2398-391420160000001002
ISBN: 978-1-78635-716-8

Keywords

  • PR education
  • PR practice
  • non-profit organisations
  • educational effects

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Book part
Publication date: 6 August 2018

The Impact of Health Practitioners’ Use of Communication Technologies on Temporal Capital and Autonomy

Cynthia Wang

Purpose: This chapter examines how healthcare technologies (electronic medical records, personal cell phones, and pagers) help manage patient care work to accelerate…

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Abstract

Purpose: This chapter examines how healthcare technologies (electronic medical records, personal cell phones, and pagers) help manage patient care work to accelerate processes of communication and blur boundaries between work time and non-work time, thereby revealing dynamics of power as indicated through temporal capital, or the amount of time under an individual’s control.

Method: The data were collected from 35 in-depth semistructured interviews of health practitioners, which included 26 physicians, 7 nurses, and 2 administrators.

Findings: Communication technologies fulfill promises of temporal autonomy and efficiency, but not without cost, particularly as it intersects with organizational/institutional power structures and non-work-related social factors such as pre-existing technological literacy and proficiency. The blurring of work and non-work time gives practitioners perceived higher quality of life while also increasing temporal flexibility and autonomy. The higher up one is in the relevant hierarchy, the more control one has over one’s own time, resulting in higher levels of temporal capital. The power hierarchies serve to complicate the potential recuperation of temporal capital by communication technologies.

Implications: This study uses a critical cultural perspective that takes into consideration structures of institutional power hierarches impact temporal organization through the use of communication technologies by health practitioners. Practitioner-facing research is particularly crucial given the high rates of burnout within the profession and concerns around the well-being of health practitioners, and autonomy and control over one’s time is a factor in work and life satisfaction.

Details

eHealth: Current Evidence, Promises, Perils and Future Directions
Type: Book
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S2050-206020180000015009
ISBN: 978-1-78754-322-5

Keywords

  • Information and communication technologies
  • ICT
  • health practitioners
  • temporal autonomy
  • mobile technologies
  • healthcare profession
  • work–life balance

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Article
Publication date: 6 August 2018

Applying Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior to predict practitioners’ intentions to measure and evaluate communication outcomes

Alexander Buhmann and Peggy Simcic Brønn

The purpose of this paper is to understand factors that may stimulate or inhibit communication practitioners when it comes to measurement and evaluation (M&E) of…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand factors that may stimulate or inhibit communication practitioners when it comes to measurement and evaluation (M&E) of communication initiatives at the outcome level (i.e. impact on stakeholder’s attitudes and behavior or business results).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on Ajzen’s (1985) theory of planned behavior (TPB), the authors develop and test a new model to analyze antecedents to M&E behavior (attitude, perceived norms, and behavioral control) and assess how they impact practitioners’ intentions to perform outcome M&E. The model is tested in a standardized online survey (n=371).

Findings

Findings show that the TPB model explains a large amount of the variance in practitioners’ intentions to engage in M&E at the outcome level. The model demonstrates that attitude toward outcome M&E and perceived behavioral control, particularly lack of skills, are the two strongest drivers influencing practitioners’ intentions to measure and evaluate outcomes of their communication initiatives. Perceived norms to perform outcome M&E has only a very weak effect on intentions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings highlight the potential of education when it comes to developing M&E capabilities in the practice. They also suggest that the role of normative pressure to perform outcome M&E needs to be better understood in terms of the dynamics of standardization specifically regarding design, implementation, and monitoring of M&E standards.

Originality/value

The study is the first to go beyond the common descriptive focus in studying M&E practices and is the first application of the TPB to understand the factors that drive communication practitioners’ intentions to perform M&E.

Details

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 23 no. 3
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-11-2017-0107
ISSN: 1356-3289

Keywords

  • Attitude
  • Measurement and evaluation
  • Theory of planned behaviour
  • Behavioural control
  • Communication outcomes
  • Perceived norms

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Article
Publication date: 2 February 2015

Mapping communication management competencies for European practitioners: ECOPSI an EU study

Ralph Tench and Angeles Moreno

The principle focus of the European Communication Professional Skills and Innovation (ECOPSI) Research project reported in this paper is to develop understanding of the…

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Abstract

Purpose

The principle focus of the European Communication Professional Skills and Innovation (ECOPSI) Research project reported in this paper is to develop understanding of the competences held by senior communication practitioners and the contributing knowledge, skills and personal attributes that are relevant to their role. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on 24 months of desk and empirical work by the research team in three core phases: the benchmarking report based on literature reviews in each country region; quantitative data collection from communication practitioners in 42 countries across Europe; qualitative data from 53 interviews across four senior practitioner roles in the six regions of the study’s focus.

Findings

The findings highlight the competencies needed by senior practitioners through the creation of the Communication Role Matrix with critical evaluation of the current contemporary issues faced by the sector.

Research limitations/implications

The authors acknowledge a limitation of the study regarding the selection of the four studied professional roles. ECOPSI has proven a common understanding of theses four studied roles in Europe, but further research on the competencies of diverse roles performed in the profession would need to be explored for a more comprehensive appreciation of the full spectrum of public relations and strategic communication practice.

Practical implications

The paper draws together findings from across Europe and presents a practical interpretation of the project in the form of an online self-diagnostic tool based on an online portal for practitioners to self-complete.

Social implications

The programme improves the professionalism of practitioners across Europe and their ability to work across borders in a European and wider international community of communication practitioners.

Originality/value

This study benchmarks the educational and practice landscape in six key regions of Europe to demonstrate that the elements focusing on skills, knowledge and personal attributes of European communication professionals can be synthesised using competences as the foundational element. The originality is also reflected in the self-diagnostic tool for the project based on an online portal.

Details

Journal of Communication Management, vol. 19 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-11-2013-0078
ISSN: 1363-254X

Keywords

  • Competences
  • Communications
  • Skills
  • Personal attributes
  • Public relations
  • Knowledge

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Article
Publication date: 31 December 2004

Rediscovering what PR managers do: Rethinking the measurement of managerial behaviour in the public relations context

Barbara DeSanto and Danny Moss

This paper explores the nature of managerial work in the public relations context drawing comparisons with the way mainstream management research has defined the main…

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Abstract

This paper explores the nature of managerial work in the public relations context drawing comparisons with the way mainstream management research has defined the main elements and processes of management within organisations. The paper begins with a critical review of the public relations and management literatures relating to managerial work and behaviour, highlighting the distinctively different approaches taken by public relations and management scholars in defining the nature of managerial work and behaviour. The paper goes on to present the findings of a qualitative investigation into the role and work patterns of practitioners occupying senior positions in cross sections of both US and UK organisations. The study identifies a number of common elements in pattern of “managerial” work performed by both UK and US‐based practitioners. The study also reveals the extent to which senior practitioners participate as members of the dominant coalition within their organisations and contribute to strategic decision making. The paper concludes by reflecting on the adequacy of existing definitions and understanding of the managerial dimension of the role played by practitioners within organisations.

Details

Journal of Communication Management, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/13632540510621371
ISSN: 1363-254X

Keywords

  • Management
  • Roles
  • Public relations

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Book part
Publication date: 26 August 2016

Change Communication: Emerging Perspectives for Organisations and Practitioners

Ivana Crestani

This chapter outlines current and emerging approaches in change communication from both scholarly and practice perspectives, and what this means for organisations and…

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Abstract

This chapter outlines current and emerging approaches in change communication from both scholarly and practice perspectives, and what this means for organisations and practitioners, including practical implications for education. A literature review is conducted using the Kemmis and McTaggart framework for studying practice based on individual-social, objective-subjective dichotomies leading to an integrated reflexive-dialectical approach. Five roles are suggested for the practitioner in leading and influencing change, namely that of a Communication Architect, a Story-enabler, an Empathiser, an Engager and a Community Builder. These roles go beyond the traditional informative role, to practitioners co-constructing communication with stakeholders during change. With new ways of thinking about change management, there is the possibility for new methods of educating practitioners beyond the traditional qualification or professional certification. These would require greater collaboration between scholars and practitioners in creating vehicles for continuous learning.

Details

The Management Game of Communication
Type: Book
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/S2398-391420160000001012
ISBN: 978-1-78635-716-8

Keywords

  • Change management
  • change communication
  • change practitioner
  • organisational change

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Article
Publication date: 28 January 2014

The role and status of communication practice in the USA and Europe

Jerry Swerling, Kjerstin Thorson and Ansgar Zerfass

The purpose of this paper is to explore trends in practitioners’ perceptions of their role within organizations as well as their influence among senior management both in…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore trends in practitioners’ perceptions of their role within organizations as well as their influence among senior management both in the USA and Europe. It analyses practitioners’ beliefs about the status of their work as well as their understandings of the ways the new media environment is shifting their everyday practice.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on data from two surveys of public relations (PR) practitioners, one in the USA and the other in Europe. These data enable comparisons between communication practice in the two geographic areas. The paper focusses the analysis on senior-level practitioners who reported working within the communication department of an organization.

Findings

The findings of this study suggest that practitioners in both regions are optimistic about the influence of communications within their broader organizations. However, European practitioners are more likely to adopt a “central but flexible” organizational strategy for managing the need to speak in many voices across media and publics. American respondents report much greater use of social media tools than do their European counterparts. These findings are discussed as they relate to the diverse circumstances characterizing the communication practice in each region.

Originality/value

This paper provides a rare comparative look at attitudes and practices within PR and communications in two distinct geographic areas.

Details

Journal of Communication Management, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-04-2013-0037
ISSN: 1363-254X

Keywords

  • Public relations
  • Comparative research
  • Institutionalization
  • New media

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Article
Publication date: 1 October 2006

Corporate crisis planning: tensions, issues, and contradictions

Augustine Pang, Fritz Cropp and Glen T. Cameron

Crisis planning, which symbolizes an organization's crisis preparedness and often conceptualized at the corporate headquarters, is increasingly decentralized to regional…

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Abstract

Purpose

Crisis planning, which symbolizes an organization's crisis preparedness and often conceptualized at the corporate headquarters, is increasingly decentralized to regional centers of global companies. These centers, in turn, synchronize their crisis master plans with its national units for expeditious management of localized crises. The purpose of this paper is to capture the decision‐making processes that practitioners at a regional center faced as they nurtured their master plan from conception to implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative method is used. This is a case study of a Fortune 500 company with plants in every continent. The company has four regional centers, and the center under study oversees more than 20 national units or countries.

Findings

This study found a deep divide in attitude, expectation, and style between what practitioners and the dominant coalition regarded as necessary and sufficient measures in crisis planning.

Research limitations/implications

Restricted access to more interviewees.

Practical implications

Studies like this, grounded in the practitioner's world, add rich layers of context to understanding how theory and practice can integrate. Given that in this study, corporate communications has been found to be regarded as an auxiliary, rather than ancillary, function in this study, this paper offers practical tips on what practitioners can do to transform organizational perception.

Originality/value

Such studies are rare because of the lack of accessibility to data. Practitioners are hesitant to grant access because of the highly sensitive nature of this topic, for fear of reprisals from their organizations, and an inadvertent revelation of organizational privacy and secrets.

Details

Journal of Communication Management, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/13632540610714818
ISSN: 1363-254X

Keywords

  • Corporate strategy
  • Communication management
  • Decentralized control
  • Contingency planning

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Article
Publication date: 3 July 2020

Towards a framework for public relations practice in the financial services sector of Ghana

Albert Anani-Bossman and Takalani Eric Mudzanani

The goal of the study is to develop an integrated, non-sequential framework for excellent public relations management for the financial services sector in Ghana. The study…

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Abstract

Purpose

The goal of the study is to develop an integrated, non-sequential framework for excellent public relations management for the financial services sector in Ghana. The study empirically analyzes how PR is conceptualized and practiced in relation to the purpose (models) and roles (activities).

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted the qualitative in-depth interview approach to gauge the views of 22 PR practitioners.

Findings

Practitioners of most communication departments have no PR background, and this influenced their conceptualization of PR. Essentially, PR in Ghana is shaped, to a large extent, by a western ideology. PR is however influenced greatly by strong interpersonal relationships, which is premised largely on the culture of the country. What is obvious is that PR in the financial services sector is not fully strategic. Although practitioners occupy managerial roles, they are limited in their ability to make impact due a lack of understanding by management about the purpose of PR and budgetary constraints.

Research limitations/implications

The use of a qualitative approach means the result cannot be generalized. As the study focussed on one sector, it will be essential to look at other sectors using a generalized sample.

Originality/value

The study developed an integrative non-sequential PR framework based on literature and empirical findings. The framework differs in certain aspects from some of the recommendations made by literature for an excellent PR practice.

Details

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-01-2020-0021
ISSN: 1356-3289

Keywords

  • Framework
  • Relationship management
  • Strategic communication
  • Public relations
  • Financial services sector

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