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The purpose of this paper is to argue that academics should have an intimate understanding of the practical problems facing the corporate communication/public relations profession.

The paper discusses how good theory should guide research towards crucial questions and enlighten the profession.

Academics should build theory that guides research toward crucial questions to enlighten the profession. The research agenda should include macro issues such as the purpose of corporate communication in the new business paradigm; its contribution to organisational effectiveness; scope of delivery; strategy development and alignment; functional integration; return on investment; and the core competencies, processes and structures needed to enhance performance. This will create the knowledge to rectify current criticisms and fulfil top management expectations of the corporate communication function.

The paper highlights how theory on strategic communication management is the key to unlocking the boardroom.

This paper is a second report on a Delphi study, which is part of the European Public Relations Body of Knowledge project (EBOK; see also Vol. 4, No. 4 of this journal). The EBOK project is led by a European project team. The Delphi research project questions the existence of a European authenticity of public relations. The project suggests that the present state of public relations professionalisation in Europe is far from complete. Nevertheless, the study reviews an enormous diversity of “schools of thought” and possible dimensions of a European approach to public relations. The paper also stresses the need for a European research agenda to learn more about the European identity of the subject internationally known as public relations.