Suchergebnisse

This conceptual article examines the idea of polyphonic communication, which gained popularity as a new approach to integrate various voices and communicators in organizational settings. It argues that the metaphor of the organization speaking with many voices has not yet been clearly defined beyond metaphorical language, and the implications of polyphonic approaches for communication management have been rarely discussed – although empirical evidence shows that practitioners support this novel view. A review of the current use of polyphony in communications reveals key suppositions brought forward by authors like Christensen, Cornelissen, Falkheimer, Schultz, Zerfass and others. It also shows that a concise definition and operationalization is still missing. Thus, a broad literature analysis has been conducted to trace the root of polyphony across disciplines such as music, literature, psychology, politics and sociology. This lays the ground for a new, integrative definition of polyphony. Polyphony is understood as the integration of a multiplicity of internal and external voices into the communication activities managed by agents (i.e., communication departments or professionals) on behalf of a corporation or other organizations. Two approaches to managing polyphonic communication are identified and discussed in detail: deliberative-emergent and radical-emergent polyphony. This unveils the need for new and agile ways of communication management.

This research paper offers insights into the status quo of corporate communications and public relations in Asia and analyzes the political, economic and cultural context in which practicioners operate. As a result of the economic upswing and political opening of Asian nations in the last decade, the fields of corporate communications and PR have experienced an expansion and professionalization. However, these developments differ from those in Western countries. Political and cultural particularities have led to specific characteristics of Asian corporate communications/PR like the importance of personal relationships and hierarchy. As Asian markets become increasingly important in terms of production and sales and with growning numvers of international companies establishing parts of their HQs and communication managers is/becomes essential. The paper discusses current topics, challenges and findings of recent empirical studies and outlines fields for future research that are importance to corporate practice. ; Der vorliegende Forschungsbericht gibt einen Überblick über den Staus Quo von Unternehmenskommunikation und Public Relations im asiatischen Raum und geht auf politische, wirtschaftliche und kulturelle Besonderheiten ein. Im Zuge des wirtschaftlichen Aufschwungs und der politischen Öffnung der asiatischen Nationen hat auch das Kommunikationsmanagement eine Expansion und Professionalisierung erfahren, die sich jedoch von den entsprechenden Entwicklungen in westlichen Nationen unterscheidet. Politische sowie kulturelle Einflüsse führen zu spezifischen Ausprägungen in der Kommunikationsarbeit. Kenntnisse hierüber sind für deutsche Kommunikationsmanager essentiell, da Asien nicht nur als Produktions- und Absatzmarkt, sondern auch als Unternehmensstandort immer wichtiger wird. Zahlreiche internationale Firmen haben in den vergangenen Jahren Teile ihrer Unternehmenszentralen sowie ihrer Kommunikationsabteilungen nach Asien verlagert. Der Bericht diskutiert heutige Herausforderungen und Themen und skizziert Ergebnisse aktueller empirischer Studien. Es werden zudem Fragestellungen für künftige Forschung aufgezeigt, die für die Unternehmenspraxis von Interesse sind.

European Communication Monitor is the largest longitudinal research project in public relations practice in the world. Data collected annually from 2007 to 2014 show that practitioners perceive five issues as the most important for their work: linking business strategy and communication, coping with the digital evolution and social web, building and maintaining trust, dealing with the demand for more transparency and active audiences, and dealing with the speed and volume of information flow. Perception of the importance of various issues for the practice of public relations is largely dependent on the gender, geography (division between Northern and Western vs. Southern and Eastern Europe), and sector in which a practitioner works (corporate, government, NGO or agency). While gender and sectorial differences studied in academic public relations literature, divisions in public relations practice between North-Western and South-Eastern Europe are largely ignored.

We still see many communication graduates with little business knowledge and business graduates with little communication knowledge. This schism leads communication scholars to assume that better communication is an end in itself while management see it as a means to an end it must somehow contribute to the bottom line. How can strategic communication and public relations support corporations? What can communicators learn from management disciplines? Moreover, how should universities and business schools deal with the need to integrate research and education from different disciplines to advance the field? This book addresses these challenges and offers some answers. The contributions from primarily European countries were selected from a large number of peer-reviewed contributions for the 2015 congress of the European Public Relations Education and Research Association hosted by BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo. The chapters explore challenges of linking both fields; discuss research focusing on communication, leadership and organisational goals; and present findings from current research in corporate communication.