Stephen Waddington’s Post

Eureka moments are few and far between in management research, but occasionally, a research paper that is prescient of the arguments you’ve been developing for months turns up among your feeds. A Swedish study published in 2017 identifies the mismatch in large organisations between the role of the corporate communications function and internal perception. While managers and co-workers acknowledge the importance of corporate communications, they view it primarily as a tactical function focused on channels and messaging. This contrasts with how communications practitioners view their role. I’ve posted a longer post and link to the paper published in Public Relations Review on my research blog, but here’s a summary. To gain a greater level of organisational influence, communications practitioners need to demonstrate their value in terms that management and co-workers from other areas of the business understand. This means addressing issues such as the definition of practice and the role, competency and skills, and effectiveness and measurement in terms aligned with the organisation’s business objectives. It’s a highly original research project by a team at Lund University that sought the views of managers, co-workers and corporate communications practitioners. Research in this area typically explores the perspective of practitioners and occasionally managers. It rarely seeks the opinions of co-workers in other areas of an organisation. Managers and co-workers said that while they perceive corporate communications as an important operational function within an organisation, the role of communications practitioners and the function itself needs to be formally defined. Corporate communications practitioners are more likely to view themselves as having a strategic role, although many lack clarity. Managers and co-workers view corporate communications as a tactical activity focused on channels and messaging. Corporate communications is used as a broad descriptive term in Northern and Western Europe for tasks related to public relations, including external and internal communications. The study's headline delivers a stark warning for practice. It suggests that if communications practitioners fail to elevate their role and value within an organisation, strategic communication may become 'too important to be left to communication professionals’. The study surveyed more than 6,000 managers, co-workers and corporate communications practitioners across 11 organisations. The response rate was 29%. The Lund University research team included Jesper Falkheimer, Mats Heide, Howard Nothhaft, Sara von Platen, Charlotte Simonsson and Rickard Andersson. Falkheimer and Heide are co-authors of 'Strategic Communication: An Introduction to Theory and Global Practice'. The book provides an overview of the core concepts, theories, and methods in strategic communication, using examples from research and experiences from practice.

We’ve started a new research project for NewsWhip, exploring how corporate communications and public relations teams incorporate new tools and are adapting processes and workflow to improve management planning and decision-making. The Page Society has identified this as one of the most significant operational issues for corporate communications teams in 2024. It raises questions about the function’s effectiveness, efficiency and management contribution. If you’re a senior corporate communications leader working in a large international company in Europe, UK or US, we’d welcome the opportunity to interview you. Please get in touch with me via direct message. All interviews are conducted confidentiality. No source will be quoted directly. Participants will have the opportunity to see the results firsthand and join an in-person discussion. This is our third report for NewsWhip, working with Paul Quigley and Kevin Twomey. Previous reports have explored how senior corporate communications leaders support management with planning and decision-making and issues related to societal polarization. I’m grateful to NewsWhip for funding this work, which aligns with my PhD research on the contribution that corporate communications and public relations makes to management. Thank you 🙏

Dr. W. Timothy Coombs is a public relations practitioner-turned-academic best known for developing Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT). The theory has influenced crisis management planning and response over the past decade and inspired a generation of researchers to test and build on the work empirically. Coombs joined Rod Cartwright for a Chartered Institute of Public Relations Crisis Communications network breakfast webinar last week, sharing insights into his groundbreaking work. SCCT categorises crisis events into three areas: victim, accidental and preventable. Coombs explained how SCCT connects these crisis types with appropriate response strategies, ensuring targeted and effective communication and engagement. Coombs developed SCCT by studying how organisations responded to crisis events and applied attribution theory from social psychology to build a planning and decision-making framework. While SCCT has been criticised for oversimplifying crisis events, it represents a significant advancement over previous theoretical approaches. Earlier frameworks often relied on rigid, linear command-and-control structures, whereas SCCT is a more nuanced and adaptable model. Coombs noted the increasing interconnectedness of risk leading to the so-called state of permacrisis, citing examples such as the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions and climate change. He said that most crises result from poor organisational culture. They are internally driven, often stemming from lapses in ethics, compliance or safety practices. Both Cartwright and Coombs highlighted the importance of empathy in crisis response. Traditionally, organisations have prioritised reputation management over addressing the needs of people and communities affected by a crisis. Coombs stressed that effective crisis communication goes beyond operational responses, requiring genuine understanding and compassion for those affected. He argued that empathy should guide both the tone and substance of communication. Coombs said that crisis communication is about more than managing a single event. It's about maintaining a strategic focus and building lasting relationships with stakeholders. Thanks to the CIPR Crisis Communications network, Timothy Coombs and Rod Cartwright for an excellent event and conversation.

There's lots of wisdom and goodness in the bumper Wadds Inc. newsletter this week, including... ✅ An overview from the PRmoment AI in PR event, that described how practice is moving from experimentation to implementation ✅ Reports by Sarah Waddington CBE CDir ChartPR from the Institute of Directors (IoD) AGM and The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland conference ✅ A look forward to the upcoming Chartered Institute of Public Relations AGM on Wednesday, where the focus is expected to be on the health of the industry ✅ The latest Jobs in PR hiring data for the largest agencies in the UK, in which we call the bottom of the market ✅ A review of the General Election, media perspectives and look ahead to the agenda of the new Government Sign-up here: https://lnkd.in/e6s6tu86