Theory on strategic communication management is the key to unlocking the boardroom

Headnote

Abstract

Purpose - 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.

Design/methodology/approach - The paper discusses how good theory should guide research towards crucial questions and enlighten the profession.

Findings - 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.

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

Keywords Public relations, Corporate communications, Strategic management Research

Paper type Research paper

Introduction

A central mission of scholars and educators is to conduct research that contributes knowledge to a scientific discipline on the one hand, and to apply that knowledge to the practice of the discipline on the other hand (Van de Ven, 1989). Based on an intimate understanding of the practical problems facing the profession, good theory should guide research toward crucial questions and enlighten the profession. Theories should be constructed in order to do something useful with it, i.e. to facilitate practice (Corman et al., 1995). Good theory should be judged by its usefulness rather than by validation (as is the custom). There is nothing as practical as a good theory (Weick, 1989).

Problems in corporate communication practice

A domain such as corporate communication/public relations is held together more by agreement on the problems that theories used in the domain should solve than by agreement on the theories themselves (Grunig, 1989).

Prominent practitioners are increasingly drawing attention to major problems experienced in practice. The previous Chair of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, Muzi Falconi (2004) regards it as a major challenge for practitioners to be:

. . . more accountable for their day to day work, managing with competent, sober and accurate care, the increasingly relevant resources assigned to them.

If corporate...