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Keywords
Employee attitudes, Management attitudes, Social responsibility, Strategy
Abstract
Four distinct stages can be recognised in a company's operation. These "stages of development" in the life cycle of a company presage a turnaround situation for that company over the course of time. The quality of communicative interaction in these stages determines the effectiveness of the modus operandi of a company, resulting in its market position within any given stage. The internal and external communication integrates a company in the process of utilising its internal resources to the optimum through the recognition and transfer of values from the environment and by strengthening a company through the integration of the new values into its attitude, either consolidating or changing the corporate culture. The value-creating functions of appropriate corporate communication in each of the stages is discussed.
Communication for value and development
The most significant functions of communication are to transmit information[1] and to interpret it. These are important since they have the generative power to create an organisation itself, and to promote new values - and in the future development of an organisation they make it possible to expose the problems and handle the conflicts which an organisation faces. The value attitude is generated in the process of interpreting information obtained from the environment and it manifests itself in incorporating the values identified into the response. In this way, it moulds the characteristic norms of individuals and the capabilities of an organisation to interact.
As a result of interaction from the continuous communication of values between the individual and/or the organisation and the relevant environment - and with the appropriate feedback - the value system of an individual or an organisation will develop. The recognition of values in the longer term is decisive for the future of any organisation (see Antal et al., 1994; Perrott, 1995).
The value system of a society forms the basis of "social expectations" which is defined by the social groups capable of representing their interests. Tensions developing in society consequently will draw the various social groups into conflict situations, the outcome of which depends upon whether an appropriate attitude towards the changes in the values of these groups will transpire. These changes may lead to changes in social...