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This commentary serves as a sequel to and an update of the author's earlier article "Corporate Communication as a Discipline: Toward a Definition." In addition to presenting new information about the field of corporate communication, the author discusses the particular effect that technology has had on the field as both a function in business and a discipline within the academy. He focuses specifically on the challenges and opportunities that new technologies have brought to the field and explores possibilities for teaching and research.
Keywords: corporate communication; technology; blogs; integration; new communication chanels
Ten years ago, when Management Communication Quarterly asked me to write an article defining corporate communication as a discipline (Argenti, 1996), the field was relatively new to business schools and was transitioning in the business world from the media-oriented field of public relations into corporate communication, a more integrated, organizational function focusing on multiple constituencies. Now corporate communication is being reformulated again by unprecedented technological change. When that article, "Corporate Communication as a Discipline: Toward a Definition," was published in 1996, fewer than 15% of Americans had Internet access; today, more than 60% have Internet access (Fox, Anderson, & Ramie, 2005). Worldwide, people use the Internet to communicate via e-mail; read the news; access medical, government, and financial information; participate in online auctions; buy and sell stocks; and make travel reservations. Users also communicate with corporations directly and indirectly through a growing list of Web sites, online chat rooms, and blogs. This commentary focuses on the changes, challenges, and opportunities that technology has brought to corporate communication and explores possibilities for teaching and research.
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
Within companies, the term corporate communication is used to describe four distinct aspects of communication (Argenti & Forman, 2002): It may describe a function, such as marketing or operations; a channel of communication; a communication process; or an attitude or set of beliefs. A company's corporate communication function is responsible for communication with both internal and external constituencies; it involves a number of subfunctions, such as media relations, investor relations, internal or employee communications, government relations or public affairs, community relations, corporate philanthropy, corporate reputation, and marketing communications. Corporate communication channels include not only printed materials but also information posted on a company's Web sites...