21st Century Communication Trends

One of our assignments during the semester was to construct a presentation regarding a 21st century organizational trend. Stephen P. Borgatti has identified five key organizational trends that will be driving factors for businesses in the 21st century. 21st century is the century of information. The workplace and trends of communications are changing constantly and more quickly as technology is increasing. We can also view the 21st century as the communication century. An effective communication is very crucial to convey information. In this way, both quality and speed of communication are essential. For business, it is very easy to convey any messages to a particular person or an organization quickly. That is because of the fast development of new technologies such as the internet, E-mail, online chatting, blog and mobile phones.

Stephen P. Borgatti’s five trends are Globalization, Diversity, Flexibility, Flatness, and Networking.
Globalization: - In order for businesses to succeed companies will have to position them for global competition. Globalization in the business environment is the movement beyond domestic and national markets to other markets around the globe. This causes an increase in the interconnectedness of different markets. Globalization has increased not only international trade, but also cultural exchange. As seen personally, the most important industry affected due to globalization is software industry. The competition and the development of industry itself are increasing very rapidly. This has been due to improvements in communications and the services available globally.

Diversity: - Diversity means that companies nowadays have a more heterogeneous workforce, that they need to cope with different styles of clothing, interaction, presentations and the media. I think it is a good thing that companies diversify themselves, as this can lead to different thinking and different experiences within the company.

Flexibility: - Flexibility means that the organization is flexible regarding processes, people, rules, procedures, autonomy etc. Flexibility is needed to stay competitive, to adapt to new situations, and to compete with other organizations. Organizations must be flexible in today's market to adapt to changing situations.

Flat: - A flat organization is one that has fewer management levels. Employees are empowered to make decisions and there are fewer differences in responsibilities across organizational levels. This trend has been a result of the increase of information technology use, globalization, and the need to cut costs. Flat organizations enable discussions, decision making of employees and increasing motivation among employees. I think a flat organization can be more flexible and more competitive than an organization with more hierarchical levels, as communication is necessary to adapt to new situations.

Networks: This is a necessary trend because it provides better information technology, better communication and transportation technology, flexibility and faceless communication.
Networked organizations encourage communications across all levels of the company. They encourage communication regardless of the chain of command. They utilize cross- unit teams and focus on decentralization.

V/S.

I have seen so many changes in the information technology and communications, which helps organizations to utilize the time most effectively in the 21st Century.

Intercultural Communication

Overview of Intercultural Communications
As more and more companies are going “global” it is important to understand and learn about the cultures and norms of the area in which the company is working. Technology has made it possible to have a borderless society, one without boundaries. While this is wonderful in the possibilities it presents, it also creates challenges for corporations who operate and move in a transnational environment. Employees that relocate will find it necessary to not just learn about new cultures, they must live and work by different rules and customs. Companies must help employees and partners to establish a respectful, fair and friendly working relationship. Corporate communicators must also learn and adapt to these foreign, new workplaces. They must aid in the transition from one set of rules and policies to new and different ones.




What it means to me
Over the years I have been fortunate to work with a variety of people from many places across the globe. Personally, I have always found the cultural differences to be fascinating and wonderful. Learning about another person’s daily life and how their culture influences their lives is enlightening. It is also very educational to see how others view the norms and customs of the U.S., Pennsylvania and in particular western PA. Seeing these things through the eyes of someone else can be very revealing. I certainly wish I had spent more time learning about why I do some of the things I do! After studying intercultural communications, I must say that it is far better to learn about other cultures and customs before trying to establish a working relationship. Mistakes should be avoided and ignorance is not an acceptable excuse.

Links to more information
I have included some of the reading I did to research the topic below. I found the “Ten commandments” interesting and also found them to be a good reference guide when confronted with a need to communicate interculturally.






I was surprised to see that technology is considered a barrier to intercultural communication. It was something I had not considered when looking at the topic.

Finally, the last article is a brief but well-written example of what exactly intercultural communication is and what it means in today’s fast paced environment. I hope you enjoy looking at this blog and have a chance to review the readings.


http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of-Intercultural-Communication&id=120247

http://ezinearticles.com/?Barriers-to-Intercultural-Communication&id=384188

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/articles/intercultural-communiction-global-workplace.html

Ch10 Crisis Communication

After I read the chapter,I have learned a theoretical conceptualization of the process of crisis communication and an understanding of crisis communication practices(from the examples).

A crisis is an event that occurs suddenly, often unexpectedly, and demands a quick response. A crisis can be a natural event, such as an earthquake or a hurricane, or it can be man-made, such as an explosion, a scandal, or a conflict. Ultimately, it can threaten the reputation of a top official and an organization. Generally speaking,crisis communication focuses on the advanced level of public relations. Because crises are getting more and more frequent , it is important to understand crisis communication from an academic and a practitioner point-of-view.In my opinion, organizations should develop a particular emphasis to cover the advent of new media technology,the growing development in international public relations, the rise of consumer power, and the need for an audience-orientation to studying and practicing crisis communication.














The key to effective crisis communication is to be prepared before a crisis occurs. If an emergency happens, there is little time to think much less to plan. Without a good crisis plan, managers and organizations can be overwhelmed by events.Some managers believe that the best crisis communication in a crisis is to be forthcoming and honest ,and bring all the key players into a room and get the facts straight.


Real world example:
The other side of crisis communications is sending messages during a crisis. Nowadays,blogs can provide updated information of a crises. Like dedicated crisis sections of a web site, blogs can be updated quickly. Blogs have the added feature of interactivity. Stakeholders can post comments/give feedback and ask questions. RSS can be used to reach employees or other stakeholders . Podcasts and videos also can be released . For example, Jet Blue’s apology video on YouTube is frequently given as an example of an effective use of video in a crisis. The idea is to use multiple channels to release the crisis information.




Reference:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/m46r5v1144404207/
The book provides the overview of crisis communication.

http://www.instituteforpr.org/essential_knowledge/detail/crisis_management_and_communications/
The article provides good information of crisis communication and crisis management .

Chapter #9 Government Relations

Chapter #9 put an interesting light on government and private businesses. According to the text, private business and government have an adversary relationship. Interestingly enough though, is the fact that the government can have a large impact on the success of not only an organizations endeavors but also their lifespan. Some acts that were placed by the government affected not only the daily routines of an organization but also their sales.

For example, the book used the Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act that occurred in 1965. Under this act, all cigarette manufacturers were required to inform the consumer about the hazards of smoking. Along with the push to inform the consumer through this label, came numerous studies that linked cigarettes to heart disease and lung cancer. All of these occurrences negatively affected cigarette manufacturer’s sales, as well as increasing their costs because of the required Surgeon’s warnings. Therefore, the book suggests that it is important to have a role in government relations.

Government Relations
Government relations are a process that needs to start from the top down. It cannot simply be a committee of staff people actively attempting to deal with public affairs. The text states that is it very common for CEO’s to be a part of the government relations group. But organizations do not stop at in-house committees to solidify political influence; it does beyond to having lobbyist groups illustrate the organization’s opinion at Capitol Hill.

Finally, according to the text, organizations also create political action committees as a method of getting involved in the government. Through these committees, organizations can contribute to campaigns that could then lead to increased political awareness of the organization when it requires help.

Student’s Perspective
It is evident through this chapter that the government plays a vital role in the success of organizations, especially those that require agency regulations. By enacting groups such as government relations groups, lobbyists, and political action committees, organizations can have a better understanding of not only the government’s stance but also their potential to achieve a set goal. I learned that the government does not just stop with laws and regulations. In fact, the government whether local or national, can affect an organization for other reasons such as environmental reasons and business ethics.

Nonetheless, it is self-evident that with the increased in information flows via the internet, that an organization stays ahead of the game by implementing one of the techniques suggested in the text. It is a never-ending battle to stay on top of competition. If it requires sending lobbyists to Capitol Hill so the organization’s voice is heard when Congress is discussing legislation that may negatively effect the company, than that is what must be done for the success and future of the company.

Please see the below links for further information regarding government and its role in business.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/29/AR2009032901876.html?hpid=moreheadlines
An article about how even though the economy is going through rough times, the demand for lobbyists has increased because organizations want to receive as much money as possible from the government packages.

http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/united-states-texas/970463-1.html
An article that illustrates that political action campaigns should not only be seen as negative choices. It discusses both the positives and negatives about PACs.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123120451951755975.html
This is another article discussing lobbyists and how competition is high as they try to get a portion of President Obama’s stimulus plan. The article talks about the various types of organizations that sent lobbyists and how there are more organizations with requests than there is money.

CHAPTER 8: Investor Relations

Investor Relations (IR) is a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance to enable the most effective two-way communication between a company, the financial community, and other constituencies, which ultimately contributes to a company's securities achieving fair valuation. Investor Relation is very important part of corporate communications, because in the absence of investor relation department in the company, all the IR management is handled through either Corporate communications department or Public relations department.

Investor Relations Strategy:

The Company's investor relations are not just pertaining to individual investors, but individual investors are the only the part of investors, rather institutional investors are more important.

Not only the investors are importnt but the company has to maintain good relation with intermediaries like Analysts, Media and Rating Agencies.





Objective of Investor Relations:

• Explain the company’s vision, strategy and potential to investors

General Electric has introduced the way to maintain relations with all the investors by explaining the focus, vision and strategies of the company.

• Ensure that expectations of the company’s stock price are appropriate for the earnings, prospects, the industry outlook, and the economy

The CEO of the company is explaining the results of quarter results.

• The stock price should not fluctuate very much
  
  
  

Ch7 Internal Communications

The chapter illustrates how important is Internal Communications .When organizations grow, internal communications become more important. Internal communications is especially high in any change process, crisis, and merger or in any other extraordinary situation. Effective internal communications create an environment where staff members are engaged in the process, offer ideas that increase customer satisfaction, improve work processes as well as individual performance and experience a greater level of job satisfaction.

In organizations, internal communications could help workers to know the organizations' vision, values and culture. It may involve staff members in issues that affect working life and keeps staff informed on important decisions taken by management. When Internal communications were implemented effectively, it can be crucial in a time of crisis, providing employees with not only a strategy to handle a crisis, but the facts surrounding such an event. As arguably some of the most invested individuals in an organization, trusted and valued employees can prove to be excellent partners when addressing a crisis. By maintaining open lines of communication between managers and employees, effective internal communications will enhance stronger relationships throughout all levels of the organization and forge a sense of community.

Excellent internal communications cannot simply be implemented and left alone, and the process must be adaptable for success. While more and more organizations begin to spend more time identifying special interest groups within their own walls, internal communications methods are becoming increasingly diverse to match the varying needs of each organizations' internal staff and stakeholders.

Real-world Example
Nike has built an effective network of internal communication and branding that results in communication as strong to employees as to their customers. With more than 28,000 employees and five subsidiaries worldwide, this Oregon-based company was recognized in FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work for”® in 2006 as #100.

References:

http://www.myxa.com/eventdb/edb_improving.html
http://www.psbpr.com/page/Advance-Engagement.jsp
http://www.morebusiness.com/Internal-Communications-Strategy
http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/work/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1943964

Media Relations

I have to say that I enjoyed reading chapter 6, Media Relations. I have not had any classes that discussed media and the use of it to promote a business. As discussed in the chapter, I believe there is a fine line between good media and negative news. Trying to get the attention of the media when a company is thriving and doing things right is difficult, but the various techniques presented in the book are great ways to build a better relationship that can open the door to attracting the right press to get news out to the public. Good relationships with the media can also circumvent the impact of negative news about an organization. Conducting research, responding to media calls, preparing for interviews and gauging success are all methods of ensuring good media contacts and provide a way to measure the success or failure of a media event. I also felt the Adolph Coors Company example was a perfect way to show how a company can take negative news and the potential disastrous consequences of a media event and turn it around to change their public image. Overall, I felt the chapter was interesting and provided good examples and techniques to use when setting up a media relations department.

Real life examples of corporate press and the impact of media relations abound. Enron, WorldCom and Tyco certainly brought corporate scandal to the forefront.
Publicly traded companies must now work even harder to overcome the negative impact of these far reaching catastrophes. The latest fall of Wall Street and the failure of the large corporations and banks also made frontline news. These are just a few of the negative media that become lodged in the memory of the general public. Some successful media campaigns have saved corporations. McDonalds overcame the negative impact of the documentary “Supersize Me” with a large media and marketing campaign highlighting the addition of healthy menu alternatives. Rather than allow the bad news to destroy them, McDonalds took a proactive approach and turned their public image around. Locally, JWF Industries has allowed their good media relationships to market for them. The local media often showcase the good deeds and the success of the company. JWF uses the media to project a good corporate image and it seems to work. The company has received a number of new, large (multi-million dollar) contracts that will carry the company into the next decade.

This link http://www.usaid.gov/stories/vietnam/ss_vt_busmedia.html, showcases how media and business relationships can be improved. USAID sponsored a conference in Vietnam to help and improve the often contentious relationship between the press and business in Vietnam. It discusses the importance of the role of the media in helping to grow the economy.

I also found the link to Pfizer’s media contact page interesting. The company provided a simple, fill in contact page for journalists to send messages to the company with ease. This link provides a simple tool to improve media relations: http://www.pfizer.com/contact/mail_media.jsp.

Go to http://www.online-pr.com/Holding/Corporate_Media_Relations_FINAL.PDF to read about 5 questions a company should consider before deciding whether or not to talk to the business press. It provides an in-depth guide for CEOs and media relations professionals to follow whenever a press event is suggested.

Chpater 5 Corporate Advertising

Corporate Advertising

This chapter illustrates the multifaceted utility a company can achieve from corporate advertising which includes the following: reinforce identity, enhance reputation, attract investment, influence opinions, increase sales, and recruit and/or retain employees. Yes, corporate advertisements have many applications and the best part is they are a great way of being creative too.

Corporate advertising is defined as a use of media in which a company attempts to enhance the appearance of the entire organization rather than just a product or service that they provide. This media is commonly a paid expense incurred by the company. The book describes the difference between corporate and product advertising by the area of the organization that is responsible for the advertisement: corporate advertisement is created by the corporate communications area while the marketing department takes care of the product advertisement.

Why Advertise an Organization
The various reasons organizations employ corporate advertisements seems like common sense. An organization wants to either illustrate to their constituents who they are, why they the best option, why constituents should invest in them (through stock purchases, donations, etc.), increase current and potential sales, and show employees that they are the best employer. These are all methods of influencing the opinion of their constituents whether their constituents are a supplier, employee, or investor. Creating the proper advertisement is the key.

Student’s Perspective
As a constituent, I find advertisements whether they be for a product or an organization to be quite amusing. It is interesting the marketing method that various organizations choose in order for the ad or commercial to stay with the viewer. Some organizations pick two incomparable ideas so that the viewer finds it preposterous but, nevertheless, talks about it to peers thus increasing the value of the commercial and/or ad. Other times, they pick words that are similar to their organization so that the message sticks. This is evident in the Geico commercial where they utilize a gecko lizard to promote their company. More recently, their advertisement is of a stack of money that has eyeballs and appears to be smiling at the potential customer. It appears that this advertisement follows the old colloquial saying, “Money talks!”

Below is URL to an ad that is adopted from DIGITAL DAY via Internet for a company that I used for my assignment but I think the corporate ad is very effective yet attractive in its message and would like to share it:

digitaldaybreak.files.wordpress.com/2007

This is an example of a corporate branding ad. The company promoting its eBusiness by illustrating their organization as the larger more powerful eBusiness company while the competitor is smaller and timid. Furthermore, the competitor looks to be like a group of puppies while the DIGITAL DAY dog is a mature, knowledgeable dog. I think this is a great ad. It is funny but gets the thought across to everyone who is looking for eBusiness services. It illustrates the attempts to reinforce and enhance identity as the best company in eBusiness.

External Resources
Please refer to the below resources for more information and example of advertisements that can enhance the discussion in Chapter 5 about corporate advertisements. Please feel free to scan them or provide articles of your own.

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-127798_ITM
This is an article discussing the shift from product to corporate advertisement and how it has benefited American organizations. The article suggests that this is in part due to the constituents requirements to make social responsibility and goodwill transparent.

http://www.jiad.org/article32
A study was conducted to evaluate the use of the website as a method for corporate communications and the pros and cons associated with it. It discusses how a website can reach not only a mass amount of people but also a variety of constituents through one medium.

http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/706116-1.html
This article helps to put into perspective the amount of money now spent on corporate advertisements and the purposes of it. It also focuses on brand management and how it affects consumer knowledge.

Ch4 Identity,Image,and Reputation

Every organization should have its own corporate identity and image.This will include not only its name and logo but also how the organization appears in public- whether though its stationery, uniforms,vehicles, shape and color of buildings, or even the way its website and emails appear. Even advertisements in the press and on television will be instantly recognizable if the organization has a strong corporate identity.

The name is an important part of the corporate identity and may be crucial to the organization's success and become a valuable asset bringing with it an image,reputation and customers. One of UK's booksellers and stationers, WH Smith, reckon that the real strength of their organization is their corporate identity and in particular, their name, which is recognized throughout the UK and promotes loyalty and a feeling of trust.

Organizations with many parts should present a single unique image to the world by having all their parts associated with a strong, central recognizable corporate identity. Even legally separate organizations may work under a common corporate identity ‘umbrella’ so that they can be recognized as one.

However, the individual units of a large group may be concerned that they become invisible and be forgotten, or starved of funds.Consequently, they may strive to be noticed within the overall structure and develop their own unique subset of the overall corporate identity.

A strong corporate identity can be more valuable to an organization than all its other assets put together!

References:
http://onthecommons.org/content.php?id=671
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_identity
http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/77036459.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reputation_management

Communication Thoery

Communication can be perceived as a two-way process in which there is an exchange and progression of thoughts, feelings or ideas towards a mutually accepted goal or direction. Communication is a process whereby information is encoded and imparted by a sender to a receiver via a channel/medium. The receiver then decodes the message and gives the sender a feedback. Communication requires that all parties have an area of communicative commonality. There are auditory means, such as speaking, singing and sometimes tone of voice, and nonverbal, physical means, such as body language, sign language, paralanguage, touch, eye contact, by using writing. Communication is the production and exchange of information and meaning by use of signs and symbols. It involves encoding and sending messages, receiving and decoding them, and synthesizing information and meaning. Communication permeates all levels of human experience and it is central to understanding human behavior and to nearly all public health efforts aimed at fostering health behavior change among individuals, populations, organizations, communities, and societies. 

Communication theories are given by model of so many theorists. The Shannon-Weaver model measures the efficiency and flexibility of a communication system. It is sometimes referred to as the S-M-C-R model (Sender-Message-Channel-Receiver).

• Sender (or Encoder): An information source; a person or device that originates a message.
  
• Receiver (or Decoder): The audience for a message.
  
• Message: The actual information or signal sent from a sender to a receiver.
  
• Medium (or Channel): The method used to transmit a message (e.g., print, speech, telephone, smoke signals, etc.).
  
• Noise: Technical or semantic obstacles; that is, anything that interferes with the clear transmission of a message (e.g., low visibility, poor ink quality, static electricity).
  
• Interpretation: All operations that a receiver performs in order to decode and understand a message.
  
• Feedback: Information about a message that a receiver sends back to the sender; the receiver's reaction or response to the sender.
  

These are several viewpoints to examine communication and communication theories:     

• Mechanistic: This view considers communication to be a perfect transaction of a message from the sender to the receiver.
•  Psychological: This view considers communication as the act of sending a message to a receiver, and the feelings and thoughts of the receiver upon interpreting the message.
  
• Social Constructionist: This view considers communication to be the product of the interacting, sharing and creating meaning.
  
• Systemic: This view considers communication to be the new messages created via “through-put”, or what happens as the message is being interpreted and re-interpreted as it travels through people.
  
• Critical: This view considers communication as a source of power and oppression of individuals and social groups.
  

   Communication is extremely important in today's world. A person lives in a society, as being social animal; it is necessity for the person to communicate. No one can live without communication. Communication theories are used by each and every person in the regular life. The theories slightly differ from model to model and time to time, but the basic idea of communication is to deliver a message from one person to another either verbally or non-verbally. 

References:

http://collaboratory.nunet.net/dsimpson/comtheory.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/communication-theory-1?cat=technology

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_theory#Communication_Theory_Framework

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication

http://www.southalabama.edu/htdocs/oll/chikatla/iddtheorywb/communication/from%20Suhana/diagramaticrepresentation.gif

http://www.cicsworld.org/blogs/vkrishnaswam/communication%201%20copy.jpg

Chapter 2: Communicating Strategically

Effective Communication Strategies
This chapter illustrated the proper method in developing corporate communication strategies. The author states that there are three characteristics in developing an effective organization strategy: set objectives, define resources to be utilized, and diagnose the organization’s reputation. While each of these areas have a caveat, the environment in which the organization exists, identifying these criteria will most definitely result in a more effective communication strategy.

Analyzing Constituencies
The book also discusses, in this chapter, the necessity of locating both primary and secondary constituents of a corporation in order to be able to use the proper communication medium. Primary and secondary constituents range from employees of the organization all the way down to media and government bodies. By formalizing organizational constituents, an organization is able to determine their image in the eyes of their constituents and, moreover, the constituents prior knowledge of the issues to be communicated. An important part about delivering a message is to make sure not to insult a constituent’s intelligence but also refrain from utilizing verbiage that they are unaware of as well.

Communication Channels
There is various communication channels that exist that will help deliver messages in a timely fashion but also in an appropriate manner as well. From the old channel of speaking all the way to the novel concept of blogs, communication channels must permit constituency response in order for the communication to be effective. The corporation must determine the message; find the resources and their reputation. Then the messages must be composed in a timely, orderly fashion communicated to their constituents, permit the constituent to respond.

Student’s Comments
The applicability of this chapter is what makes it so valuable. Although this is located in a corporate communications textbook, the theory and practices in this book can be applied to our normal lives. For example, when we communicate with our peers, we can often use abbreviated words and colloquial terms such as “lol” or “jk,” but when we are talking to our parents or elders we must communicate differently otherwise our message will not be effective.

Furthermore, when I communicate in my current job, I first consider the reputation I have with the person I am communicating with. Are they an upper level employee? Should they be referred to by first name? If I am communicating to my boss, we are on a first name basis and the message can be short and concise without worrying about offending him, where as, if I am communicating to another director or senior leader, it is often also a first name basis but the entire scope of the email is altered to reflect a more personal length email discussing all of the particulars of the message. Here we can see how my constituents play a major role in the amount of time and type of message that is created.

External Resources
Below are a few hyperlinks to other articles that further the discussion found in Chapter 2. One article discusses constituents in small and mid-sized organizations while the other looks more generally at the organizational communication strategy. Please feel free to scan them or provide articles of your own.
http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/databases/page7129.cfm
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/organizational-communication.html

Changing Environment for Business

I really enjoyed reading this chapter in the book, Corporate Communication. I truly expected the book to be rather dull and was pleasantly surprised with this opening chapter. I often wonder how business managers and CEOs keep pace with the many changes that affect businesses today. The use of the many examples throughout the reading was great. It really brought home the message about how different companies responded to various changes. I have included a link to an article about changes in business being either "macro or micro" environmental changes. http://ezinearticles.com/?Changing-Phase-of-Business&id=1756105 In this article it uses the example of the addition of low cost airlines to the industry and the way some airlines responded to this major change.