The Institute for Public Relations’ Commission on Organizational Communication recently created a research program that will include qualitative and quantitative study to explore best practices in global employee communication. This document is the first element of the program, focusing on qualitative research in the form of in-depth interviews conducted by KRC Research. It will provide a platform for quantitative research in the form of a survey to test the findings on a broader scale. The results will be reported at the IPR Trustees Research Symposium on Nov. 21 in New York City.
Represented in the interviews are companies such as Cargill, Chevron, FedEx, GE, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, Navistar, Petrobras and Toyota. A few recurring concepts reflected include the idea of taking a strategic role with the corporate leadership, utilizing the power of direct supervisors as communicators, and relentlessly reinforcing message platforms and the path forward through a dedicated content strategy.
Organisations seem to overlook this cardinal aspect of management -employee communications especially where the role of PR is conducted by HR
It’s extraordinary that so many companies are blind to the importance of internal communication. Or they think it is about telling more than listening. Like Ruth I look forward to reading more.
I would love to read new developments in the area of employee communications.