Bulletin No. 7 | January – February 2002
COMMUNICATIONS
The Power of Internal Communications
Some typical answers if we are asked how successful our internal communication we spontaneously answer ‘good’ ‘fine’ ‘there is nothing wrong’. Is that so?
Do you think you have effective communications in your organization?
You can evaluate the degree of interaction and coordination between your department and others as to increase your organization effectiveness in communication.
- Interaction > receive or send, work, resources, assistance
- Communication > memos, meetings, face to face conversation, scheduled phone, email
- Info from other unit > leads to action, shapes policies, influences understanding, affects productivity
- Relationship > verbalized, written down
PUBLIC RELATIONS
A Struggle to Dominant Coalition
While the subject of public relations is generally understood to be a management discipline, many top executives in various industries choose either not to identify with it at all. Most of them define PR as a subset of marketing or press relations.
Global expansion of industry and commerce has not only brought public relations management into sharp focus but clarifying context and position in relation to other organization or corporate priorities.
A public relations office will only as useful to management as management wants it to be. If management thinks of the public relations operation in a small way, then it will occupy a small place in the scheme of things and its contribution will be small. If management thinks it is important, then it will occupy a prominent place and its contribution will be significant. (Cutlip, et al 1985)
I think you need to draw a distinction between those who have a one dimension contribution to make, such as the public relations person, and those who are dealing with the total management of the organization (Hogg and Doolan, 1999)
The management do not see PR as part of the core activity, they see PR as an added extra which is quite nice to have if you can afford.
In other words, the role support for public relations is more verbal than fiscal.
When one considers its emphasis on participating in top management decision making, as a dominant coalition (Grunig, 1992) one has to exhibit a strong desire to enact such a role and there is No Excuse for No Evaluation, states Jim MacNamara (2001). PR people should be numeric rather than rhetoric. Useful research and evaluation should be carried out.
RECENT RESEARCH
A recent Council of Public Relations Firms survey of 300 firms, found that the top 10 US firms had combined revenues of $ 2,974,000 and an 88% market share in 2000.
Smaller firms had a larger share of the market than in previous years, not only due to an increase in the number of firms reporting but also to the boom in the number of small and mid-size firms. Of the 300 firms, 57 of the smallest firms have more that doubled market share.
41% of the year (2000) total revenue comes from Technology PR, consumer and retail sector accounted for 20% and healthcare PR provided 15% which is projected more in 2001. Business to business was the largest terms of share and growth rate accounted for one-fourth of total revenues and grew by more 55 since 1999.
Corporate communications and consumer marketing made up about 25% of the years revenues. These are the next fasted growing specialty areas each by more than 40%. About 75% of corporate communications is oriented towards the shareholder.
The survey also found out that the total employee base of US PR firms surveyed grew one-fourth over 1999. Productivity also improved, average revenue per employee increase by 7% to $142,000. The average revenue of professional staff came to $229,503.
Responses