Peggy Simcic Brønn1 Informasjon og Samfunnskontakt Employee/Internal Relations Community Relations...

Peggy Simcic Brønn 1

Informasjon og Samfunnskontakt

Employee/Internal Relations

Community RelationsGovernment Relations


Internal Communications

“Employee morale is affected by how much we know about the company’s plans.”

98 percent of employees agree.


Four Eras of Employee Communication

Era of entertaining employees - 1940s

Era of informing employees - 1950s

Era of persuasion - 1960sEra of 2-way symmetric

communication - 1990s


Trends of Internal Communications

Few companies develop a strategy for announcing change

Failure in over 80 percent of cases involving announced change

Biggest symptom of failure - lots of inaccurate, negative rumors

Second symptom - learning about change from press


Trends of Internal Communications

Employees are insulted when a less ‘rich’ channel is used

Management does not adapt message to different groups

Employees react negatively to use of buzzwords

Great differences between literal meaning, intention and effect of overly positive messages


Time Spent by PR Department on:

35%

10%

25%

30%

Media

Government

Investors

Employees


Companies not doing Enough

Employees don’t believe what management says.

Are not sufficiently informed.Change not communicated well.Management does a bad job of

explaining reasons behind decisions.Communication is not timely.


Major Barriers

Employees do not ‘buy in’ to changeNo senior management championLack of adequate skills or experience

to implementTurf battlesLack of congruent reward systemInability or unwillingness


Employees Want Top Management to:

Inform them ahead of timeCare about how they really feelGive their supervisors enough

authority to get job doneMake a strong commitment to

serve the customer


Employees Want Top Management to:

Have the ability to solve major organization problems

Run a socially responsible organization

Provide new products and services to meet competition

Place more emphasis on quality than quantity


Communications Strategy

Nature ofChange

OrganizationalDynamics

Channel

Message

Time

Strategy

L. R. Smeltzer, An Analysis for Announcing Organization-Wide Change, Group & Organizational Studies,Vol. 16, No. 1 March 1991.


Organizational Dynamics

Employee Differences

Organizational Culture

Organizational Climate


Communications Strategy

Message Style Coverage Source

ChannelTime

Media Capacity & Communication Characteristics

MediumMedia RichnessCapacity

Media Characteristics

Feedback Cues/Channels Intimacy Language

Face-to-face

Telephone

Written, addressed(letter, memo)

Written, unaddressed

High

Low

Immediate Multiple Personal Natural visual, audio

Fast Audio Personal Natural

Slow Limited Personal Natural/ visual Numeric

Very slow Limited Impersonal Natural/ visual Numeric

From R. Daft and G. Huber, How Organizations Learn:A communications framework, Research in the Sociologyof Organizations, Vol.. 5, 1987.


FocusWhat is size and nature of work force?What does the work force think of

organization?How satisfied are employees?What employee communications exist?How effective are communications tools?Are there special employee relationship

programs?


Internal AudiencesManagement

Upper level, mid level, lower level administrators

Nonmanagement (staff) Specialists, clerical, secretarial

Uniformed personnel Equipment operators, drivers, security

Union representativesOther nonmanagement personnel


Communication Objectives

Increase employees’ knowledgeEnhance favorable attitudes toward

employerGet more adoption by employees of

behavior desired by managementMake employees spokespersons for

organization in communityReceive more employee feedback


How

Recognize employee accomplishments and contributions

Prepare and distribute employee communications

Schedule interpersonal communication


Theme and MessagesDepends on reason for conducting

campaignAction or special events

training seminars special programs on safety or new technology open house for employees and families parties, receptions, and other social affairs other employee special events related to

organization


Media

Bulletin boardsDisplays and

exhibitsTelephone hotlines

or news lines Inserts in paychecks Internal televisionSpeakers bureaus -

employees to community groups

FilmsVideo cassettesMeetingsTeleconferencesAudio-visual

presentationsBooklets,

pamphlets, brochures


Prescriptions for Managers

Face-to-face: non-routine and difficult communications

Memos: routine, simple communicationsDiscussion & Meetings: make presence feltRich media: implementing strategyMultiple media: critical issues and need to

get message heardEvaluate appropriate technology


Effective Internal Communications

Two-way communication

Audience participation


Evaluation

Communication, Retention, Acceptance of Messages

Coorientational EvaluationsHuman Relations AuditsCommunication SatisfactionInternational Communications

Association Audit - extensive use of network analysis and interviews


EvaluationNetwork analysis - tracing employee

communications through the organization Duty study - employees recording daily

communications Observational studies - observers recording

employees communications Cross-sectional interviews - asking employees about

communications activities ‘Small World’ technique Diffusion method


Hints

Fully understand situationInvolve communications experts at

beginningCoach people to understand changeKnow and study company culture


Hints

Make sure there is a feedback system

Be consistent in what you say and doDo not micromanage - let people be

comfortableDon’t be afraid to make changes


Community Relations

Home of office and operations

Supplier of work force

Provides setting, services, etc.


Community relations programs are specialized public relations

programs to facilitate communication between an

organization and publics in its geographic locality.

Grunig and Hunt


Community Activities

Expressive -- activities to promote themselves & to show good will to community

Instrumental -- activities to improve the community or change it to make it easier to work there


Check List

What is level of credibility?Have there been complaints?What are present and past

community relations practices?What are major strengths &

weaknesses?What opportunities exist?


Community Publics

Community media - diffused linkage

Local employees & customers - functional linkage

Community leaders - enabling linkage

Community organizations - normative linkage

Activists publics -- diffused linkage


Makeup of Community Opinion

Miniature of national government Power structure Opinion leaders Networking Prime movers Independents Dissidents


Pyramid of Power

Business, teachers, factory managers, workers

Local officials, editors, lesser city officials, association executives

Corporate, commercial executives, lawyers, etc.

Major employers,

land owners, top officials, wealthy

‘first’ families1.

2.

3.

4.


Effective Communication

Targeting of opinion leaders or community leaders

Two-way symmetric relationsCommunication objectiveCultivation of organizations, their

leaders and membershipReach out with sponsorship of

activities


EvaluationNumber of government officials reporting contact with

organization.Number of members of local publics reporting contact.Number of community leaders discussing controversial

or policy issues.Number of managers reporting they have made

changes as result of information from community about service or problems.

Number of negative behaviors reported by community leaders.


Government Relations (often called Public Affairs)

Government at all levelsPolitical actionCommunity involvement/corporate

responsibilityIssues managementInternationalStrategic planning


Government Publics

Highest level in country - Storting

Next level - fylke

Decreasing level - kommune, city, etc.


Check List

What is the makeup of the organization?

What are past and present relations with government?

What are strengths and weaknesses?How vulnerable is organization to

legislation?Which of our activities could result in

government involvement?


PR’s Function

To establish long-term, two-way

and open relations between

organization and

politicians and officials.


Success Factors

Subject knowledge

Multi-dimensional activities

Flexibility

Ability to focus


Possible Objectives

Increase knowledge of organization among politicians

Create or enhance favorable attitudes toward organization

Influence favorable vote on a bill


Possible Activities

Fact findingCoalition buildingDirect lobbyingGrass-roots

lobbyingPolitical support

activities

Political action committees (PACs)

Political education activities

Communications on political issues


Effective Communications

PrivateSector

RegulationMakers

Law Makers

Peggy Simcic Brønn1 Informasjon og Samfunnskontakt Employee/Internal Relations Community Relations...

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